Cohabitation

• According to the Office of National Statistics say cohabiting couples with children were the fastest growing family type
• There is 3.5 million cohabiting couples which accounted for 21.9% of families
• The area with the lowest percentage of cohabiting couples was northern ireland
• Allan and Crow say the process of cohabitation is gradual and is not officially registered so official statistics may be incorrect
• Chandler say couples see cohabitation as a long term alternative to marriage, this is reflected in the increase of children born out of marriage, he says this is nothing new as he estimated a quarter or up to one third of couples lived in consensual unions in Britain in the 18th century
• The New right say the rise in cohabitation is because it is less stable than marriage
• Morgan and the Institute for the Study of Civil Society argue cohabiting couples are less happy and less fulfilled than married couples and that it is more likely to be abusive, unfaithful, stressed and depressed
• The changing attituded towards sex may have also contributed to the rise in cohabitation, such as premarital sex being destigmatised
• There is a decrease in social stigma of people cohabitating
• Changes to mortgage applications may cause the increase in cohabitation as they no longer have to be married to apply
• The financial independence of women may also cause an increase in cohabitation as there is no need for marriage for financial stability