Civil partnerships fall in South Tyneside

Almost a dozen couples in South Tyneside have entered opposite-sex civil partnerships since they first became eligible to do so, figures show.
Civil partnership numbers fall.Civil partnership numbers fall.
Civil partnership numbers fall.

A change in the law around civil partnerships saw them extended to opposite-sex couples from December 2019.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show four opposite-sex couples in South Tyneside formed civil partnerships in 2021, alongside six in 2020.

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They were among 13,400 such partnerships which were registered England and Wales by the end of 2021.

Previously, only same-sex couples could enter into civil partnerships.

The popularity of same-sex civil partnerships in England and Wales has also plummeted since the first legalised gay marriages took place in 2014.

In 2021, just 1,039 took place – down significantly from 14,900 in 2006, the first full year in which same-sex couples could form a civil partnership.

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In South Tyneside, one same-sex partnership was formed last year – down from five in 2008, when comparable local records first began.

Rich Pereira, deputy director of demography at the ONS, said: "In 2021, the majority of civil partnerships continued to be between opposite-sex couples, following their introduction in late 2019.

"Current data show the age distribution of people forming opposite-sex civil partnerships is older than those forming same-sex civil partnerships.

"Those forming opposite-sex civil partnerships are more likely to have been previously married or civil partnered than those forming same-sex civil partnerships."

He added that the difference may partly reflect opposite-sex couples in long-standing relationships preferring to legally register their union rather than get married.