Marriage rate England and Wales 2020

Since 1972 the marriage rate for opposite-sex couples in England and Wales has declined considerably, with the number of opposite-sex marriages per thousand population falling from 82 to 18.6 for men, and 63.5 to 17.2 for women by 2019. Three spikes in the marriage rate can be seen in 1915, 1920 and 1940, all followed by a sudden fall, all likely influenced by the impact of the First and Second World Wars. The huge drop in the marriage rate in 2020 can be attributed to the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Marriage rate per 1,000 population of opposite-sex couples in England and Wales from 1862 to 2020, by gender

Characteristic	Men	Women
2020	7.2	6.7
2019	18.6	17.2
2018	20.1	18.6
2017	21.2	19.5
2016	21.9	20.1
2015	21.7	19.8
2014	23	20.9
2013	22.5	20.4
2012	24.6	22.5
2011	23.4	21.3
2010	23.6	21.3
2009	22.8	20.5
2008	23.5	21
2007	24	21.4
2006	24.9	22
2005	26.4	23.3
2004	29.4	26
2003	29.8	26.2
2002	28.8	25.1
2001	27.4	23.7
2000	30.1	25.9
1999	30.1	25.8
1998	31.1	26.6
1997	32.3	27.5
1996	33.6	28.5
1995	34.7	29.4
1994	36.3	30.6
1993	37.7	31.8
1992	39.6	33.4
1991	39.3	33.2
1990	42.1	36.1
1989	44.8	38.1
1988	45.8	38.8
1987	47.1	39.6
1986	48.1	39.8
1985	48.7	40.5
1984	50.5	41.6
1983	51.2	41.8
1982	52.5	42.5
1981	55.7	44.7
1980	60.4	48.1
1979	62.2	49.2
1978	64	50.2
1977	63.9	49.8
1976	66	51.2
1975	71.8	55.2
1974	74	56.5
1973	78.2	59.4
1972	84	63.5
1971	80.3	60.5
1970	77.5	59.5
1969	73.7	56.7
1968	75.6	58.1
1967	71.2	54.8
1966	70.7	54.6
1965	68.3	52.8
1964	66.4	51.3
1963	65.5	50.3
1962	65.6	50.3
1961	67.1	50.9
1960	67.8	50.9
1959	68	50.8
1958	68.5	51.1
1957	70	52.3
1956	70.9	52.9
1955	70.8	53.1
1954	67	50.3
1953	67.2	50.5
1952	67.6	50.9
1951	69.2	52.1
1950	66.1	51.7
1949	68.6	53.7
1948	72	56.4
1947	73	56.6
1946	68.9	53.6
1945	72.1	54.7
1944	54.5	41.6
1943	54	40.9
1942	66.7	51
1941	68.5	53.2
1940	80.5	63.4
1939	74.4	58.3
1938	61.2	47.8
1937	60.6	47.4
1936	60.3	46.9
1935	59.8	46.6
1934	59.3	46.1
1933	54.6	42.6
1932	52.5	41
1931	53.4	41.6
1930	55.6	42
1929	55.2	41.9
1928	53.7	40.9
1927	54.8	41.9
1926	50	38.3
1925	53.3	40.9
1924	53.6	41.2
1923	53.9	41.1
1922	55.8	42.5
1921	60.4	45.8
1920	71.5	54.7
1919	69.6	53.5
1918	53.7	41.7
1917	47.7	37.9
1916	50.9	41.3
1915	64.9	53.8
1914	52.9	44.3
1913	52.2	43.7
1912	52.1	43.6
1911	50.8	42.5
1910	49.8	41.7
1909	49	41
1908	50.3	42.1
1907	53.2	44.5
1906	52.5	43.9
1905	51.3	42.9
1904	51.1	42.8
1903	52.5	43.9
1902	53.2	44.5
1901	53.3	44.6
1900	53.7	44.9
1899	55.6	46.5
1898	55	46
1897	54.5	45.6
1896	53.9	45.1
1895	51.6	43.2
1894	52	43.5
1893	51.1	42.7
1892	53.8	45
1891	54.6	45.7
1890	54.6	45.8
1889	53.2	44.7
1888	51.4	43.2
1887	51.5	43.3
1886	51.1	43.1
1885	52.4	44.2
1884	54.8	46.3
1883	56.4	47.8
1882	56.7	48.1
1881	55.6	47.3
1880	54.7	46.6
1879	52.8	44.9
1878	55.9	47.5
1877	58	49.3
1876	60.9	51.8
1875	61.8	52.5
1874	62.9	53.4
1873	64.9	55.2
1872	64.3	54.6
1871	61.8	52.5
1870	59.7	50.7
1869	58.8	50
1868	59.2	50.4
1867	60.8	51.7
1866	64.4	54.8
1865	64.3	54.7
1864	63	53.6
1863	61.4	52.3
1862	58.7	50

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Release date

May 2023

More information

Region

United Kingdom (England, Wales)

Survey time period

1862 to 2020

Age group

16 years and older

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Marriage rate of opposite-sex couples in England and Wales 1862-2020, by gender

Marriage rate per 1,000 population of opposite-sex couples in England and Wales from 1862 to 2020, by gender

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Marriage and weddings in the UK

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Marriage rate per 1,000 population of opposite-sex couples in England and Wales from 1862 to 2020, by gender

Other statistics on the topicMarriage and weddings in the UK

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Marriage and weddings in the UK