Births Out Of Wedlock Increased To 42 Percent in 2004 in the UK

The Office for National Statistics in the UK has said that the number of children born out of wedlock has increased to 42 percent in 2004 from 12 percent in 1980. The ONS Social Trends survey also found that in 13 other EU countries the increase was only 33 percent.

The survey said that the size of the average UK household came down from 2.9 to 2.4 people from 1971 to 2005. "Although most children are born to married couples, this substantial rise in births outside marriage is a reflection of the rising trend in cohabiting parents," ONS editor Hayley Butcher said. The report showed that the number of households in the country rose from 18.6 to 24.2 million in the period between 1971 to 2005. Out of this 29 percent or seven million people lived alone. Surprisingly, the report found that young men were more likely to live with their parents than young women. "Some young people may remain at home while in education or because of economic necessity, such as difficulties entering the housing market," the report said