First marriages, England and Wales 1982 to 2005

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        Church of England /    
All first** First Church in Wales All religious
marriages marriages first marriages first marriages
Year All marriages as a % of all first marriages

number

as a % of all first marriages

 number

as a % of all first marriages
                           
1982 342,166 220,427 64% 112,522 51% 152,639

69%
1983 344,334 220,949 64% 112,518 51% 153,261 69%
1984 349,186 224,015 64% 112,877 50% 154,461 69%
1985 346,389 221,927 64% 110,749 50% 151,803 68%
1986 347,924 220,372 63% 111,175 50% 152,391 69%
1987 351,761 226,308 64% 114,035 50% 155,412 69%
1988 348,492 219,791 63% 110,591 50% 150,659 69%
1989 346,697 218,904 63% 110,595 51% 149,954 69%
1990 331,150 209,043 63% 106,597 51% 143,824 69%
1991 306,756 192,238 63% 94,573 49% 127,624 66%
1992 311,564 191,732 62% 92,945 48% 125,469 65%
1993 299,197 181,956 61% 86,989 48% 117,363 65%
1994 291,069 174,200 60% 81,584 47% 110,568 63%
1995 283,012 166,418 59% 74,509 45% 101,293 61%
1996 278,975 160,680 58% 66,553 41% 91,463 57%
1997 272,536 156,907 58% 62,109 40% 85,678 55%
1998 267,303 156,539 59% 61,194 39% 83,863 54%
1999 263,515 155,027 59% 58,530 38% 80,783 52%
2000 267,961 156,140 58% 56,137 36% 76,983 49%
2001 249,227 148,642 60% 52,313 35% 71,594 48%
2002 255,596 151,014 59% 49,649 33% 68,450 45%
2003 270,109 160,283 59% 49,522 31% 68,197 43%
2004 273,069   163,007 60%  

N/A

   N/A     68,197 42%
2005*** 244,710 146,120 60%

N/A

   N/A 66,500 46%

Sources: Marriage Divorce and Adoption Statistics, 2004, Crown Copyright 2007, and earlier editions, and Population Trends Spring 2007, 
               The Stationery Office.  Crown Copyright material is reproduced under Class Licence Number C01W0000297 with the permission of 
               the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.

Notes: 1. N/A = not available. 2003 is the latest year for which full data are available. Provisional statistics for 2005 show 244,710 marriages 
                in England and Wales, of which 60,460 (25 per cent) were Church of England/Church in Wales marriages and 84,440 (34 per cent) 
                were marriages with religious ceremonies
            2. ** first marriage = marriage between single people.
            3. The 2004 figures shown are final figures and replace the provisional figures shown in the previous edition.
            4. *** The 2005 figures are provisional.