A couple’s wedding day is traditionally considered one of the most important in life, but churches have become increasingly spared from hosting nuptials.
Marriages in places of worship have hit a record low, new figures revealed on Thursday, accounting for less than a fifth of all ceremonies for the first time.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) released data on marriages in England and Wales in 2019, analysed by age, sex, previous marital status and civil or religious ceremony.
It found that in 2019, religious ceremonies accounted for less than one in five (18.7 per cent) of opposite-sex marriages, a decrease from 21.1 per cent in 2018 and the lowest percentage on record; for same-sex marriages, 0.7 per cent of marriages were religious ceremonies.
Researchers said that the reason for the decline was down to “couples choosing to live together rather than marry, either as a precursor to marriage or as an alternative”.
💍Marriages in places of worship have hit a record low, accounting for less than a fifth of all nuptials
Here's what the data shows 🧵👇https://t.co/dM2KRZwXie
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) May 19, 2022