Health

Married people and their children have lower mortality rates
and better physical health.

In the UK, divorced men aged 20-60 have 70%-100% higher mortality rates. Divorced women over the age of 25 have 35%-58% higher mortality rates (ONS, 2001 -Mortality). Mortality rates amongst cohabitees is no different that that of singles (Lillard & Waite, 1995)

Unmarried men & women occupy an astonishing 90% of all beds in hospital & care homes - up from an average of 70% during 1921-1971. That's 7 & 16 times respectively more than married men & women (Prior & Hayes, 2003).

Divorced fathers are far more likely to engage in risky behaviour, including drugs, alcohol and unsafe sex (Umberson, 1987; Wellings & al, 1994)

Divorce makes young men & women twice as likely to increase their drinking (Power & al, 1999)

Children in single parent households are twice as likely to complain of aches, pains and sickness, even after taking demographic factors into account (Cockett & Tripp, 1994)

"Sudden Infant Death Syndrome" is 3 times more common amongst unmarried mothers and 7 times more common amongst single mothers, compared to married mothers (ONS, 2002 - Mortality)