UK Divorce rate falls

Fe2O3Girl

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-6049497,00.html

Divorce rates at five-year low

Press Association
Thursday August 31, 2006 11:23 AM

Divorce rates in England and Wales fell by 8% in 2005 - the lowest for five years, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said.

There were 141,750 divorces last year compared with 153,399 in 2004. The last time the figure was so low was in 2000.

Marriages which ended in divorce were lasting - on average - slightly longer at 11.6 years in 2005, compared to 11.5 years in 2004. As a result, the average age of new divorcees also rose last year to 43.1 years for men and 40.6 years for women, compared to 42.7 and 40.2 years in 2004.

The majority of divorces were granted to the wife (69%) and in 53% of these cases, the husband's behaviour was the reason given. For men awarded the divorce, the most common reason (32%) was two years' separation with consent.

Children were involved in more than half of all divorces in 2005, with 53% of cases including at least one child under 16 - the same as the year before. Last year, there were 136,332 children aged under 16 whose parents went through a divorce. Nearly two-thirds (63%) were under 11.

One in five of all men and women getting a divorce in 2005 had already been through a divorce. The ONS said this figure had nearly doubled since 1981.

Couples in England and Wales were divided into nine age groups, starting with below 20 and ending with above 60.

Those aged between 25 and 29 had the highest divorce rate with 27.1 per 1,000 married men and 28 divorces per 1,000 married women. Aside from the late 20s, levels of divorce fell notably for all those under 40 - for men it was the lowest since 1988, with 24.9 per 1,000 married men aged 16 to 39.

For all women under 40, 24.7 per 1,000 aged 16 to 39 got divorced - the lowest since 1990. For all those aged over 40, the level dropped for the first time in seven years in 2005.

Figures stood at 9.7 divorces per 1,000 married men, compared to 10.1 in 2004 and 8.7 per 1,000 for married women in 2005, compared to 8.9 in 2004. Rates of divorce fell in every age group apart from women aged 60 and over, where it rose by 2%. Divorce for the 60 and above age group has been on the increase since 1998 for men and women, apart from men in 2005 where the rate dropped by 1%.

I wonder if these figures reflect a lower marriage rate?

stillajwexelder

yes just seen this on www.uk.msn/com front page

Fe2O3Girl

I wonder if this story will make it to the "Watching the World" column?

RunningMan

Actually, it is not surprising that divorce rates, crime rates, etc, are falling. The western world experienced a huge population bubble after the second world war. As this group moved through its teens and early twenties, the crime rate went up, because there were more people in their prime crime-producing years.

As this group moved through their early twenties to mid-thirties, the marraige rate went up, and along with new marraiges, the divorce rate went up. Today, that group is 44 and older. By this point in a person's life, they and their relationships are more stable. So, having a greater proportion of the population at a stable age lowers the divorce rate.

And, of course, the antichrist is maneouvering us into a false sense of security.

stillajwexelder

no it wont heamatite - in the last days things are supposed to get worse not better

Fe2O3Girl

It looks like the older generation are letting us down:

Rates of divorce fell in every age group apart from women aged 60 and over, where it rose by 2%. Divorce for the 60 and above age group has been on the increase since 1998 for men and women, apart from men in 2005 where the rate dropped by 1%.

So maybe they aren't so stable after all. I imagine that empty nesters reach a point where they think "Do I really want to spend my last ten or twenty years like this?" and bale out.

I still think that falling divorce rates must be linked to falling marriage rates. Along those lines, does anyone know how they work out those "x% of marriages end in divorce" figures? I heard 41% on the news today.

Sad emo

I wonder if these figures reflect a lower marriage rate?

You took the words out of my mouth there!

It looks like the older generation are letting us down:

I agree with the last part of your post, it depends on how they work out the figures - it could be in this case of over 60's that the actual number of married couples has gone down through bereavement - hence the calculated percentage of divorces appears to increase. I'm not sure whether accurate figures could ever be calculated unless there is a constant starting figure.

RunningMan

If the divorce rate for women over 60 increased by 2%, shouldn't the divorce rate for men over 60 have increased by exactly the same amount? I mean, who did they divorce?

UK Divorce rate falls

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