Aspirational marriages a 'thing of the past' - Telegraph.co.uk

Only 23 per cent chose somebody from a poorer class.

But for women who were born in 1970, there was already a distinct shift, with the number of those "marrying up" falling by five per cent to 33 per cent, while 45 per cent had married into the same class.

The shift has continued with only 16 per cent of women born between 1976 and 1981 marrying somebody from a higher class.

At the same time the proportion of women choosing partners from a humbler background has risen to 28 per cent.

The findings were welcomed by Anastasia de Waal the deputy director of another think tank, Civitas.

"It is a very positive thing in terms of women's equality," she said. "Once marrying was about obtaining financial independence from you parents and replacing it with financial stability from your husband."

The findings, she added, reflected that women were better educated and this was having an impact on marriage patterns.

"Women also have more financial independence and now longer waiting for husbands to give them money to buy what they need.

"Now I think women are prioritising other things such as companionship."

However Nick Pearce, the IPPR's director, voiced concern at the implications of the study.

"This shift has implications for inequality, as well-educated, higher earners marry each other and then pass on the fruits of their combined success to their children," he said.

"While governments have no business telling people who to marry, and have plenty of bigger economic inequalities to aim at, it is important for policy-makers to understand these trends if they are to have a full understanding of what's driving the stagnation in social mobility."