Money problems caused by the recession has made couples less forgiving of each other’s flaws

The number of people living in deeply unhappy relationships has doubled in less than five years.

More than a million people say they are miserable with their spouse or longterm partner, according to an analysis of official wellbeing figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) yesterday. Experts said that many couples who clung together for financial reasons in the recession had become less forgiving of each other’s flaws.

Relate, the relationship counselling charity, said that the downturn had been followed by a “social recession” and described the figures as shocking. Previous studies have shown that financial shocks and unemployment can harm relationships but the new figures suggest that the economic recovery has made couples more unhappy.

One in twenty (4.8 per cent) was