OTTAWA - Statistics Canada says people who do not plan to marry generally have lower incomes and are less likely to have a university degree.

They are also more likely be single parents, especially if they are women.

The agency found in a 2001 survey that single mature adults who do not expect to marry represent a small, but distinct group.

The survey found that age was a prime predictor of marital expectations, especially for women.

The likelihood of not marrying was up to 13 times greater for mature single women in their early 50s than for those aged 35 to 39.

The study also found that mature men and women who did expect to marry were equally agreed on the importance of having children to being happy.