Family formation

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With the exception of the periods immediately afier the two world wars, few birihs occurred outside marriage during the first 60 years of the 20^th century. During the 1960s and 1970s such 5 births became morę common. In 2003 most children were bom to married couples, but around 41 per cent of births in the United Kingdom occurred outside marriage.

Most of the increase in the number of births lo outside marriage has been due to an increase in the proportion of children bom to cohabiting couples. In most European countries there have been significant increases sińce 1980 in the proportions of births occurring outside marriage.

15 However, there are large differences between countries. In 2003, over half ot births in Sweden and Estonia occurred outside marriage (56 per cent in both countries) compared with only 4 per cent of births in both Greece and Cyprus.

20 The ratę of multiple births in the United Kingdom increased from 12.8 per 1,000 of all maternities in 1993 to 14.8 per 1,000 of all maternities in 2003. The greater use of fertility treatment is an important factor. In 2003, twins were bom at a ratę 25 of 14.7 per 1,000 maternities, while 0.2 per 1,000 maternities led to triplets or morę. Multi-birth rates are highest for women over the age of 35. Among women aged 35 to 39 years, twins accounted for 21.2 per 1,000 maternities, and triplets for 0.3 per 30 1,000 maternities. In comparison, for women aged under 20, the rates were 6.5 and 0.1 respectively.

There has been an increase in the age of women at childbirth. In England and Wales the average age of married women giving birth for the first iime 35 has increased by nearly six years sińce 1971, to 29.9 in 2003. The average age of fathers at childbirth also rosę, from 29.2 years in 1971 to 32.7 years in 2003. Births outside marriage tend to take place at a younger age than those inside marriage. In 40 2003 women giving birth outside marriage were around four years younger than those giving birth inside marriage.

In the United Kingdom the average number of children per woman (family size) increased from 45 2.07 chiidren for women bom in 1920 to a peak of 2.46 children for women born in 1934. This peak corresponds with the 1950s 'baby boom'. Family size declined for subsequent generations and is projected to decline to around 1.74 children for 50 women born in the mid-1980s. Women born in 1955, and now at the end of their childbearing years, had an average of 2.03 children. The decline in family size among women born in the mid-1930s onwards is the result both of fewer women having 55 large families and morę women remaining childless. In England and Wales, 31 per cent of women born in 1920 had given birth to three or morę children by the end of their childbearing years. This increased to around 40 per cent of women born in the 1930s. 60 It then dropped rapidly to a !evei of around 30 per cent, wnere it has remaineo¹ for the 1945-born generation onwards. Women in England and Wales born sińce the Second World War have waited longer before starting a family. Thirty eight per cent 65 of women born in 1948 were still childless at age 25; this increased to 65 per cent of women aged 25 born in 1978.

Another way in which people may extend their families is through adoption. In 2003 there were 70 4,800 adoptions in England and Wales, with 47 per cent of adopted children aged between one and four years old. Increased use of contraception, new abortion laws and changed attitudes towards lone motherhood have meant that 16,700 fewer 75 children were adopted in 2003 than in 1971.

Most of the children adopted sińce 1971 were born outside marriage.

Adapted from:

Cook, L. & Martin, J. (2005, March 22). Chapier 2: Househoids and Families. In Sociai Trends 35: 2005 edition. Retrieved May 20, 2005, from http://wvAv.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_sodal/ SociaLTrends35.5cciaLTrends_35_Ch02.pdf (URL no longer activej.

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