The divorce rate among opposite-sex couples in England and Wales has reached a record low, with marriages now lasting for an average of 12.2 years.

This 2017 figure is the joint highest on record, tied with 1972, and is an increase of 0.2 years compared to 2016.

In 2017 the rate of divorces among opposite-sex couples in England and Wales was 8.4 per 1,000 married couples, the lowest it has been since 1973.

Divorce rates fell among all age groups between 2016 and 2017 apart from among those aged over 60 where rates stayed steady at 1.6 per 1,000 couples.

The ONS, who produce the figures, noted that this decrease in the prevalence of divorce is likely to be due to increases in the average ages at which people get married.