| Characteristic | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 18.1 | 16.4 |
| 2022 | 20.3 | 18.3 |
| 2021 | 17.4 | 15.6 |
| 2020 | 7.2 | 6.7 |
| 2019 | 18.6 | 17.2 |
| 2018 | 20.1 | 18.6 |
| 2017 | 21.2 | 19.5 |
| 2016 | 21.9 | 20.1 |
| 2015 | 21.7 | 19.8 |
| 2014 | 23 | 20.9 |
| 2013 | 22.5 | 20.4 |
| 2012 | 24.6 | 22.5 |
| 2011 | 23.4 | 21.3 |
| 2010 | 23.6 | 21.3 |
| 2009 | 22.8 | 20.5 |
| 2008 | 23.5 | 21 |
| 2007 | 24 | 21.4 |
| 2006 | 24.9 | 22 |
| 2005 | 26.4 | 23.3 |
| 2004 | 29.4 | 26 |
| 2003 | 29.8 | 26.2 |
| 2002 | 28.8 | 25.1 |
| 2001 | 27.4 | 23.7 |
| 2000 | 30.1 | 25.9 |
| 1999 | 30.1 | 25.8 |
| 1998 | 31.1 | 26.6 |
| 1997 | 32.3 | 27.5 |
| 1996 | 33.6 | 28.5 |
| 1995 | 34.7 | 29.4 |
| 1994 | 36.3 | 30.6 |
| 1993 | 37.7 | 31.8 |
| 1992 | 39.6 | 33.4 |
| 1991 | 39.3 | 33.2 |
| 1990 | 42.1 | 36.1 |
| 1989 | 44.8 | 38.1 |
| 1988 | 45.8 | 38.8 |
| 1987 | 47.1 | 39.6 |
| 1986 | 48.1 | 39.8 |
| 1985 | 48.7 | 40.5 |
| 1984 | 50.5 | 41.6 |
| 1983 | 51.2 | 41.8 |
| 1982 | 52.5 | 42.5 |
| 1981 | 55.7 | 44.7 |
| 1980 | 60.4 | 48.1 |
| 1979 | 62.2 | 49.2 |
| 1978 | 64 | 50.2 |
| 1977 | 63.9 | 49.8 |
| 1976 | 66 | 51.2 |
| 1975 | 71.8 | 55.2 |
| 1974 | 74 | 56.5 |
| 1973 | 78.2 | 59.4 |
| 1972 | 84 | 63.5 |
| 1971 | 80.3 | 60.5 |
| 1970 | 77.5 | 59.5 |
| 1969 | 73.7 | 56.7 |
| 1968 | 75.6 | 58.1 |
| 1967 | 71.2 | 54.8 |
| 1966 | 70.7 | 54.6 |
| 1965 | 68.3 | 52.8 |
| 1964 | 66.4 | 51.3 |
| 1963 | 65.5 | 50.3 |
| 1962 | 65.6 | 50.3 |
| 1961 | 67.1 | 50.9 |
| 1960 | 67.8 | 50.9 |
| 1959 | 68 | 50.8 |
| 1958 | 68.5 | 51.1 |
| 1957 | 70 | 52.3 |
| 1956 | 70.9 | 52.9 |
| 1955 | 70.8 | 53.1 |
| 1954 | 67 | 50.3 |
| 1953 | 67.2 | 50.5 |
| 1952 | 67.6 | 50.9 |
| 1951 | 69.2 | 52.1 |
| 1950 | 66.1 | 51.7 |
| 1949 | 68.6 | 53.7 |
| 1948 | 72 | 56.4 |
| 1947 | 73 | 56.6 |
| 1946 | 68.9 | 53.6 |
| 1945 | 72.1 | 54.7 |
| 1944 | 54.5 | 41.6 |
| 1943 | 54 | 40.9 |
| 1942 | 66.7 | 51 |
| 1941 | 68.5 | 53.2 |
| 1940 | 80.5 | 63.4 |
| 1939 | 74.4 | 58.3 |
| 1938 | 61.2 | 47.8 |
| 1937 | 60.6 | 47.4 |
| 1936 | 60.3 | 46.9 |
| 1935 | 59.8 | 46.6 |
| 1934 | 59.3 | 46.1 |
| 1933 | 54.6 | 42.6 |
| 1932 | 52.5 | 41 |
| 1931 | 53.4 | 41.6 |
| 1930 | 55.6 | 42 |
| 1929 | 55.2 | 41.9 |
| 1928 | 53.7 | 40.9 |
| 1927 | 54.8 | 41.9 |
| 1926 | 50 | 38.3 |
| 1925 | 53.3 | 40.9 |
| 1924 | 53.6 | 41.2 |
| 1923 | 53.9 | 41.1 |
| 1922 | 55.8 | 42.5 |
| 1921 | 60.4 | 45.8 |
| 1920 | 71.5 | 54.7 |
| 1919 | 69.6 | 53.5 |
| 1918 | 53.7 | 41.7 |
| 1917 | 47.7 | 37.9 |
| 1916 | 50.9 | 41.3 |
| 1915 | 64.9 | 53.8 |
| 1914 | 52.9 | 44.3 |
| 1913 | 52.2 | 43.7 |
| 1912 | 52.1 | 43.6 |
| 1911 | 50.8 | 42.5 |
| 1910 | 49.8 | 41.7 |
| 1909 | 49 | 41 |
| 1908 | 50.3 | 42.1 |
| 1907 | 53.2 | 44.5 |
| 1906 | 52.5 | 43.9 |
| 1905 | 51.3 | 42.9 |
| 1904 | 51.1 | 42.8 |
| 1903 | 52.5 | 43.9 |
| 1902 | 53.2 | 44.5 |
| 1901 | 53.3 | 44.6 |
| 1900 | 53.7 | 44.9 |
| 1899 | 55.6 | 46.5 |
| 1898 | 55 | 46 |
| 1897 | 54.5 | 45.6 |
| 1896 | 53.9 | 45.1 |
| 1895 | 51.6 | 43.2 |
| 1894 | 52 | 43.5 |
| 1893 | 51.1 | 42.7 |
| 1892 | 53.8 | 45 |
| 1891 | 54.6 | 45.7 |
| 1890 | 54.6 | 45.8 |
| 1889 | 53.2 | 44.7 |
| 1888 | 51.4 | 43.2 |
| 1887 | 51.5 | 43.3 |
| 1886 | 51.1 | 43.1 |
| 1885 | 52.4 | 44.2 |
| 1884 | 54.8 | 46.3 |
| 1883 | 56.4 | 47.8 |
| 1882 | 56.7 | 48.1 |
| 1881 | 55.6 | 47.3 |
| 1880 | 54.7 | 46.6 |
| 1879 | 52.8 | 44.9 |
| 1878 | 55.9 | 47.5 |
| 1877 | 58 | 49.3 |
| 1876 | 60.9 | 51.8 |
| 1875 | 61.8 | 52.5 |
| 1874 | 62.9 | 53.4 |
| 1873 | 64.9 | 55.2 |
| 1872 | 64.3 | 54.6 |
| 1871 | 61.8 | 52.5 |
| 1870 | 59.7 | 50.7 |
| 1869 | 58.8 | 50 |
| 1868 | 59.2 | 50.4 |
| 1867 | 60.8 | 51.7 |
| 1866 | 64.4 | 54.8 |
| 1865 | 64.3 | 54.7 |
| 1864 | 63 | 53.6 |
| 1863 | 61.4 | 52.3 |
| 1862 | 58.7 | 50 |
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Source
Release date
November 2025
Region
United Kingdom (England, Wales)
Survey time period
1862 to 2023
Age group
16 years and older
Supplementary notes
This statistic is using original data from the Office for National Statistics and includes copyright material from © Crown, licensed under the .
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