Marriage Decline

Conversely the proportion of the population aged 15 years and over who were never married increased from 29% in 1986 to 32% in 2001. | In 1986, 60% of the population aged 15 years and over were married; by 2001 this proportion had decreased to 55%. | The decline in marriage rates and the increase in divorce rates has led to a decrease in the proportion of the population that is formally married. | At the same time, the proportion of the population who were divorced increased, from 5% in 1986 to 7% in 2001, while the proportion of the population who were widowed remained at around 6%.