Much of the longer term trend data about marriage and cohabitation in the GHS refers to women aged 18 to 49. Between 1979 and 2001, the proportion of women aged 18 to 49 who were married declined from nearly three quarters (74%) to a half (50%). In contrast, over the same period, the proportion of single women in this age group doubled from 18% to 36%.

Among single women aged 18 to 49, the proportion who were cohabiting at the time of interview had more than quadrupled, from less than one in ten (8%) in 1979 to over a third (35%) in 2001. The proportion of divorced women who were cohabiting rose from one in five (20%) in 1979 to a third (33%) in 2001.

Chapter 5