Despite a substantial rise in the number of babies born out of wedlock across the country figures for Bradford have remained constant.

According to a new report, Social Trends, by the office of National Statistics the number of babies born outside of marriage nationally has risen from 12 per cent to 42 per cent in the last 20 years.

But Bradford Council statistics show the number in Bradford has stayed relatively steady rising from 29 per cent to 32 per cent.

The report looks at diversity within and between ethnic groups and brings together statistics from different areas including the environment, households and families, education, the labour market, and health.

According to the research, young men are more likely than young women to stay at home with their parents. In 2005, 57 per cent of men aged 20 to 34 continued living with their parents compared with 38 per cent of women of the same age.

Between 1991 and 2005 the proportion of men and women in this age group who were living with their parents increased by more than six percentage points.

Some women in Bradford said finances played a large part in any decision to move out of their parents' home.

Hannak Laptew, 17, of Crofters Green, Idle, said: "I am in full-time education so don't really have the means to move out. And you can't beat your mother's cooking."

Safina Akhtar, 21, of Leeds Road, said she loved living with her parents.

"I am living at home but am getting married in July so am going to move out then," she said.

"I only work part-time and living with my family I don't have to pay anything. I am looking forward to moving out because it is different when you are married."

Suzanne Berry, 22, of Holme Wood Road, Bradford, said she had lived with her partner ever since moving out of her parents' house. She said: " I wouldn't like to live alone."

The latest statistics also show that full-time employees in Bradford spend slightly less time at work at 39.1 hours a week than the country's average of 39.4 hours and the Yorkshire and Humber average of 39.7 hours.

Danny Sriskandarajah, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research, said: "In the last 15 years Britain has become more diverse that ever.

"And ethnic minorities themselves are incredibly diverse. Contrary to many assumptions, some of our new immigrant communities are doing very well.

"But others are doing badly.

"Although identity and social cohesion have been top of the political agenda - especially since July 7 - this report reminds us that achieving greater equality will also have to be a cornerstone of our integration strategy.

"We need to devise better ways of getting some ethnic minorities into education and jobs."