According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), marriage rates for opposite-sex couples were the lowest on record in 2018.
The data which details the number of marriages that took place in England and Wales analysed a range of factors including age, sex, previous marital status and civil or religious ceremony.
The total number of marriages fell for the third consecutive year in England and Wales to 234,795. It represented a decrease of 3.3 per cent compared to the previous year and was the lowest figure since 2009.
This continues the gradual long-term decline in both numbers and rates since the early 1970s.
During 2018, there were 6,925 marriages between same-sex couples, with 57.2 per cent between female couples; a further 803 same-sex couples converted their civil partnership into a marriage.
Around one fifth (21.1 per cent) of opposite-sex marriages in 2018 were religious ceremonies, which is the lowest number on record, whilst religious ceremonies accounted for only 0.9 per cent of all same-sex marriages.
The data also revealed the average age at marriage for opposite-sex couples was 38.1 years for men and 35.8 years for women. Whilst for same-sex couples the average ages at marriage were 40.4 years and 36.9 years respectively.
The full list of statistics on marriage rates in England and Wales can be found here.
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