A. Married women are outnumbered by singletons for the first time, official figures show.
B. There are more single, divorced and widowed women than wives in England and Wales according to the Office for National Statistics.
C. The figures in the latest edition of Population Trends show that unmarried women became the majority in 2004.
D. Between 1996 and 2004 the number of divorced and single women rose by 1.5 million. Fewer than 11 million are now married.
Marriage has become particularly unfashionable for women in their 20s. Perhaps mindful of the divorce statistics, couples are waiting longer than ever before making a commitment to marriage.
In the early 1970s, 85 percent of women were married before their 30th birthday. Now fewer than one in three women in her late 20s is married. The ONS figures showed than in 2003 there were 11 million wives compared with 10,892,000 single, divorced or widowed women.
In 2004, married women fell to 10,935,000 while single, divorced or widowed women rose to 11,090,000. Marriage projections have great implications for government policy, as well as significant sociological effects. For example, if current trends continue, there will be far fewer hefty divorce settlements in favour of women.
The number of cohabiting couples is projected to rise from two million to 3.8 million in 2031 and they will also be older on average.
The number of people living together at the age of 45 to 64 is projected to rise to 1.25 million men in 2031, compared with 375,000 in 2003, and from 317,000 to more than 1.1 million women.
Jill Kirby, of the Centre for Policy Studies, said: ‘The serious decline of marriage is a very worrying development. Cohabitation is an inherently fragile partnership.
It is not divorce that will have a serious impact on children in the future but parents moving in and out of different relationships in which marriage is not a factor. A lot of women in their forties and fifties will be living alone, perhaps having had a relationship or two but never having been married, with all sorts of emotional and financial implications.’
The trend away from marriage is similar to the US where married couples whose numbers have horn declining for decades as a proportion of American households - finally slipped into a minority, according to a recent analysis of new census figures by The New York Times.
The American Community Survey, by the Census Bureau, found dial 49.7 percent, or 55.2 million, of the nation's 111.1 million households in 2005 were made up of married couples with and without children - down from more than 52 per cent five years earlier.
Experts said the decision not to marry was partially fuelled by women in the work force who do not necessarily have to marry to be economically secure.
Andrew Beveridge, a demographer at Queens College of the City University of New York, said: ‘You used to get married to have sex. Now one of the major reasons to get married is to have children, and the attractiveness of having children has declined for many people because of the cost.'
The Fawcett Society, which campaigns for equality of the sexes, said: ‘In some respects, home and family life is very different for women now compared to the 1970s.
The percentage of married women has dropped from 74 percent in 1979 to 49 per cent. The average number of children per household has gone down from two in 1971 to 1.8 in 2001. Instead, many mote couples cohabit.
But it is striking how little has changed at home for many women. While we have had a revolution in the large numbers of women going out to work, men still are not sharing the unpaid work in the home.
We now need a revolution in men’s lives too. This would be of benefit not only to women with male partners, but to all women and men who want a better work life balance.’
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | in the early 1970s | |||||||
| 2 | in 2004 | |||||||
| 3 | in 2031 | |||||||
| 4 | in 2005 | |||||||
| 5 | in 2000 | |||||||
| 6 | in 2001 | |||||||
| 7 | in 1971 |
AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Question Focus: Time reference - early 1970s
Why this is correct: The passage clearly links the early 1970s with the statistic that 85 percent of women were married before their 30th birthday. The time phrase and the number appear in the same sentence, so this is a direct match.
Passage Reference: In the early 1970s, 85 percent of women were married before their 30th birthday.
Common Mistake: Some students choose 2 children per household because it also refers to the past. This is a Wrong section trap - that statistic is about family size, not marriage age.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'In the early 1970s, 85 percent of women were married before their 30th birthday' = Statement: 'in the early 1970s'
Tips: Always match the exact year or decade first before thinking about the meaning.
Key Vocabulary:
- early = at the beginning
- percent = out of 100
Question Focus: Exact year match
Passage Reference: In 2004, married women fell to 10,935,000 while single, divorced or widowed women rose to 11,090,000.
Why this is correct: The passage says that in 2004 the number of married women fell to 10,935,000, which is clearly fewer than 11 million. This is a simple number paraphrase.
Common Mistake: Some students choose 49.7 per cent married couples in US because it also sounds recent. This is a Context shift trap - that figure is about the US, not this year in England and Wales.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'married women fell to 10,935,000' = Statement: 'fewer than 11 million married women'
Tips: When you see exact years like 2004, scan for the same number in the passage.
Key Vocabulary:
- fell = went down
- fewer than = less than
Question Focus: Future projection
Passage Reference: The number of cohabiting couples is projected to rise from two million to 3.8 million in 2031
Why this is correct: The passage predicts that cohabiting couples will rise to 3.8 million in 2031, which is the same as saying nearly 4 million unmarried partnerships.
Common Mistake: Students sometimes choose 49.7 per cent married couples in US because it also has a number. This is a Time/tense trap - that statistic is from 2005, not the future.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'rise ... to 3.8 million in 2031' = Statement: 'nearly 4 million unmarried partnerships'
Tips: Words like 'projected' or 'will' tell you the answer is about the future.
Key Vocabulary:
- projected = predicted
- cohabiting = living together
Question Focus: Country and year specific data
Passage Reference: The American Community Survey, by the Census Bureau, found dial 49.7 percent, or 55.2 million, of the nation's 111.1 million households in 2005 were made up of married couples with and without children - down from more than 52 per cent five years earlier.
Why this is correct: The passage states that 49.7 percent of households were married couples in 2005 in the US. The year and percentage match exactly.
Common Mistake: Some students choose 52 per cent married couples in US. This is a Time/tense trap - 52 percent refers to five years earlier, not 2005.
Paraphrasing: Passage: '49.7 percent ... in 2005' = Statement: '49.7 per cent married couples in US'
Tips: Be careful with comparison phrases like 'down from' - they often refer to different years.
Key Vocabulary:
- survey = official study
- households = homes
Question Focus: Earlier comparison year
Passage Reference: down from more than 52 per cent five years earlier.
Why this is correct: The passage says 49.7 percent in 2005, which was down from more than 52 percent five years earlier. Five years before 2005 is 2000.
Common Mistake: Students sometimes miss the calculation and choose 49.7 per cent married couples in US. This is a Time calculation trap - you must count back five years.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'more than 52 per cent ... five years earlier' = Statement: 'in 2000'
Tips: When the passage says 'five years earlier', quickly subtract from the given year.
Key Vocabulary:
- earlier = before
- down from = reduced from
Question Focus: Household statistics
Passage Reference: The average number of children per household has gone down from two in 1971 to 1.8 in 2001.
Why this is correct: The passage clearly states that the average number of children per household went down to 1.8 in 2001. The year and figure match exactly.
Common Mistake: Some students choose 2 children per household. This is a Wrong year trap - that figure refers to 1971, not 2001.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'gone down ... to 1.8 in 2001' = Statement: '1.8 children per household'
Tips: Watch for phrases like 'went down from ... to' because they show two different times.
Key Vocabulary:
- average = typical
- household = family home
Question Focus: Historical comparison
Passage Reference: The average number of children per household has gone down from two in 1971 to 1.8 in 2001.
Why this is correct: The passage compares two years and says the average number of children was two in 1971 before falling later. This directly matches the statement.
Common Mistake: Students may choose 1.8 children per household because it is nearby in the text. This is a Proximity trap - close text does not mean same year.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'two in 1971' = Statement: '2 children per household'
Tips: Always check which number belongs to which year when two figures appear in one sentence.
Key Vocabulary:
- dropped = decreased
- instead = in place of
General Tips:
- Matching Features questions can jump around the passage - do not assume answers follow order.
- Scan for years and numbers first. They are the fastest anchors in this question type.
- The same option can appear only once here, but always double check the year matches exactly.
- When the passage compares two times, slow down and separate the older year from the newer one.
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