Manning, Wendy D.

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Bowling Green State University ScholarWorks@BGSU National Center for Family and Marriage Research Family Profiles Sociology 2013 FP-13-12 Trends in Cohabitation: Over Twenty Years of Change, 1987-2010 Wendy D. Manning Bowling Green State University, wmannin@bgsu.edu Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/ncfmr_family_profiles  Part of the Family, Life Course, and Society Commons Repository Citation Manning, Wendy D., "FP-13-12 Trends in Cohabitation: Over Twenty Years of Change, 1987-2010" (2013). National Center for Family and Marriage Research Family Profiles. 114. https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/ncfmr_family_profiles/114 This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Sociology at ScholarWorks@BGSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in National Center for Family and Marriage Research Family Profiles by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@BGSU. 005 Williams Hall • Bowling Green State University • Bowling Green, OH 43403http://ncfmr.bgsu.edu • 419.372.4910 • ncfmr@bgsu.eduFamily Profiles examine topics related to NCFMR’s core research themes. Data are presented at both the national and state levels using new data sources. Written for both researchers and broad communities, these profiles summarize the latest statistics on U.S. families.Wendy D. ManningNCFMRFamily ProfilesFP-13-12Trends in Cohabitation:  Over Twenty Years of Change, 1987-2010This profile presents findings about shifts in the percentage of women who have ever cohabited and cohabited prior to their first marriage over the last 23 years. Relying on indicators of current cohabitation status is informative (NCFMR FP-10-02), but does not capture women’s cumulative experiences with cohabitation. Given the relative short duration of cohabiting unions (about 18 months), it is important to evaluate women’s lifetime experience and not just their status at the time of interview. We provide two decades of trends on cohabitation by drawing on three published articles (Bumpass and Sweet, 1989; Bumpass and Lu, 2000; and Kennedy and Bumpass, 2008) as well as our own updated analyses of 2009-2010 using the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). For more information about the NSFG, see 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth (NCFMR’s The Data Source) and NSFG web page.  Figure 1. Two Decades of Trends in Percentage of Women (ages 19-44) Ever Cohabited by AgeSources: Bumpass and Sweet, 1989; Bumpass and Lu, 2000; Kennedy and Bumpass, 2008Percentage of Women Who Ever Cohabited• The percentage of women ages 19-44 who have ever cohabited has increased by 82% over the past 23 years.  In 1987, one-third of women had ever cohabited, and in 2009-2010, three-fifths (60%) had ever cohabited (Figure 1). • An increase in cohabitation experience exists for every age group. The age group with the greatest level of cohabitation in 2009-2010 is women ages 30-34; nearly three-fourths (73%) had ever cohabited. The greatest increase (195%) in cohabitation occurred among women ages 40-44, and the smallest increase was among the youngest women (19-24). Over the last 23 years, there has been a 31% increase in cohabitation experience among women ages 19-24.Change in Cohabitation in the U.S., 1987-2010This profile draws on estimates published in the following articles:Bumpass, L., & Sweet, J. (1989). National estimates of cohabitation. Demography, 26(4), 615-625. Bumpass, L., & Lu, H. (2000). Trends in cohabitation and implications for children’s family contexts in the United States. Population   Studies, 54, 29-41. Kennedy, S., & Bumpass, L. (2008). Cohabitation and children’s living arrangements: New estimates from the United States.    Demographic Research, 19, 1663-1692. doi:10.4054/DemRes.2008.19.47332941 403022453649 50 494254385861 59546038667366 650%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%Total 19-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44Age at Interview1987199520022009-102• Cohabitation is now the typical pathway into marriage such that about two-thirds of women first married in the last decade cohabited prior to marriage (Figure 2).• Relatively few (11%) of women who first married between 1965 and 1974 cohabited prior to marriage.  Approaching half of women first married 15 years ago (1985-89) cohabited before marrying.Percentage of Marriages Preceded by CohabitationPercentage of All Current Unions that are Cohabiting Unions• Nearly one-quarter (23%) of all current unions among women ages 19-44 are cohabiting unions, more than doubling over the past twenty-three years (Figure 3). • Every age group has experienced an increase in the proportion of current unions that were cohabiting rather than married. Younger women have consistently had larger proportions of unions that were cohabiting. In 2009-2010, nearly three-fifths of 19-24 year olds in a union were in a cohabiting union. Figure 2. Two Decades of Trends in Percentage of Women (19-44) Cohabiting Prior to First Marriage1132414656 5968 660%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%1965-1974 1975-1979 1980-1984 1985-1989 1990-1994 1995-1999 2000-2004 2005-2009Marriage CohortSources:  Bumpass and Sweet, 1989; Bumpass and Lu, 2000; Kennedy and Bumpass, 2008102910 74 512301610 7 615431910 9 62359331912 120%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%Total 19-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44Age at Interview1987199520022009-10Figure 3. Two Decades of Trends in Percentage of Women (19-44) Cohabiting in Current Unions Sources: Bumpass and Sweet, 1989; Bumpass and Lu, 2000; Kennedy and Bumpass, 2008NCFMRFamily ProfilesFP-13-123• Cohabitation experience has risen for all race and ethnic groups over the past 23 years (Figure 4). White and Hispanic women experienced a greater increase in cohabitation (94% and 97%, respectively) compared to Black women (67%).• In the past, a larger proportion of Black women—compared to White and Hispanic women—have ever cohabited.  However, the share of White women who have ever cohabited has surpassed that of Black women, though the race and ethnic gap in cohabitation is relatively small and narrowing.Change in Cohabitation Experience and Race/EthnicityCohabitation Experience and Educational AttainmentSuggested Citation:Manning, W. D. (2013).  Trends in Cohabitation: Over Twenty Years of Change, 1987-2010. (FP-13-12). National Center for Family & Marriage Research.   Retrieved from http://ncfmr.bgsu.edu/pdf/family_profiles/file130944.pdfThis project was supported with a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and HumanServices, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, grant number 5 UOIAEOOOOOI-05. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s)and should not be construed as representing the opinions or policy of any agency of the federalgovernment.• Cohabitation has increased among women in each educational attainment category (Figure 5). The education group experiencing the greatest increase in cohabitation is women with 12 years of schooling; there has been over a 100% increase in cohabitation experience over the last 23 years for this group.  • The education group with the greatest cohabitation experience is women with less than 12 years of education. In 2009-2010, nearly three-quarters of women without a high school degree had ever cohabited, in contrast to half of women with a college degree. The education divide in cohabitation experience has been increasing.Figure 4. Two Decades of Trends in Percentage of Women (19-44) in Race/Ethnic Groups CohabitingSources: Bumpass and Sweet, 1989; Bumpass and Lu, 2000; Kennedy and Bumpass, 2008Figure 5. Trends in Percentage of Women (19-44) in Education Groups Ever CohabitingSources: Bumpass and Sweet, 1989; Bumpass and Lu, 2000; Kennedy and Bumpass, 20084332 30 315850403764 634945746757500%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%Less than12 years12 Years College1-3 yearsCollege4+ years1987199520022009-10NCFMRFamily ProfilesFP-13-1232363047 454054575262 60 590%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%White Non-Hispanic Black Non-Hispanic Hispanic1987199520022009-10

FP-13-12 Trends in Cohabitation: Over Twenty Years of Change, 1987-2010

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FP-13-12 Trends in Cohabitation: Over Twenty Years of Change, 1987-2010

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