Emmanuel Thomas l Tuesday, March 14, 2017
ENGLAND, United Kingdom – Not less than 4,850 same sex couples in England and Wales legalized their marriage in the year 2014, the Office of National Statistics has said.
The statistics which were released for the first time showed that 44 percent of the total number, that is 2, 129 were homosexuals, male to male couples while 56 percent, that is 2, 721 were lesbians, female to female couples.
“A total of 4,850 marriages were formed between same sex couples in 2014. Of these, 44% (2,129) were between male couples and 56% (2,721) were between female couples”, the office said, adding that marriages of same sex couples came into effect in 29 March 2014.
“Taking this into account, the number of marriages of same sex couples in 2014 is considered to be similar to the number of civil partnerships formed in the year prior to the change in legislation. In 2013, there were 5,646 civil partnerships formed between same sex couples with 47% of these being between male couples and 53% between female couples.
Between 2009 and 2013, the numbers of men and women forming civil partnerships in a year were relatively even; female couples accounted for between 48% and 53% of all civil partnerships each year, the office said.
The office explained that in 2014, of all men and women marrying a partner of the opposite sex 76% were marrying for the first time.
In comparison, 85% of men and women marrying a partner of the same sex were forming their first legally recognised partnership – they had never previously married or been in a civil partnership.
The ONS noted that two-thirds (67%) of marriages between opposite sex couples in 2014 were the first marriage for both partners buy unchanged from 2013. It added that this percentage has increased steadily from a recent low of 58% in 2000.
Among same sex couples, 81% of marriages between males and 68% between females were the first legally recognized partnership for both partners.
The office went further to explain that among opposite sex couples, more women than men married at ages under 30 but that at ages 30 and over, more men married.
“This pattern, which has been recorded since 1997, reflects that on average, men tend to form
relationships with women younger than themselves”, the office added but that among same sex couples, more women than men married at ages under 50 and that at ages 50 and over, more men married.
It explained that in 2013, prior to the introduction of marriages for same sex couples, more women than men entered a civil partnership at ages under 40 while at ages 40 and over, more men formed a civil partnership.
“For marriages of opposite sex couples, the average (mean) age for men marrying in 2014 was 37.0 years, while for women it was 34.6 years. This represents a slight increase compared with 2013 (36.7 years for men and 34.3 years for women) and continues the overall rise recorded since the 1970s. The average age at marriage for same sex couples in 2014 was slightly higher at 39.5 years for men and 36.9 years for women”, the office said.
