Divorce rates plunge to lowest for 48 years

THE number of divorces has dropped below 100,000 a year for the first time in almost half a century, data reveals.

The figure for England and Wales last year was just over 92,000 – the lowest level since marriage splits started to rise in the early 1970s.

The annual plunge in divorce, which has been falling faster than the drop in the number of marriages, appears to reflect major changes in the social attitudes of Britons. One in ten adults now choose to live as unmarried couples rather than tie the knot.

And those who do choose to get married are increasingly Britons from middle- class backgrounds, while working class and lowerpaid couples typically shun marriage. Analysts say middle-income married couples are more likely to stick together because they tend to have shared property interests and economic Justice divorces The realise figures show finalised cost the from high there of a the break-up. in emotional were 2018, Ministry 92,361 down and of from 2003, 103,366 154,326 the marriage previous splits year. were In sealed in the courts. The ministry said further falls in divorce numbers are likely, and that between April and June this year some 28,144 proceedings begun in the courts, down 13 per cent on the same period in 2018. The official tally from Office for National Statistics (ONS) records show divorce numbers were last below 100,000 in 1971, when there were 74,437 marriage break-ups.

At the time, rates were shooting up following the liberalisation of divorce laws in 1969. That ushered in the ‘quickie’ divorce, in which couples could split in as little as six months. Divorce numbers trebled following the reforms, and reached a peak of 165,018 in 1993.

Meanwhile, ONS analysis show divorce rates are falling faster than marriage rates. The unpopularity of marriage is such that fewer than half of all women – 49.5 per cent – are now married.

Five million Britons are in an unmarried cohabiting relationship. Those who do tie the knot are increasingly likely to be well-educated and to enjoy higher incomes. Academic Patricia Morgan, an author on family issues, said: ‘It is true that there are not so many marriages now in the first place.

‘But people are marrying a lot later in life, and they come from higher socio- economic backgrounds. They are less likely to divorce because they have more invested in the marriage. Marriage is becoming more stable as it becomes more middle class.’

The fall in splits comes as fresh reforms of divorce law planned by Theresa May’s government appear to have been dropped by Boris Johnson. Former justice secretary David Gauke wanted to introduce a regime of no-fault ‘divorce on demand’ which removed the grounds of adultery or unreasonable behaviour.