Fewer single people in Kingston over past decade – despite national increase

Fewer people in Kingston were single over the past decade, new census figures show – in contrast to a national increase in unmarried people.

The area's drop in the rate of single people is despite a trend across England and Wales where the rate of people not in legally recognised partnerships has increased.

The number of people considered single – never having been in a civil partnership or marriage – in Kingston when the census took place last year was 53,331, up from 51125 in 2011.

Of those aged 16 and older in Kingston, 39.4% were single – a decrease on 39.4% in 2011.

This is different to trends across England and Wales last year, where 37.9% of people 16 and older were single, up from 34.6% in 2011.

And 47.1% of people in Kingston were married or in a civil partnership last year​ –​ up from 46.2% 10 years prior.

Data from the census shows 62,981 people were in opposite sex marriages last year, up from 59,646 in 2011.

An additional 383 were in same sex marriages in Kingston last year – they were illegal in 2011.

The figures also show 248 people were in same sex civil partnerships last year and 145 were in opposite sex civil partnerships. There were 362 people in civil partnerships 10 years prior, which were only allowed for same sex couples at the time.

There were 9,751 divorced people and 24 people with a dissolved civil partnership in Kingston last year, making up 7.2% of people aged 16 and over.

John Wroth-Smith, Census deputy director, said: "When looking a bit deeper, we can see that the proportion of people in a marriage or civil partnership has declined, which follows the long-term trend of declining marriages."

"Conversely, the number of people who were never married or in a civil partnership has increased by almost 3 million," Mr Wroth-Smith added.

Nationally, 21.7 million people were married or in a civil partnership – making up 45% of those aged 16 and older. And 9.1% of the population were divorced or no longer in a civil partnership, up slightly from 9% a decade prior.