Family Stability

Married people are far more likely to stay together
than unmarried people

Unmarried parents are 4-5 times more likely to break up (Boheim & Ermisch, 1999; Lindgren, 1997)

By a child's 5th birthday, 8% of UK married parents have split up, compared to 52% of cohabitees, and 25% of those who marry after the birth (Kiernan, 1999)

70% of UK children born to married parents in 1997 can expect to spend their entire childhood with both natural parents, compared to only 36% of children born to unmarried parents (Ermisch & Francesconi, 2000)

150,000 children under 5 experience the separation of their parents each year. For 80% their parents are unmarried (Benson, February 2005)