As in 2000 the proportion of respondents reporting cohabiting unions that did not end in marriage varied by marital status for both men and women. Married respondents were less likely than others to report such relationships.

Among those aged 16 to 59:

• 8% of married men and 7% of married women said they had lived as a couple with someone whom they did not subsequently marry compared with 22% of currently cohabiting men and 22% of cohabiting women;
• the proportion of single women reporting at least one previous cohabitation (24%) was significantly greater than the proportion of single men (19%).