Love British Style

Marriages in the UK fell to 244,710 in 2005 - the lowest figure per population since 1897, according to The Sunday Times. The popularity of marriage has been declining since 1972 when there were 426,241 weddings. The proportion of married people in the adult population is 50.3%. In the 1970s the figure was over two-thirds. The decline means more children born out of wedlock and, according to the ONS, 327,000 children were born to unmarried parents last year, nearly half of all births or about 43%. Two out of three of the babies outside marriage will be born to couples with one eye on the benefit authorities, according to the think tank Civitas. These children will more likely be single parents themselves. The average cohabitation couples last three years, while the average marriage lasts 12. This ain't good.