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<p>The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.</p><p>A
response to the noble Lord/Baroness’ Parliamentary Question of 28 February is attached.</p><p>The
Rt Hon. the Lord Kilclooney</p><p>House of Lords</p><p>London</p><p>SW1A 0PW</p><p>7
March 2023</p><p>Dear Lord Kilclooney,</p><p>As National Statistician and Chief Executive
of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Questions asking
how many marriages took place in England for the most recent year for which figures
are available; and how many of those were secular (HL6000) and what percentage of
religious marriages in England were solemnised in (1) Anglican churches, (2) Reformed
Evangelical churches, and (3) Roman Catholic churches, in the most recent year for
which figures are available. (HL6001).</p><p>The Office for National Statistics (ONS)
publishes ‘Marriages data for England and Wales’[1] with the most recent being for
2019. The total number of marriages in England in 2019 (including both civil and religious
marriages) was 208,151 [2] . Of these, the total number of civil marriages in England
was 170,634.[3,4]</p><p>The total number of religious marriages in England in 2019
was 37,517. 72.5 per cent of these were Church of England. Marriages in Reformed Evangelical
churches are included in ‘Other Christian denominations’ which accounted for 11.4
per cent of religious marriages [5] . 10.4 per cent of religious marriages in England
in 2019 were Roman Catholic.</p><p>If you need anything further, please do not hesitate
to contact us.</p><p>Yours sincerely,</p><p>Professor Sir Ian Diamond</p><p> </p><p>[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/marriagecohabitationandcivilpartnerships/bulletins/marriagesinenglandandwalesprovisional/2019</p><p>[2]Figures
include marriages to both same-sex and opposite-sex couples.</p><p>[3]Civil marriages
are those which are carried out at either a register office or approved premises by
or in the presence of a registrar, and do not include any religious content.</p><p>[4]Marriage
statistics by manner of solemnisation (either civil or religious) can be misleading
as some religious marriages (such as Muslim and Sikh) can take place at unregistered
premises. To be registered as a legal marriage the couple have a further marriage
ceremony in a register office or approved building. Such weddings are coded as civil
marriages because only the civil marriage certificate is received.</p><p>[5] 'Evangelical
Reformed churches’ are included in ‘Other Christian denominations' which also include
Methodist, Calvinistic Methodist, United Reformed Church, Congregationalist, Baptist,
Presbyterian, Society of Friends (Quakers), Salvation Army, Brethren, Mormon, Unitarian
and Jehovah's Witnesses'.</p>
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