Marriages in England and Wales fall by 8.6% in 2013
BBC News:
The number of people getting married in England and Wales fell in 2013 for the first time since 2009, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
There were 240,854 marriages in 2013, a drop of some 8.6% compared with 2012, the ONS said.
Elizabeth McLaren, ONS statistician, said the fall could be the continuation of the decline in marriages since 1972.
It could also be due to superstitious couples choosing to postpone to avoid the number 13, she said.
Religious ceremonies decreased by 14%, while civil ceremonies declined by 6% in 2013, compared with 2012.
Civil ceremonies accounted for 72% of all marriages in 2013.
Superstition
Ms McLaren said that, unlike other milestones in life such as births and deaths, people have absolute control over when they tie the knot.
“When you have the freedom to choose there are probably certain dates you might avoid, like Friday 13th and that sort of thing,” she said.
“It is going to be interesting to see whether this is part of a long-term decline or if it will change again.”
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