Pregnancies outside marriage

Almost 56 per cent of pregnancies occurred outside marriage in 2006, according to latest figures from the Office of National Statistics, with more single or co-habiting women getting pregnant than those who are married. Teenage pregnancies fell, with 1 per cent fewer under-16s and 2 per cent fewer under-18s becoming pregnant than in 2005. The highest rate of increases in conception was among women aged 40 and over.