New statistics released on civil partnerships

Since 31 December 2019 opposite sex couples have been permitted to enter into formal civil partnerships, a legal status previously only available to same sex couples.

On this day 167 opposite sex civil partnerships were registered. The figures are revealed in statistics on civil partnerships published by the Office for National Statistics for 2019.

During the same year, there were 994 same-sex civil partnerships formed in England and Wales. This was an increase of 4% compared to the number registered in 2018 and an increase of 9.5% from 2017.

61% of same-sex civil partnerships in England and Wales in 2019 were between men, a lower proportion compared with the previous year of 65%.

Nearly in one in five of those entering a same-sex civil partnership in 2019 were aged 65 years and over compared with just 4.0% in 2013, prior to the introduction of marriages of same-sex couples.

72% of same-sex civil partnerships formed in England and Wales in 2019 were to couples where both partners were single (that is, never previously entered into a marriage or civil partnership) and this percentage has remained broadly consistent since the introduction of the same-sex civil partnership in 2005.

There were 916 same-sex civil partnership dissolutions granted in England and Wales in 2019, a small decrease of 1.2% from 927 in 2018 and of these, 54% were to female couples.​

Amanda Erskine is a solicitor in the Family department at Barker Gotelee Solicitors in Suffolk.

Ipswich Family Solicitors – for more information on our range of legal services, please call the team on 01473 611211 or email [email protected]