Proportion of married people in England and Wales falls below 50% for first time

ONS figures, which include civil partnerships, spark calls for changes in laws for cohabiting couples

The proportion of people aged 16 or older in England and Wales who are married or in a civil partnership has fallen below 50% for the first time.

The figure dropped to 49.4% in 2022, according to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).