The number of British married couples splitting up last year fell significantly with the divorce rate dropping by seven per cent, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said yesterday.
Its figures show there were 155,052 divorces across the UK last year, down from 167,138 the previous year, and the lowest number since 2000.
The most significant fall was in the number of people under 40 breaking up.
The number of men getting divorced in this age group was 24.9 per 1,000 married men, a fall of 13 per cent and the lowest rate since 1988. The rate for women under 40 was 24.7 per 1,000, down 12 per cent and close to the 1990 level.
"What these figures don't show is the reality of relationship breakdown - the pain it causes for both adults and children," said Angela Sibson, chief executive of counselling service Relate.
"It is vital that people are able to leave unhappy marriages, but the fact is that many overestimate the benefits of divorce, and underestimate the costs - both financial and emotional."
Married couples aged 25-29 were the most likely to break up with over 27 out of every 1,000 relationships ending.
Meanwhile, the average age for a man to get divorced was 43.1 and for a woman, 40.6, with each relationship lasting an average of 11.6 years, up slightly from 2004.
However, getting divorced did not put people off trying marriage again, as one in five of those splitting up had been divorced before.
"This proportion has been increasing each year and has nearly doubled since 1981 when one in 10 men and women divorcing had a previous marriage ending in divorce," the ONS said.
In all, 69 per cent of divorces were granted to the wife and in more than half, the husband's behaviour was cited as the reason.
Just over half of all divorcing couples had at least one child aged under 16, and altogether 136,332 children were in families where the parents divorced.
"Separating couples need support to end their relationship amicably to avoid protracted, highly antagonistic separations that impact badly on their children," Ms Sibson said.