Divorce figures hit seven-year high

The number of marriages ending in divorce reached a seven-year high last year, according to figures out today.

The number of couples divorcing in England and Wales in 2002 increased by
2.7 per cent on the previous year, the Office for National Statistics said.

There were 147,735 divorces last year, compared with 143,818 in 2001 - the highest number since 1996.

An ONS spokeswoman said: "The number of marriages ending in divorce has declined in recent years but that is largely down to the fact the number of people getting married has dropped."

The number of people heading for the divorce courts last year pushed up the rate of divorce from 13 divorcing people per 1,000 married people in 2001, to 13.3.

The rate was highest for men aged 30-34, with 28.4 per 1,000 married men divorcing.

Women aged 25 to 29 were most likely to split, with 27.6 divorces per 1,000 married women in this age range.

The average age at which marriages ended continued to rise, from 41.5 years for men and 39.1 for women in 2001 to 41.9 and 39.4 years for men and women respectively in 2002.

A total of 149,335 children aged under 16 were in families where parents divorced in 2002.