25
ISSUES: Marriage
Chapter 2: Divorce
British families among most unstable in the
developed world
B
ritain has some of the most
unstable
families
in
the
developed world, a new study
has found.
Figures released by the Marriage
Foundation show that the majority of
British children born to co-habiting
couples will see their parents break
up, while a third of British 12-year-
olds have seen their married parents
separate.
The Foundation’s Chairman, Sir Paul
Coleridge, described the figures as a
“loud wake-up call” to the UK’s family
breakdown “epidemic”.
Britain has highest breakdown
rate
The international studyof 100countries
found that three in five British children
(62%) born to unmarried couples
experience family breakdown before
they hit their teen years. This stood in
contrast to 45% of American children,
15% of Belgian children and 6% of
Spanish children.
But even married families in Britain
were found to have one of the highest
rates of family breakdown in Europe.
A third of British 12-year-olds whose
parents were married when they
were born have experienced family
breakdown – compared to 9% in
Austria and 11% in France.
Marriage correlates with
stability
More generally, the study showed that
across the globe, cohabiting couples
are more likely to be unstable than
those who are married.
In the UK, children born to cohabiting
parents are 94%more likely to see their
parents break up before they reach the
age of 12, than children who are born
to married parents.
Spain, Bulgaria, Italy and Georgia had
the best records of families staying
together.
The study’s conclusion states: “Using
both individual-level and country-
level data, we have shown that births
to cohabiting unions contribute to
instability in children’s
family lives.”
“There
is
much
variation
between
countries
in
the
amount of instability,
but there are few
exceptions
to
the
pattern: children born
to marital unions have
the best chance of
stability across various
cultures, legal systems,
welfare regimes and
levels of cohabitation.”
Marriage, not
education, is key
The study also found
that
higher
levels
of education do not
correlate with couples
staying together.
In the overwhelming
majority of countries,
the least educated
married couples were
shown to be far less likely to break up
than the most educated cohabiting
parents.
The conclusion went on: “While
growth in cohabitation tends to close
the socioeconomic gap between
cohabiting and married couples, it
does not close the stability gap for
their children. In other words, marriage
seems to be associated with more
family stability for children across
much of the globe.”
“Is anyone listening to the
children?”
Sir Paul Coleridge commented:
“The findings of this study are yet
another loud wake-up call about
the lack of regard we have in the UK
towards the vital importance of family
stability. How many more surveys
and reports do we need before
government puts this problem at the
very top of the social justice agenda?
“No
doubt
our
all-consuming
obsession with personal development,
self-reliance and career aspiration
benefits the economy, but is anyone
listening to the children or feeling
their pain?”
Championing marriage
He went on: “This research is yet
further justification for continuing
to champion marriage over all other
arrangements leading to the birth
and upbringing of children. Across the
globe the children of married couples
fare best.
“Stability is the name of the game;
stability in a child’s life is the number
one key factor over all others.
“We are facing a family breakdown
epidemic in this country, the highest
rates of family collapse on record ever.”
9 February 2017
Ö
Ö
The
above
information
is
reprinted with kind permission
from Christian Concern. Please
visit
for further information.
© Christian Concern 2017
