There were 6,385 civil partnerships formed in the UK in 2010, up 1.7% on 2009, according to new figures from the Office of National Statistics.

 

The regional figures vary dramatically, with Northern Ireland seeing a 21% increase in newly formed civil partnerships, Wales up by 9.8% and England increasing by 1.7%. Scottish civil partnerships fell to 465, a drop of 6.6%.

The number of women prepared to commit to a civil partnership in 2010 overtook the number of men for the first time since the Civil Partnership Act came into force. Female couples accounted for 51% of all UK partnerships, up from 49% in 2009 and 40% in 2006.

In total, in the five years to the end of 2010, 46,622 civil partnerships have been formed.