§ Mr. RooneyTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give his most recent estimate of the number of marriages which ended in divorce in the last year for which figures are available. [90327]
§ Ms HewittThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.
611WLetter from Tim Holt to Mr. Terry Rooney, dated 8 July 1999:
As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question on the number of marriages estimated to end in divorce.The table below gives the numbers of marriages which took place in England and Wales in a selection of past years, and the numbers and percentages of those marriages which had ended in divorce by 1994. Also given are the percentages of those marriages estimated to have ended in divorce by the tenth wedding anniversary.
Numbers and percentages of marriages which ended in divorce, by year of marriage, England and Wales Marriages which endedin divorce by the end of 1994 Year of marriage Number of marriages (thousand) Number (thousand) Percentage1 Percentage of marriages which ended in divorce by tenth wedding anniversary 1951 361 246 213 23 1961 347 81 23 6 1971 405 119 29 15 1981 352 95 27 21 1986 348 69 20 223 1991 307 18 6 — 1Percentage of original number of marriages 2Estimates In addition, an estimate has been made of the percentage of marriages which would end in divorce were the divorce rates by duration of marriage to remain unchanged at their 1993-94 levels. On this basis, 41 per cent. of marriages would ultimately end in divorce.