More than half of all British babies 'are born out of marriage'

More than half the babies born to British mothers this year will have been born out of marriage, shocking new figures have revealed.

The statistics are a result of the fact that marriage among Britons has slumped to its lowest levels since records began, according to new figures released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

The figures show a steady decline in the number of Britons begin married since the 19070s when fewer than one in 10 children were born out of wedlock.

In the 1950s it was as low as just one in 20.

The overall figures for the UK are expected to pass the the halfway mark by 2012 but this is because the large number of immigrant births mask the true figure.

Nearly all births to Pakistani women and 80 per cent to Indian families are within marriage.

Once these figures are disregarded, the true state of British marriages is laid bare.

The ONS figures are a projection by the Spectator magazine based on last year's statistics with the official numbers due to be announced next May.

Speaking to the Telegraph, Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader said:

"We should not be surprised because for the last 20 years or more the state has connived with the metropolitan classes to tell everyone that the structure of their family does not matter in bringing up children.

"The Government has progressively removed any support for marriage, and the benefit system discriminates against couples who marry."

He added: "This is a significant social landmark but it is also a very tragic story.

"People should recognise that what has happened has done more to damage the prospects of children than at any time for more than 100 years."

The news comes on the back of ONS figures announced yesterday which predicted the UK population could reach 71million by 2031, with migrants and their UK-born children accounting for 69 per cent of that growth.