E6K+table+description+Clark

The table indicates the statistics of marriage in 1981 and 2002. The overall trend is fewer and younger people got married whilst more couples divorced and lived together before marriage. In 1981, there were 113,905 couples registered for marriage, at average age of brides was 23.3 years and grooms was 29 years. However, in 2002, fewer people, 105,400, registered marriage and average age of couples were approximately 2 years older than in 1981. Another trend was growth of premarital cohabitation, with only 42% of couples living together before marriage in 1981, while figures had rocketed to 73% by 2002. One of the statistics which also increased was the number of divorces which is 41,412 in 1981 whilst 55,330 in 2002. There were many possible reasons for these trends. By 2002, people might have been able to cope with more pressures than before. Consequently, young people have to delay their marriage for education and career reasons. Also, it could have been a vital reason for higher rates of divorce. Cultural conflicts may have influenced individuals’ traditional perceptions about marriage. More lovers probably decided to live together before making such commitments.