The following table shows the number of same-sex marriages performed in England and Wales since March 2014 according to the Office for National Statistics. The overwhelming majority of same-sex marriages are celebrated through civil ceremonies. There were 23 religious same-sex marriages in 2014, 44 in 2015, 61 in 2016 and 43 in 2017. In 2017, the average age of marriage for same-sex couples was 40.1 years for men and 36.6 years for women. 94% of male couples and 92% of female couples cohabited before marriage, slightly higher than for opposite-sex couples (88%).