8216;Committed men8217; behind falling divorce rates

According to the research,married men have become more serious about their commitments and are less inclined to stray.

In contrast,those who are unsure about their relationships are more likely to slide into easily-formed co-habitations,which are more likely to break up.

The report,aimed at improving understanding of marriage and reduce family breakdown,analysed marriage and divorce figures going back to 1993.

There were just under 300,000 marriages in England and Wales in 1993,but by 2010 that had slumped to just 241,000.

There were 165,000 divorces in 1993,but just under 120,000 in 2010.

The rate at which wives apply for divorce in the first ten years of their marriage has gone down by 27 per cent,suggesting men are no longer 8216;behaving unreasonably8217;.Applications for divorce by women in the first three years of their marriage have dropped by 51 per cent.

8220;Husbands are doing better during the early years of marriage,8221; said researcher Harry Benson.

8220;The stability in the number of men applying for divorce,compared to the dramatic decline in the number of women,especially in the first three years of marriage,implies that men are improving at keeping their wives happy,8221; Benson said.

The report suggested that as the pressure to get married lessens,men tend to tie the knot only if they have taken a firm decision to do so.

8220;Those men who do marry are increasingly likely to be deciders rather than sliders and therefore more dedicated,8221; said Benson.