Men from poor families twice as likely to be single, IFS study finds

One in three men from disadvantaged backgrounds are single at age of 42, compared with one in seven from rich families

Middle-aged men from disadvantaged backgrounds are twice as likely to be single as those from rich families, according to a new study that highlights the lack of social mobility in Britain.

Research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies shows that men's marriage prospects are linked to their upbringing, and that the disparity between those from well-off and poor families has widened in recent years.