How we fell out of love with the idea of marriage

People in the South West aren’t exactly wedded to the idea of tying the knot these days, national survey figures reveal.

The number of married couples is down, teen marriages have plunged, and if we do wed we do it when we’re older, according to 30 years of census data – with fewer married people in 2011, when the last census was conducted, than in 1981.

The census is a survey of the populations of England and Wales that takes place every ten years. The information it gathers helps decision makers assess the needs of local communities and plan public services such as healthcare, education and transport links.

As well as creating an accurate picture of people and households, it reveals trends in everything from work to relationships.

There were 2.2 million married people in the South West in 2011 – just over half the adult population of the area (52 per cent) – compared with almost two-thirds being married in 1981 (65 per cent). The 2011 number included 9,768 same-sex civil partnerships, which were introduced in 2005.

The census figures show we’ve become far less likely to get wed young: while it was already rare for 16- to 19-year-olds to be married in 1981, the number of married teenagers fell from 8,452 in that year – that’s just 3 per cent of all 16- to 19-year-olds

– to 991 in 2011, or less than 1 per cent. The number of married

20- to 24-year-olds fell from 101,444 (35 per cent of all 20- to 24-year-olds ) to 16,098 (5 per cent), and the number of married 25- to 29-year-olds fell from 187,630 (71 per cent of all 25- to 29-year-olds) to 76,299 (25 per cent).

Only the over-65s were more likely to be married in 2011 than they were in 1981 – possibly due to a lower divorce rate. The next census takes place on March 21, and will no doubt reveal more intriguing details of changing habits and customs.

Census 2021 will be the first digital-first census. You should receive a letter with an access code from early March. This will allow you to complete the questionnaire on a laptop, mobile phone or tablet. If you can’t complete the census online, you can request a paper form.

The census will include questions about your:

SEX EDUCATION AGE HOUSEHOLD WORK SIZE HEALTH ETHNICITY

For the first time, there will also be a question asking whether you’ve served in the armed forces, as well as voluntary questions (for those aged 16 and over) on sexual orientation and gender identity.