Marriage and Cohabitation

• Marriage refers to the legally or formally recognised union of two people as partners in a personal relationship
• Cohabitation refers to two people living in the same residence whilst also being part of a romantic relationship
• Marriage is in decline, with 175,000 marriages in 2012, which is less than half of those in 1970
• Remarriages are on the increase, leading to an increase of 'serial monogamy' (a pattern of marriage-divorce-marriage)
• The average age of first marriage is also increasing
• Cohabitation is on the rise, especially amongst the 25-34 age group, and amongst couples with dependant children