04/10/2007

Increase In Cohabiting Couple Families

The number of cohabiting couple families in the UK increased by 65% between 1996 and 2006, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.

The numbers increased from 1.4 million to 2.3 million, according to the ONS' 'Focus On Families' report, which was published on Thursday.

The report found that married couple families fell by 4% over the same period, to 12.1 million.

There were 17.1 million families of all types in the UK in 2006, compared with 16.5 million in 1996.

The report found that lone parent families - including those with non-dependent children only) increased by 8% to 2.6 million.

The report also found cohabiting couple families tended to be much younger than married couple families. In 2001, half of cohabiting couple families in the UK were headed by a person aged under 35, compared with one in every ten married couples.

(KMcA)


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