Divorces fall to their lowest level in 30 years ... because fewer people are marrying

There were fewer than 133,000 divorces last year, a 6 per cent fall on 2005 and the lowest number since the mid-1970s.

One reason for the decline is that fewer people are marrying.

Only around half of women now have a husband and the ranks of cohabiting couples have grown by twothirds in a decade.

But the figures also show that those who do tie the knot are more likely to stick together.

Last year, the divorce rate fell to 12.2 in every 1,000 couples, the lowest since 1984, according to the Office for National Statistics.

In 2005, the figure stood at 13.1 in every 1,000 couples.

The divorce count follows the publication last week of an ONS analysis of family life which acknowledged that married couples tend to be better off, enjoy better health and have better- educated children.

The report said: "There are benefits in partnership, particularly marriage."

Yesterday's figures show that the annual number of divorces fell by more than 20,000 - or 14 per cent - in three years. The 2006 figure of 132,418 divorces compares with 153,294 in 2003.

The effect has been that fewer children are damaged by divorce.

Last year just over 125,000 children under 16 were from homes with broken-marriages, down from over 153,500 in 2003. Among the most vulnerable children, those aged under five, numbers in families hit by divorce fell from 33,000 to 25,300 over the same period.

However, these figures compare with increasing numbers of children suffering as a result of break-ups among cohabiting parents.

There are now 2.3million cohabiting couples.

Each is statistically likely to split up after around three years, compared with 11 years for married couples.

More than 16,000 gay couples were 'married' in the first full year following the creation of civil partnerships, figures show.

According to a National Statistics study, England topped the list, accounting for 90 per cent of the partnerships last year, followed by Scotland (6 per cent), Wales (3 per cent) and Northern Ireland (1 per cent).

When the law was changed to allow same-sex unions in December 2005, 4,000 gay men and women made their vows within this first month, the figures show.

While the initial rate tailed off slightly, a total of 16,106 gay couples - 9,648 male and 6,458 female - held ceremonies in 2006.

London witnessed the largest concentration of civil partnerships, with 4,000 taking place.

The capital was followed by the South-East which registered 2,700 such weddings.

Notably, the vast majority involved mature couples, with the average age being 47 for men and 44 for women.

No divorces were recorded last year, although civil partnership couples must be together for at least a year before they are allowed to file for separation.