Most millennials want to marry, new research suggests, despite rapidly falling marriage rates and a rise in co-habitation.

Almost half of young people said they would prefer to marry in a church or chapel over a town hall or registry office, the study commissioned by the Church of England found, with a third saying it felt like a 'proper' wedding.

More than 1,000 unmarried people aged between 18-35 were asked about tying the knot with 72 per cent saying they wanted to marry.

Among those who are single, almost six in 10 said they would like to marry at some point and just over 10 per cent said they were engaged or planning their nuptials.

Rev Dr Sandra Millar, the Church of England's head of life events said: 'It's encouraging to see that young people are still thinking and planning for a wedding.

'Research suggests marriage is seen as the "crown" on a long-term relationship, and despite the fact that many may be delaying or choosing not to marry at all, the idea of a special, beautiful wedding day is still one of life's big dreams.

'For many a church wedding is still part of fulfilling that dream, in churches throughout England.'

Of the orgininal sample of 1,085 unmarried people, seven per cent said they had no intention of ever marrying and were excluded from the study by 9Dot-Research, leaving a study of 1,012 people.