Divorce rate in England and Wales 'declining'

Posted by Mark Cunningham

The divorce rate in England and Wales appears to be declining, new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show.

According to the organisation, the rate of such separations dropped in 2008 for the fifth year in a row.

It reached 11.5 per 1,000 married people, which is the lowest figure recorded since 1979 - when there were 11.2 per 1,000.

This was a drop of 2.5 per cent on the data recorded in 2007, the ONS noted. It did not, however, provide an explanation as to why this may be the case.

Individuals in their late 20s were identified as the age demographic most likely to seek divorces.

Speaking to the Guardian in December, shadow cabinet member responsible for the family David Willetts predicted that marriage may become a middle-class institution due to the cost and time required to have such a ceremony.

The Conservative Party has talked of introducing new financial incentives to encourage the practice.
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01/02/2010 14:36

News category: Family

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