Since the 1970s, the marriage rate for opposite-sex couples in England and Wales has declined considerably, with the marriage rate per thousand population falling from 84 to 20.3 for men between 1972 and 2022, and from 63.5 to 18.3 for women, during the same time period. Three spikes in the marriage rate can be seen in 1915, 1920 and 1940, all likely influenced by the impact of the First and Second World Wars. The drop in the marriage rate in 2020 can be attributed to the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Marriage rate per 1,000 population of opposite-sex couples in England and Wales from 1862 to 2022, by gender
Characteristic
Men
Women
2022
20.3
18.3
2021
17.4
15.6
2020
7.2
6.7
2019
18.6
17.2
2018
20.1
18.6
2017
21.2
19.5
2016
21.9
20.1
2015
21.7
19.8
2014
23
20.9
2013
22.5
20.4
2012
24.6
22.5
2011
23.4
21.3
2010
23.6
21.3
2009
22.8
20.5
2008
23.5
21
2007
24
21.4
2006
24.9
22
2005
26.4
23.3
2004
29.4
26
2003
29.8
26.2
2002
28.8
25.1
2001
27.4
23.7
2000
30.1
25.9
1999
30.1
25.8
1998
31.1
26.6
1997
32.3
27.5
1996
33.6
28.5
1995
34.7
29.4
1994
36.3
30.6
1993
37.7
31.8
1992
39.6
33.4
1991
39.3
33.2
1990
42.1
36.1
1989
44.8
38.1
1988
45.8
38.8
1987
47.1
39.6
1986
48.1
39.8
1985
48.7
40.5
1984
50.5
41.6
1983
51.2
41.8
1982
52.5
42.5
1981
55.7
44.7
1980
60.4
48.1
1979
62.2
49.2
1978
64
50.2
1977
63.9
49.8
1976
66
51.2
1975
71.8
55.2
1974
74
56.5
1973
78.2
59.4
1972
84
63.5
1971
80.3
60.5
1970
77.5
59.5
1969
73.7
56.7
1968
75.6
58.1
1967
71.2
54.8
1966
70.7
54.6
1965
68.3
52.8
1964
66.4
51.3
1963
65.5
50.3
1962
65.6
50.3
1961
67.1
50.9
1960
67.8
50.9
1959
68
50.8
1958
68.5
51.1
1957
70
52.3
1956
70.9
52.9
1955
70.8
53.1
1954
67
50.3
1953
67.2
50.5
1952
67.6
50.9
1951
69.2
52.1
1950
66.1
51.7
1949
68.6
53.7
1948
72
56.4
1947
73
56.6
1946
68.9
53.6
1945
72.1
54.7
1944
54.5
41.6
1943
54
40.9
1942
66.7
51
1941
68.5
53.2
1940
80.5
63.4
1939
74.4
58.3
1938
61.2
47.8
1937
60.6
47.4
1936
60.3
46.9
1935
59.8
46.6
1934
59.3
46.1
1933
54.6
42.6
1932
52.5
41
1931
53.4
41.6
1930
55.6
42
1929
55.2
41.9
1928
53.7
40.9
1927
54.8
41.9
1926
50
38.3
1925
53.3
40.9
1924
53.6
41.2
1923
53.9
41.1
1922
55.8
42.5
1921
60.4
45.8
1920
71.5
54.7
1919
69.6
53.5
1918
53.7
41.7
1917
47.7
37.9
1916
50.9
41.3
1915
64.9
53.8
1914
52.9
44.3
1913
52.2
43.7
1912
52.1
43.6
1911
50.8
42.5
1910
49.8
41.7
1909
49
41
1908
50.3
42.1
1907
53.2
44.5
1906
52.5
43.9
1905
51.3
42.9
1904
51.1
42.8
1903
52.5
43.9
1902
53.2
44.5
1901
53.3
44.6
1900
53.7
44.9
1899
55.6
46.5
1898
55
46
1897
54.5
45.6
1896
53.9
45.1
1895
51.6
43.2
1894
52
43.5
1893
51.1
42.7
1892
53.8
45
1891
54.6
45.7
1890
54.6
45.8
1889
53.2
44.7
1888
51.4
43.2
1887
51.5
43.3
1886
51.1
43.1
1885
52.4
44.2
1884
54.8
46.3
1883
56.4
47.8
1882
56.7
48.1
1881
55.6
47.3
1880
54.7
46.6
1879
52.8
44.9
1878
55.9
47.5
1877
58
49.3
1876
60.9
51.8
1875
61.8
52.5
1874
62.9
53.4
1873
64.9
55.2
1872
64.3
54.6
1871
61.8
52.5
1870
59.7
50.7
1869
58.8
50
1868
59.2
50.4
1867
60.8
51.7
1866
64.4
54.8
1865
64.3
54.7
1864
63
53.6
1863
61.4
52.3
1862
58.7
50
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Office for National Statistics (UK). (June 20, 2024). Marriage rate per 1,000 population of opposite-sex couples in England and Wales from 1862 to 2022, by gender [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 30, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/934668/marriage-rate-england-and-wales/
Office for National Statistics (UK). "Marriage rate per 1,000 population of opposite-sex couples in England and Wales from 1862 to 2022, by gender." Chart. June 20, 2024. Statista. Accessed December 30, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/934668/marriage-rate-england-and-wales/
Office for National Statistics (UK). (2024). Marriage rate per 1,000 population of opposite-sex couples in England and Wales from 1862 to 2022, by gender. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 30, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/934668/marriage-rate-england-and-wales/
Office for National Statistics (UK). "Marriage Rate per 1,000 Population of Opposite-sex Couples in England and Wales from 1862 to 2022, by Gender." Statista, Statista Inc., 20 Jun 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/934668/marriage-rate-england-and-wales/
Office for National Statistics (UK), Marriage rate per 1,000 population of opposite-sex couples in England and Wales from 1862 to 2022, by gender Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/934668/marriage-rate-england-and-wales/ (last visited December 30, 2024)
Marriage rate per 1,000 population of opposite-sex couples in England and Wales from 1862 to 2022, by gender [Graph], Office for National Statistics (UK), June 20, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/934668/marriage-rate-england-and-wales/
