There has been a sharp decline in the number of people who are married in the North of Ireland from 61% in 1971 to 46% in 2021. A similar decline has taken place in the Republic.

The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency released data this week showing that 693,000 adults (aged 16 and over) are married or in a civil partnership. In contrast 577,000 adults – 38% – were single (never married/civil partnered). An additional number are divorced or separated.

The agency found that in the last 50 years there has been a decline in the number of adults who were married and an increase in the number of people who are single, up from 31% in 1971.

During the same period the percentage of adults who are ‘Separated, widowed or divorced’ has risen from 9% in 1971 to 16% in 2021. The number of divorced adults has risen from 3,000 in 1971 to over 90,000 in 2021.

Of the adult population who live in households, just more than half lived as part of a couple within the same household (53% or 794,000 people in a married, civil partnered or co-habiting couple).

The remaining 695,000 adults (47%) did not live as part of a couple within the same household.