Civil Partnerships Are On the Decline BUT over 15,000 LGBT couples Are Now Married




15,038 same-sex couples were married in the UK between March 29th 2014 and June 30th 2015.

The Office of National Statistics has published its latest figures on same-sex marriages and civil partnerships in the UK. 

The results are hardly surprising, but they do offer an insight into gay relationship trends since marriage became legal. 

From 29th March 2014 to 30th June 2015, there have been 7,366 same-sex marriages in the UK. Of that number, 55% were between females and 45% were between males.




Following traditional trends, marriage ceremonies were most popular during the summer months. 

Between December 2014 and June 30th 2015, 7,732 couples converted their civil partnership to marriage. 

December was the most popular month for doing this, but since then there has been a decline (except for in May). 

The ONS also notes that civil partnerships are on the decline. This is particularly noticeable when compared to the figures for the previous year. 

In December 2014 there were only 58 civil partnerships. In December 2013, there had been 314: a decline of 82%.



Civil partnerships were far more popular during the first months of legalisation in 2005 than marriage was following its legalisation in 2014.

There were 6,147 civil partnerships in the first 94 days of its legalisation. After 94 days of marriage's legalisation there had only been 1,450 same-sex weddings. 

We’d agree with the ONS that this is most likely due to the lack of legal alternatives in 2005. This is further supported by the number of conversions that took place in December 2014.
 
If you'd like to visit the ONS website to find out more about same-sex marriage in 2014/15, then you can by following this link. 



  


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