Aug 25, 2022 05:13 PM
Over half of children in England and Wales now born to unmarried parents
https://phys.org/news/2022-08-children-e...rried.html
INTRO: In 2021, more babies—51%—were born to unmarried mothers in England and Wales than to those in a marriage or civil partnership for the first time since records began in 1845. This is a huge change. For centuries, "illegitimacy" and unmarried parenthood has been associated with stigma, shame and disadvantage.
The civil registration of births only began in 1845, but we have parish register data that goes back to the 16th century. Although it fluctuated, the "illegitimacy ratio"—the proportion of births marked as to unmarried parents in parish registers—never passed 7% of the total from the 16th century until the 1960s. Since then, however, the proportion has climbed steadily.
This increase shows not only that more babies are being born to parents who are not married, but that fewer parents are hiding the circumstances of their children's birth. The illegitimacy ratio represents only those children whose birth to unmarried parents was noticed by the state, so the real number would have been much higher.
Many parents altered birth dates, used false names or pretended to be married to prevent the stigma of illegitimacy being attached to their children's birth record for life.
People born to parents who were not married to each other have been legally discriminated against in many cultures across the world for centuries. In England and Wales, laws to deter and punish illegitimacy existed from at least the early medieval period.
This reflected Christian beliefs that sex outside marriage was sinful. It was combined with the need to ensure political and economic stability in a society where property, status and identity was based on inheritance from father to child... (MORE - details)
https://phys.org/news/2022-08-children-e...rried.html
INTRO: In 2021, more babies—51%—were born to unmarried mothers in England and Wales than to those in a marriage or civil partnership for the first time since records began in 1845. This is a huge change. For centuries, "illegitimacy" and unmarried parenthood has been associated with stigma, shame and disadvantage.
The civil registration of births only began in 1845, but we have parish register data that goes back to the 16th century. Although it fluctuated, the "illegitimacy ratio"—the proportion of births marked as to unmarried parents in parish registers—never passed 7% of the total from the 16th century until the 1960s. Since then, however, the proportion has climbed steadily.
This increase shows not only that more babies are being born to parents who are not married, but that fewer parents are hiding the circumstances of their children's birth. The illegitimacy ratio represents only those children whose birth to unmarried parents was noticed by the state, so the real number would have been much higher.
Many parents altered birth dates, used false names or pretended to be married to prevent the stigma of illegitimacy being attached to their children's birth record for life.
People born to parents who were not married to each other have been legally discriminated against in many cultures across the world for centuries. In England and Wales, laws to deter and punish illegitimacy existed from at least the early medieval period.
This reflected Christian beliefs that sex outside marriage was sinful. It was combined with the need to ensure political and economic stability in a society where property, status and identity was based on inheritance from father to child... (MORE - details)