Marriages are up in borough

THE number of marriages has increased in Halton according to the most recent figures. The Office For National Statistics (ONS) has released analysis of ceremonies taking place in England and Wales in 2015.

For Halton, the 381 marriages in the borough that year is a rise compared to the 375 in 2014.

Of the 381, a total of 371 were marriages of opposite-sex couples.

The 10 same-sex ceremonies which took place in 2015 across Runcorn and Widnes is an increase of one marriage from the nine the previous year.

Of the 10 most recent marriages, four were between men and six involved women.

In 2014, there were eight ceremonies in Halton where two women were married – but only one involving a pair of men.

Across England and Wales in 2015 according to the ONS figures, there were 239,020 marriages between opposite-sex couples in 2015, a decrease of 3.4% from 2014 when there 247,372 ceremonies, and 0.8% lower than in 2013.

Marriage rates for opposite sex couples in 2015 were also the lowest on record, but there were 6,493 ceremonies between same-sex couples and 56% of these were between women.

A further 9,156 same-sex couples converted their civil partnership into a marriage.

Nicola Haines of the ONS’s vital statistics outputs branch said: “Marriage rates for opposite-sex couples are now at their lowest level on record following a gradual long-term decline since the early 1970s. The number of marriages between opposite-sex couples decreased by 3.4% in 2015, compared with 2014.

“Despite this overall decline, marriages at older ages rose; the number of weddings increased for men aged 50 and over and women aged 35 to 39 years and 45 and over.

“This is the first full year for which marriages were available for same-sex couples and they accounted for 2.6% of all marriages.”