Every three years the Office for National Statistics releases figures on the changing state of marriage and weddings in England and Wales, and we've just received the latest statistics for 2016. So what's changed between 2012 and 2016? We compare the numbers below...
Number of marriages taking place in the UK
262,240 marriages took place in 2012, marking a 5.3% rise in marriages on the previous year. 2012 marked the highest level of marriages for a decade and was the biggest increase since that of the early 1970s.
Civil ceremonies and church weddings
70% of weddings that took place during 2012 were civil ceremonies and 30% religious marriages.
2012 showcased the largest rise in church weddings for more than 30 years, demonstrating an almost 5 percent increase year-on-year.
Ages of brides and grooms
25 to 29 year olds were the largest age group to wed during 2011, a trend which continued into 2012. The average age for a first marriage in 2012 was 36.5 for men and 34 for women – indicating a rise of eight years for both men and women since 1972.
The largest and most surprising increase came from those aged between 65 and 69, with the number of men rising from 2,805 to 3,520 in 2012 and 1,640 in 2011 to 1,990 in 2012 for women. The trend for marriages in later life is continuing to rise, and also more people are beginning a new life at an older age. Older couples have contributed massively to the rise in marriages over the past couple years.
First or second marriages
Of the 262,240 weddings that took place in 2012, 175,040 were first marriages (the split being 67% first marriage, 33% second marriage). Overall this indicated a 6% rise in the number of marriages being first marriages.