The divorce rate in the UK has risen tenfold since 1961 while fewer people are getting married [1], according to the Office for National Statistics.
The ONS also found that people were getting married later in life, living in less crowded homes and more likely to own their own home.
While the majority — 68 per cent — of people aged 16 and over were married in 1961, this fell to 49 per cent in 2011.
In the 1960s, the divorce rate was only 0.8 per cent but this rose to 9 per cent by 2011. Divorce rates increased steadily but started to drop after 2003 as fewer people married and were typically getting married later in life — marriages at older ages tend to be less likely to break up.