Helen Nile
Helen qualified as a solicitor in 1998 having completed her training as a solicitor with t...
full profile
Blog
Lowest Marriage Rates Since Records Began
(12th February | 10:41)
Marriage rates in England and Wales have fallen for a fourth year and now stand at their lowest level since records began.
In 2008 a total of 232,990 couples married, representing a drop of 1% on the figures from the year before. The figures from the Office for National Statistics show that for every 1,000 adult men 21.8 of them were married in 2008 and for adult women the figure was 19.6 per 1,000.
A spokesperson for the Church of England said "we have found that marriage is regarded as a serious commitment and something people aspire to, even those already living together". The spokesperson went on to say that the Church considers that marriage changes people's behaviour, especially men.
The Centre for Policy Studies has expressed concern about the decline because they consider that there are strong links between marriage and family stability. A spokesperson for the Centre said that cohabitation was on the increase but often short lived. The Centre wants to see more support and encouragement of marriage from public policy.
The vice-chair of Resolution (a group of family lawyers) put forward the view that the financial protection given to couples by marriage should be extended to those who cohabit.
What do you think? Would the view put forward by Resolution simply make the situation worse or do people now view marriage as an outdated institution?
<< Back | Post a Comment
Comments
No comments added for this entry.
