The Times, The Telegraph and The Daily Express quote Jamie Kennaugh on the latest ONS marriage statistics
min readFigures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the highest median ages on record for men and women marrying in England and Wales. For opposite-sex weddings, the median age for grooms rose from 23 in 1970 to 34.8 in 2023 while for brides, it increased from 21 to 33.
The ONS said the latest drop in marriages followed a "post-pandemic spike" in 2022, probably from ceremonies postponed during lockdown.
Jamie Kennaugh, Family Partner, comments on the statistics for The Times:
It’s unsurprising to see that marriage rates started to fall in 2023, following a post-pandemic surge in 2021 and 2022 when many couples who had delayed their nuptials finally tied the knot.
"But while the spike may have been short-lived, the longer-term pressures are more persistent. The cost-of-living crisis began to bite in 2023, squeezing household budgets and impacting major life decisions. For many couples facing rising rents and everyday costs, the financial burden of a wedding has put marriage out of reach, or at least on the backburner for now.
"Instead, more people are choosing to delay marriage or cohabit as an alternative. For some, living together is a step towards marriage; for others, it’s a permanent arrangement. This shift is reflected in the rising average age at which men and women marry.
"As generational attitudes continue to evolve, and economic challenges persist, it’s likely that marriage rates will decline further in the years ahead. That being said, our own research found that three quarters of Gen Z adults say they want to get married versus just 43% of Millennials. So, it will be interesting to see whether this trend will reverse in the medium term. It may be that greater ease with the concept and adoption of prenuptial agreements may give comfort to some about the financial risk of marrying.
Read the full piece in The Times (print only).
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