Marriage, Divorce and Adoption Statistics

Provisional marriage statistics are usually published in the spring each year (just over a year after the end of the reference period). Final marriage statistics for the previous year are published alongside provisional figures (just over two years after the end of the reference period). Provisional marriage statistics provide summary statistics for the latest year.

Final marriage statistics for the previous year are published as a set of packages:

• Number of marriages, marriage rates and period of occurrence
• Previous marital status
• Age at marriage and previous marital status
• Cohabitation and cohort analyses
• Area of occurrence, type of ceremony, denomination and registered building

The divorce tables are published as a set of packages:

• Number of divorces, age at divorce and marital status before marriage
• Age at marriage, duration of marriage and cohort analyses, and
• Children of divorced couples.

Adoption statistics present data on adoptions which took place following court orders made in England and Wales. The statistics are produced under two different definitions: date of entry into the Adopted Children Register (ACR) and date of court order.