Marriage, Cohabitation and Divorce

Patterns of marriage, cohabitation, and divorce have changed dramatically in the UK since the mid-twentieth century. These changes reflect — and in turn shape — broader social transformations in gender roles, secularisation, individualisation, and state policy. Understanding these trends, and the sociological explanations for them, is essential for AQA A-Level Sociology (7192).

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Trends in Marriage

Declining Marriage Rates

Marriage rates in the UK have fallen significantly since the early 1970s:

Year	Marriages (England & Wales)	Key Context
1972	~480,000 (peak year)	Post-war baby boomers reaching marriageable age
1992	~311,000	Declining steadily
2009	~232,000	Continued fall
2019	~213,000	Lowest recorded number

Key Trends

• Later marriage — The average age at first marriage has risen from 23 (women) and 25 (men) in the 1970s to around 32 (women) and 34 (men) today.
• Fewer first marriages — More people are choosing not to marry at all, or to cohabit instead.
• More remarriages — Around 35% of all marriages are remarriages for at least one partner. This reflects high divorce rates and the willingness to try again.
• Civil partnerships and same-sex marriage — The Civil Partnership Act (2004) gave same-sex couples legal rights equivalent to marriage. The Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act (2013) legalised same-sex marriage in England and Wales.
• Secularisation of marriage — A growing proportion of marriages take place in civil ceremonies (registry offices, licensed venues) rather than religious ceremonies. By the 2010s, around 75% of marriages were civil.

Reasons for Declining Marriage

Factor	Explanation
Changing attitudes	Marriage is no longer seen as essential or expected. Cohabitation has become socially acceptable. The stigma attached to remaining single or having children outside marriage has largely disappeared
Secularisation	The decline of religious belief and church attendance means fewer people feel a religious obligation to marry. Marriage is increasingly seen as a personal choice rather than a sacred duty
Changing position of women	Women's greater educational and economic independence means they are less financially dependent on marriage. Women can support themselves and their children through paid employment
Rising cohabitation	Many couples see cohabitation as an alternative to — or a precursor to — marriage. The legal and social differences between cohabitation and marriage have narrowed
Fear of divorce	High divorce rates may deter some people from marrying, preferring the perceived lower commitment of cohabitation
Cost	The average UK wedding now costs over £20,000, which may deter or delay some couples

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Trends in Cohabitation

Cohabitation: An arrangement where two people who are not married or in a civil partnership live together in a sexual relationship.

Cohabitation has increased dramatically:

• In 1979, only about 3% of couples cohabited. By the 2020s, over 25% of couples living together were cohabiting rather than married.
• The number of cohabiting-couple families has more than doubled since the mid-1990s.
• Cohabitation is now the fastest-growing family type in the UK.

Types of Cohabitation

Beaujouan and Bhrolchain (2011) identified different types of cohabiting relationships:

Type	Description
Trial marriage	Couples cohabit as a "test" before deciding whether to marry
Prelude to marriage	Couples intend to marry but cohabit first for practical reasons (shared housing costs, convenience)
Alternative to marriage	Couples deliberately choose cohabitation as their preferred long-term arrangement, rejecting marriage
Alternative to being single	Short-term cohabitation for convenience or companionship, without long-term commitment

Sociological Explanations for Rising Cohabitation

• Secularisation — Without religious pressure, couples feel no obligation to formalise their relationship through marriage.
• Changing norms — Cohabitation has lost its stigma. It is no longer seen as "living in sin."
• Women's independence — Women are less likely to see marriage as an economic necessity.
• Individualisation — Beck and Beck-Gernsheim (1995) argued that in late modernity, individuals prioritise personal freedom and self-fulfilment over traditional obligations. Cohabitation offers more flexibility than marriage.
• Practical reasons — Sharing housing costs, testing compatibility before committing to marriage.

Is Cohabitation Replacing Marriage?

There is debate about whether cohabitation is replacing marriage or merely delaying it:

• Chester (1985) argued that most cohabiting couples eventually marry — cohabitation is a stage in the process, not a permanent alternative.
• Bejin (1985) suggested that cohabitation is becoming an accepted alternative to marriage for a growing minority.
• Haskey (2001) found that cohabiting relationships are, on average, less stable than marriages — about 50% of cohabiting couples separate within five years, compared to about 8% of married couples in the same period. However, this may reflect the characteristics of people who choose to cohabit rather than an effect of cohabitation itself.

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Trends in Divorce

The Rise of Divorce

Divorce rates in England and Wales rose sharply during the twentieth century:

Year	Divorces (England & Wales)	Key Context
1931	~4,000	Divorce was difficult and stigmatised
1961	~27,000	Gradually increasing
1971	~74,000	Divorce Reform Act 1969 came into effect
1993	~165,000	Peak year
2019	~107,000	Gradual decline from peak (partly reflecting fewer marriages)
2022	~80,000	Introduction of no-fault divorce

Around 42% of marriages are estimated to end in divorce, with the average divorce occurring after about 12 years of marriage.

Legal Changes

Changes in divorce law have been a significant factor in the rising divorce rate: