ONS figures show that divorce is declining ========================================== ![ONS figures show that divorce is declining](https://vardags.com/images/pictures/_360/88c8d061a8bc8af1e290087d4db01d16.jpeg)Last week the Office of National Statistics released figures showing that the divorce rate in England is continuing to fall, with the exception of an older generation of divorcees over the age of 50. [The figures](https://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_424206.pdf) show that the average length of marriage is 11.7 years with a 2.9 percent drop in the number of couples formally separating, bringing the divorce rate to the lowest level in 40 years. An estimated 42 percent of marriages end in divorce, but it is predicted that the proportion of divorces will continue to decrease for the most recent (those who married since 2000) married couples. Marriage among the younger tranches of society is on the decline: in 2012, 14 percent of brides and 8 percent of grooms were under 25, compared with 76 percent and 61 percent in the late 1960s. The media attributes this decline to a focus on higher education and career among the younger generation. Further, [the Telegraph](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/12011714/Divorce-rate-at-lowest-level-in-40-years-after-cohabitation-revolution.html) points out that the decline in divorce rates coincides with couples living together first, unmarried, as a result of a change in social attitudes. [Resolution](https://www.resolution.org.uk/) thinks it best to take the statistics with a pinch of salt, for although divorces may be on the decline, the figures do not account for the breakdown in cohabiting partners'relationships, and a break up without a marriage can have just as detrimental an effect on a family as a divorce. "Ayesha Vardag - Britain's top divorce lawyer." ![The Huffington Post](https://vardags.com/images/logo/huffpost.png) "Ayesha Vardag - Woman of the Year"![GG2](https://vardags.com/images/logo/gg2-3.png) "Leading, Magic Circle law firm."Mr Justice Coleridge "A handful of firms dominate the so-called 'glamour' end of the market ... Vardags"The Times "One of the best divorce lawyers in the country"Marie Claire "Ayesha Vardag - 'diva of divorce' for the world's super rich" ![BBC](https://vardags.com/images/logo/bbc.png) "Dr Stephen Bence is a financial genius."Lewis Marks KC "Ayesha Vardag - the Queen of divorce"Daily Mail "Vardags brilliantly argued my case to a resounding victory"Pauline Chai (client) "Britain's top divorce lawyer" ![The Telegraph](https://vardags.com/images/logo/telegraph.png) More Divorce news ----------------- [Love lessons from Scottish history: Mary, Queen of Scots](https://vardags.com/family-law/love-lessons-from-scottish-history "Love lessons from Scottish history: Mary, Queen of Scots") [Divorce in literature: a cautionary tale](https://vardags.com/family-law/divorce-in-literature "Divorce in literature: a cautionary tale") [ONS figures show that divorce is declining](https://vardags.com/family-law/ons-figures-show-that-divorce-is-declining "ONS figures show that divorce is declining") [Resolution research into impact of divorce on children](https://vardags.com/family-law/resolution-research-into-impact-of-divorce-on-children "Resolution research into impact of divorce on children") [Always a bridesmaid, never a civil partner](https://vardags.com/family-law/always-bridesmaid-never-partner "Always a bridesmaid, never a civil partner") Articles by Kathryn Mason ------------------------- [Re M (An Adult): The capacity to consent to marriage](https://vardags.com/family-law/the-capacity-to-consent-to-marriage "Re M (An Adult): The capacity to consent to marriage") [Love lessons from Scottish history: Mary, Queen of Scots](https://vardags.com/family-law/love-lessons-from-scottish-history "Love lessons from Scottish history: Mary, Queen of Scots") [ONS figures show that divorce is declining](https://vardags.com/family-law/ons-figures-show-that-divorce-is-declining "ONS figures show that divorce is declining") [A short history of Gretna Green marriages](https://vardags.com/family-law/a-short-history-of-gretna-green-marriages "A short history of Gretna Green marriages") [The Family Synod: outcomes](https://vardags.com/family-law/the-family-synod-outcomes "The Family Synod: outcomes")