In 2019, 253,112 marriages took place in the UK in 2019, a decrease from 2018 when there were 270,286. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were just 100,899 marriages in 2020, the fewest during this time period.

The marriage rate in England and Wales, defined as the number of people marrying per 1,000 unmarried people in the population aged 16 and over, was 17.9 in 2019. Before 2020, which was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, this was the lowest marriage rate in the provided time period.

Number of marriages that took place in England and Wales by age, sex, previous partnership status and civil or religious ceremony.

In May 2025, approximately 77 percent of people in Great Britain supported the 2014 change in the law that allowed same-sex marriage, compared with 17 percent who opposed it, and nine percent who did not know if they supported or opposed it.

Annual UK and constituent country figures for births, deaths, marriages, divorces, civil partnerships and civil partnership dissolutions.

These datasets are part of "Marriage and civil partnership status in England and Wales: Census 2021", a release of results from the 2021 Census for England and Wales.

To ensure that individuals cannot be identified in the data, population counts have been rounded to the nearest five and counts under 10 have been suppressed.

Figures may differ slightly in future releases because of the impact of removing rounding and applying further statistical processes.

Quality notes can be found here

Usual resident

A usual resident is anyone who on Census Day, 21 March 2021 was in the UK and had stayed or intended to stay in the UK for a period of 12 months or more, or had a permanent UK address and was outside the UK and intended to be outside the UK for less than 12 months.

Legal partnership status

Classifies a person according to their legal marital or registered civil partnership status on Census Day, 21 March 2021. The definition of legal partnership status is the same as the 2011 Census variable “Marital status” but has been updated for Census 2021 to reflect the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019 which made provision for the extension of civil partnerships to couples who are not of the same sex.

Between same-sex marriage being legalized in England and Wales on March 29, 2014, and December 31, 2023, there have been over 63,100 same-sex marriages. Of these, around 36,700 were between two women, while just under 26,400 were between two men.

The average age at which people in England and Wales get married has been rising since the 1970s, with the average age of men marrying women increasing from **** in 1972 to **** by 2019, with the average age for women marrying men going up from **** to **** in the same time period. Since 2014 and the legalization of same-sex marriage in England and Wales, the average age for men marrying men has fluctuated between **** and ****, while the average age for females marrying females has fluctuated between **** and ****. Strong support for same-sex marriage in UK Over ten years after same-sex marriage was legalized in most of the UK, polls have shown consistent support for the legislation. As of May 2025, ** percent of Britons supported same-sex marriage, compared with ** percent who opposed it, and ***** percent who did not know. England and Wales was the first jurisdiction to allow same-sex marriages, with the first marriages taking place in March 2014, followed by Scotland in December of that year. Legislation allowing same-sex marriage was not passed in Northern Ireland until 2019, with the first marriages not taking place in 2020. Most popular wedding dates In 2022, the most popular wedding date across the entire year in England and Wales was July 30, with ***** weddings taking place that day. The next most popular wedding date was August 20, which had ***** weddings, followed by May 28, at *****. All three of these dates were Saturday's, which, at over ** percent of all weddings, was by far the most popular day of the week for weddings to be held the week. As for the most popular month, August had the most weddings held in 2022, at ******, with ****** being held in July, and ****** in June, the second, and third-most popular months for weddings, respectively.

Annual estimates of population by marital status and living arrangements by age group and sex in England only.

In 2022, approximately 207,004 marriages took place via a civil ceremony in England and Wales, compared with 41,915 religious ceremonies. Since 1992, there have been more civil ceremonies in every year than religious ones. There were far fewer ceremonies taking place in 2020 due to the COVID-19 lockdowns at the time.

This dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify usual residents aged 16 years and over in England and Wales by legal partnership status, by sex and by age. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021.

Separate estimates by opposite and same-sex partnerships for the marital status categories “Separated”, “Divorced/dissolved” and “Widowed/surviving partners” are not available. This is because quality assurance showed the figures for some of the categories were unreliable. Read more about this quality notice.

Estimates for single year of age between ages 90 and 100+ are less reliable than other ages. Estimation and adjustment at these ages was based on the age range 90+ rather than five-year age bands. Read more about this quality notice.

Area type

Census 2021 statistics are published for a number of different geographies. These can be large, for example the whole of England, or small, for example an output area (OA), the lowest level of geography for which statistics are produced.

For higher levels of geography, more detailed statistics can be produced. When a lower level of geography is used, such as output areas (which have a minimum of 100 persons), the statistics produced have less detail. This is to protect the confidentiality of people and ensure that individuals or their characteristics cannot be identified.

Lower tier local authorities

Lower tier local authorities provide a range of local services. There are 309 lower tier local authorities in England made up of 181 non-metropolitan districts, 59 unitary authorities, 36 metropolitan districts and 33 London boroughs (including City of London). In Wales there are 22 local authorities made up of 22 unitary authorities.

Coverage

Census 2021 statistics are published for the whole of England and Wales. However, you can choose to filter areas by:

• country - for example, Wales
• region - for example, London
• local authority - for example, Cornwall
• health area – for example, Clinical Commissioning Group
• statistical area - for example, MSOA or LSOA

Marital and civil partnership status

Classifies a person according to their legal marital or registered civil partnership status on Census Day 21 March 2021.

It is the same as the 2011 census variable "Marital status" but has been updated for Census 2021 to reflect the revised Civil Partnership Act that came into force in 2019.

In Census 2021 results, "single" refers only to someone who has never been married or in a registered civil partnership.

Sex

This is the sex recorded by the person completing the census. The options were “Female” and “Male”.

Age

A person’s age on Census Day, 21 March 2021 in England and Wales. Infants aged under 1 year are classified as 0 years of age.

August was the most popular month for weddings in England and Wales in 2022, with 33,676 marriages taking place in this month. Unsurprisingly, the other Summer months of June and July were also popular choices, as well as September. With just 6,367 weddings occurring in January, this was the least popular month for weddings. When is the most popular day for a wedding? In 2022, Saturday was the most popular day of the week for weddings, with Friday a distant second. In fact, during that year, the top 31 dates for weddings were all Saturdays, with 3,500 weddings taking place on Saturday July 30, the most popular date for holding a wedding in that year. Monday was the least popular day of the week for a wedding in 2022, while Christmas Day (Sunday 25, December) had just three weddings taking place, the fewest of any date in that year. Cost of weddings on the rise The average cost of a wedding has increased from around 17,300 British pounds in 2021 to approximately 23,250 by 2024. Following the COVID-19 Pandemic, the cost of a wedding fell to 9,100 pounds in 2020, before recovering slightly to around by 2021. Wedding venues were the largest expense, costing around 6,286 pounds, with catering also setting people back by around 4,419 pounds. When compared with other countries, UK weddings cost less than those in the United States, Spain, Italy and Canada, but more than France, Portugal and Mexico, among other countries.

In 2022, approximately 2,606 women aged between 30 and 34 married a same-sex partner in England and Wales, the most common age group for same-sex marriages among women. For men marrying a same-sex partner, the most common age group was also 30 to 34.

Live births and stillbirths annual summary statistics, by sex, age of mother, whether within marriage or civil partnership, percentage of non-UK-born mothers, birth rates and births by month and mothers' area of usual residence.

Saturday was the most popular day of the week for weddings in England and Wales in 2022, with 107,543 of 246,897 weddings in this year taking place on that day. Friday was the second-most popular day, with 44,813 weddings taking place on this day.

Children looked after who were adopted during the years ending 31 March by number of adopters, legal status of adopters and by gender of adopters. Data formerly in table E3.Footnotes:1. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Percentages rounded to the nearest whole number. See the methodology document for further information. Historical data may differ from older publications which is mainly due to amendments made by local authorities after the previous publication.2. The Royal Assent to the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act in July 2013 allowed same sex marriages to be performed from summer 2014. Different sex civil partnerships were allowed from December 2019.

In 2019/2020, asked in a survey how frequently they cook from recipe, roughly ** percent of respondents who live separated from their partner do so less than once a month. The share of those who said they did so a few times a week was highest among respondents living with their partner (not married) and came to ** percent.

In 2021, the divorce rate in England and Wales was *** divorces per thousand married couples, which was significantly higher than the rate in 2018, which was ***. The Divorce rate in England and Wales has been falling steadily since a rate of **** was recorded in 2003 and 2004. In the last available data for Scotland in 2008, the divorce rate was ****.

Snapshot img

Online Dating Services Market Size 2025-2029

The online dating services market size is forecast to increase by USD 2.9 billion at a CAGR of 5.8% between 2024 and 2029.

Online dating services have witnessed significant growth in recent years, driven by the increasing adoption of digital technologies and the rise of niche platforms catering to specific demographics. The integration of social media analytics and application development has enabled more effective matching algorithms, while artificial intelligence and machine learning are being leveraged to enhance user experience. However, concerns around security and privacy continue to pose challenges for the industry. Mobile applications dominate the market, offering convenience and accessibility to users. As online dating becomes more mainstream, there is a growing need for advanced security analytics to build trust and ensure user safety. This market analysis report explores these trends and challenges, providing insights into the future growth prospects of the market.

What will be the Size of the Online Dating Services Market During the Forecast Period?

Request Free Sample

The market encompasses a vast array of internet platforms catering to single people In their quest for meaningful connections. With an increasing number of individuals prioritizing convenience and flexibility In their social lives, the market's sales continue to soar. Online dating services, which include dating sites and apps, have revolutionized the way people meet and interact, offering subscriptions that grant access to a vast pool of potential matches. Social media integration and artificial intelligence-driven matchmaking algorithms further enhance the user experience, allowing customers to connect with like-minded individuals more effectively. However, the industry faces challenges such as mischief and phishing attempts, requiring stringent security measures to protect personal details and online banking passwords.
Moreover, as internet usage continues to increase, the outlook for online dating services remains positive, with continued innovation and adaptation to customer priorities shaping the future of this dynamic and evolving market.

How is this Online Dating Services Industry segmented and which is the largest segment?

The online dating services industry research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD billion' for the period 2025-2029, as well as historical data from 2019-2023 for the following segments.

Type

  Marriage
  Casual
  Socialize


Pricing Scheme

  Subscription
  Advertising


Platform

  Web-based
  App-based


Geography

  North America

    Canada
    US


  Europe

    Germany
    UK
    France
    Italy


  APAC

    China
    India
    Japan


  South America



  Middle East and Africa

By Type Insights

The marriage segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period.

The marriage segment of the market caters to individuals seeking long-term, committed relationships. These users prioritize shared values, beliefs, and life goals in potential partners. They are typically older, with many In their 30s, 40s, and beyond. Online platforms serving this demographic utilize detailed profiles and advanced compatibility-matching algorithms, offering additional features like coaching and counseling to foster lasting relationships. From a business perspective, the marriage segment is valuable due to users' willingness to invest in premium services, making it a significant revenue generator for online dating providers. The use of technology, including email addresses and internet banking passwords, necessitates strong app security and protection against fraud activities, such as fake online accounts and phishing attempts.

Get a glance at the Online Dating Services Industry report of share of various segments Request Free Sample

The marriage segment was valued at USD 2.99 billion in 2019 and showed a gradual increase during the forecast period.

Regional Analysis

APAC is estimated to contribute 38% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period.

Technavio's analysts have elaborately explained the regional trends and drivers that shape the market during the forecast period.

For more insights on the market share of various regions, Request Free Sample

The North American market is experiencing growth due to the increasing acceptance and popularity of online platforms for connecting single people. Key trends in this market include the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning algorithms, expansion into niche demographics, and the provision of video dating options. Major players, such as Match Group, eHarmony, and Bumble, dominate the market, offering various subscription models with free and premium options. The use of onli