Stats show marriage increasingly only for the wealthy
New figures from the Office for National Statistics show that marriage is on its way to becoming the preserve of the wealthiest in society.
People in the top income bracket are twice as likely to marry as those who are in the least well-off section of society.
Over the last 13 years the likelihood of those in the top social class, which takes in directors, officers in the military and university lecturers, have increased from being 24% to 50% more likely to marry.
90% of the wealthiest in society will be married by the time they have children, while for the worst off, this is around only 50%.
Christian Guy of the Centre for Social Justice has suggested that this is due to the financial incentives of remaining unmarried in the state benefits system.
The costs of a modern wedding are also off-putting to many, with the average Big Day costing £21,000.
