Cohabitation, marriage and separation: contrasts in Europe

Abstract

Fewer and fewer Europeans are marrying and more and more are living together without being married. Europeans are also separating and divorcing more frequently, often to form a second or even a thirdunion. Beyond these common trends, the situations in different countries are highly contrasting: nonmarital cohabitation and union dissolution are widespread in the north, while marriage continues to predominate in southern Europe and in some eastern European countries.