The number of civil partnership dissolutions
in the UK rose 44pc in 2010 compared with the previous year to 509, according to
the latest figures.

The figures from the Office for National
Statistics that of the 509 dissolutions granted, 203 were to male couples and
306 were to female couples. The higher number of female couple dissolutions is
despite the fact that more men have entered civil
partnerships.

Since Civil Partnerships were introduced in
2005 in the Britain and Northern Ireland, more than 46,000 same-sex couples have
availed of them.

The peak year was 2006, the first full year
that Civil Partnerships could take place and more than 16,000 were registered.
Last year 6,385 took place of which 116 were in Northern Ireland.

Last year was the first year when more
female couples than male couples entered a Civil Partnership. In total, 25,783
male couples have become civil partners since 2005 and 20,746 female
couples.

Since 2005, 420 male couples and 674 female
couples have dissolved their partnerships. As civil partnerships become more
commonplace, the number of dissolutions can also be expected to
rise.

In 2009, there were 231,490 marriages in the
UK by opposite-sex couples. The marriage rate in Britain has been in decline for
several decades.