In 2013, what percentage of births in England and Wales occurred outside marriage or civil partnership?

• A. 25%
• B. 10%
• C. 47%
• D. 60%

Answer: (C)

The question tests changes in how families form and how common births outside formal marriage have become. In 2013, about 47% of births in England and Wales occurred outside marriage or civil partnership. This shows that nearly half of births were with parents who were not legally married or in a civil partnership, reflecting the growing acceptance of cohabiting or single-parent parenting and a move away from the traditional only-married model.

The figure is just under half, which fits the pattern of rising non-marital births seen over recent decades. The other percentages don’t match the trend: they’re either far too low or far too high for that period.