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Australian Institute of Family Studies

Cohabitation in Australia

David de Vaus

Keynote address

Marriage & Relationship Education National Conference,

Sept 25, 2003

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Issues

z Levels and trends

z What happens to cohabiting relationships?

z What happens to marriages preceded by

cohabitation?z Differences between cohabiting and marital

relationships?z Who cohabits?

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Diversity among cohabiting couples

z

Convenient and temporaryz Extension of steady, affectionate

relationship

z Trial marriage

z Temporary alternative to marriage

z Long term alternative to marriage

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Levels and trends

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Currently cohabiting(% of couples)

z 1986 4.9%

z 1991 6.7%

z 1996 9.9%

z 2001 12.4%

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Intact, step & blended families(with children under 18)

Intact

%

Blended

%

Step

%

Married 92.3

7.7

61.5

38.5

47.0

53.0Cohabiting

Source: HILDA, 2001

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Ever cohabited(% of ever partnered)

15-19

%

20-24

%

25-34

%

35-44

%

45-54

%

55-64

%

Evercohabited 90.3

9.7Only

married

38.7

61.3

68.0

32.0

26.0

74.0

15.2

84.8

8.1

91.9

Source: HILDA, 2001

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Premaritalcohabitationcohabitation (first marriages)(first marriages)

25 5

16

31

43

52

60

71

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Pre196

0

1960-64

1965-69

1970-74

1975-79

1980-84

1985-89

1990-94

1995-200

1

P

ercentpremaritalcohabitation

Source: HILDA, 2001

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Premaritalcohabitationcohabitation (Remarriages)(Remarriages)

z 1970s 70.6% of 2nd marriages preceded bycohabitation

z 1980s 77.7%

z 1990s 72.3%

z Rate for 1st

marriages now just reachingremarriage level of 1970s

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What happens to cohabitingrelationships?

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Average duration(first cohabitations)

Ends in marriage

(years)

Ends in break-up

(years)

Year cohabitation

began

3.8

2.83.1

2.7

2.6

-1.2 years

1970-74

1975-791980-84

1985-89

1990-94

+0.4 years

2.3

2.52.4

2.6

2.7

Source: HILDA, 2001

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Survival after5 years (females)

14

14

15

15

19

64

59

56

56

41

22

27

29

30

40

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

1970-74

1975-79

1980-84

1985-89

1990-94

Yea

rcohab

began

Per cent

Continuing Married Broken-up

Breaking up more

Leading to marriage less

(or taking longer)

Source: HILDA, 2001

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Long term cohabiting(women)

Converted to

marriage by

2001(%)

Broken-up by

2001

(%)

Cohabitation

began in

Still cohabiting

in 2001 (%)

2.1 72.3 25.5

0.8 67.4 31.8

1.3 63.0 35.64.3 61.1 34.5

7.2 46.3 46.5

1.1 81.3 17.6

1970-74

1975-79

1980-841985-89

1990-94

< 1970

Source: HILDA, 2001

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Premarital cohabitation &subsequent marriage stability

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The paradox

z Expect that try before you buy should

lead to greater marital stability

z Living together first should filter out

relationships that will not work

z But these indirect marriages have had

higher break up rates

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Break-up 5, 10, 15 & 20 yearsafter marriage

Indirect

marriage

(%)

% finally

separated by

Gap

(%)

Direct marriage

(%)

5 years(1990-95)

910 19

1110 years(1985-89)

16 27

1115 years

(1980-84)

26 37

20 years(1975-9)

30 46 16

Source: HILDA, 2001

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Why the gap?

z Causal?

Cohabiting makes marriage less stable

z Measurement method?

Duration of union

z Selection?

Characteristics of cohabiting couples

B k 5 10 15 & 20

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Break-up 5, 10, 15 & 20 yearsafterUNION

Direct marriage

(%)

Indirect

marriage

(%)Gap

(%)

% final

separation after

5 years(1990-95)

1 (9)10 11

6 (11)10 years(1985-89)

16 22

7 (11)15 years

(1980-84)

26 33

15 (16)20 years(1975-9)

30 45

Source: HILDA, 2001

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Remove selection effects

z Country of birth

z Education

z Parental divorce

z Religiousness

z Age at which relationship began

z Having child before marriagezNOT VALUES

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Probability of separation after 8

years ofmarriage (females)

Directmarriage

(%)

Indirectmarriage

(%)

Gap

(%)

Marriage cohort

1970-74 11.0*12.9 23.9

5.01980-84 15.0 20.0

1990-94 -0.717.3 16.6

Source: HILDA, 2001

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Probability of separation after 8

years ofunion (females)

Directmarriage

(%)

Indirectmarriage

(%)

Gap

(%)

Marriage cohort

1970-74 5.6* (11.0)12.2 17.8

1.0 (5.0)1980-84 14.3 15.3

1990-94 -3.4 (-0.7)16.6 13.2

Source: HILDA, 2001

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Differences

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Breaking up

Marriage compared to cohabitation(after 5 years) [Women]

22

27

29

30

40

9

13

13

12

12

0 10 20 30 40 50

1970-74

1975-79

1980-84

1985-89

1990-94

Yearcommenced

Per cent

Cohabiting Married

Cohabitations

much more prone toending

More

cohabitationsbreaking up within

5 years

Source: HILDA, 2001

Domestic violence

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Domestic violence(from current male partner)

Married (%)Form of violence Cohabiting(%)

Any violence last 12 months 3.6 11.2***

Threatened/attempted to hit 3.9 6.2*

Emotional 12 months 4.1 7.9***

Pushed, grabbed, shoved 5.2 9.7***

Choked 0.6 3.2***

1.4Kicked, bit or punched 2.7***

Any physical violence 7.7 11.4**

Source: Womens Safety Survey, 1996

Domestic violence ( l )

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Domestic violence (current male partner)

5.97.7 5.97.7

Source: Womens Safety Survey, 1996

Cohabiting

unemployed

male

Married

unemployed

male

Cohabiting

employed

male

Married

employed

male

6.816.7 4.55.6

11.922.2

14.422.2 9.48.3

Threatened/attempted

physical assault

Form of violence

Emotional abuse12 months

Pushed, grabbed,

shoved

Physical assault 8.18.6

Differences in

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Differences in

mental health due to

characteristics ofcohabiting people

not cohabiting itself

Mental Health

Cohabiting (adjusted for

characteristics)

22.5 25.8

11.2 13.8

12.7 10.4

Probability of a disorder in

last 12 months Male (%) Female(%)

Married

Cohabiting (actual)

Disorders included all mood, anxiety, alcohol and substance abuse disorders based on ICD-10 critieria

Characteristics controlled: education, country of birth, age, employment, # of previous relationships, location, SES

Source: National Survey of Well Being and Mental Health 1996

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Who cohabits?

2001

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Marital status

z 18 % of divorced or separated were

cohabiting

z 14.7% of never married

z 2.3% of widowed

Source: ABS 2001 Census

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Age

z 15-24 7% of all individuals cohabiting

z 25-34 14.7%

z 35-44 8.4%

z 45-54 5.7%

z 55+ 1.9%


R li i ffili i

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Religious affiliation (female)

(% of partnered who cohabit)z Catholic 10.4%

z Anglican 11.9%

z Baptist 6.3%

z Lutheran 10.6%

z Greek orthodox 3.1%z Uniting 8.3%

z Fundamentalist groups 6.6%

z Islamic 2.5%

z Buddhist 9.0%

zNo religion 24.1%Source: ABS 2001 Census

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Occupation(% of partnered who cohabit)

Men Women

Managers/admin 9.3 13.0

Professional 12.7 14.6

Associate Professional 13.0 16.7Trades 17.0 18.1

Interm clerical/sales 15.7 16.0Labourer & related 19.3 14.3


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Employment(% of partnered who cohabit)

Worksfull time

(%)

Workspart time

%

19.4

Unemployed

(%)

Not in labourforce

%

21.8

25.3Male 14.0 17.4 14.0

Female 10.9 10.8


Presence of children

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Presence of children

(% in age group who have children in home)

34

50

64 63

51

34

56

78

89 90

81

60

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54

Percent

Cohabiting Married

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Summary (1)

z Cohabitation increasing

z Premarital cohabitation the norm

z Long term cohabitation unusual

z Cohabitation less stable than marriage

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Summary (2)

z Marriages preceded by cohabitation

higher separation rate. Due to:

way relationship duration is measured

Characteristics of those who choosepremarital cohabitation

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Summary (3)

z Compared to marriages, cohabiting

relationships display

Less stability

More domestic violencez Only among unemployed cohabiting males

Higher mental health disorders

z Due to characteristics not cohabitation

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Concluding comments

z Cohabitation not a single phenomenon

z What does the rise of cohabitation

mean?

Variation of pathways to marriage?

Conditional relationships? Liquid love?

Reflection of impermanence? Dealing with a risky society?

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