Divorce rate plunges

Figures published by the Office of National Statistics reveal that the divorce rate in 2006 was its lowest for 22 years, being 7% lower than the previous year. There were 132,562 divorces in 2006, amounting to 12.2 of every 1,000 married couples. Although divorce rates were highest among people in their late 20s, it was this group which showed the steepest decline, while divorce rates for men aged 60 and over showed a small increase. The average age of people divorcing has risen, being 40.9 for women and 43.4 for men.