The Office for National Statistics have published (23 November 2015) more information showing how marriage and divorce in England and Wales have fared over the last few years.
The rate of divorces fell in the years 2003/2009. The rate was then steady until 2010 when there was a 4.9% increase after which the rate was more or less steady until 2012, then fell in 2013. As to the actual figures in that year, in 2013 there were 114,720 divorces, a fall of 2.9% since 2012, when there were 118,140 divorces.
So, who is doing the divorcing? The statistics show that in 2012 divorce was highest among men and women aged 40 to 44. In 2013 the average marriage that then ended in divorce lasted for 11.7 years. This average has kept fairly stable since 2005. Interestingly 65% of petitions for divorce were started by women.
As reported in my last blog, more couples are now choosing to cohabit, which might help to explain these figures.