The proportion of children born to married couples fell to 53% in 2012, a drop of 40% since 1963, according to the latest bulletin from the Office for National Statistics.

The same bulletin also notes that the proportion of children registered by two parents at the same address (and as a result cohabitation is inferred) was 31%, the same as in 2010, and which the ONS states is "consistent with increases in the number of couples cohabiting rather than entering into marriage or civil partnership". In contrast the proportion of births registered solely by the mother has dropped from 7.2% in 2002 to 5.7% last year.

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