TY - JOUR
T1 - Marriage and cohabitation in the United States
T2 - A statistical portrait based on Cycle 6 (2002) of the National Survey of Family Growth
AU - Goodwin, Paula Y.
AU - Mosher, William D.
AU - Chandra, Anjani
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Objective This report provides an overview of marital and cohabiting relationships in the United States among men and women aged 15-44 in 2002, by a variety of characteristics. National estimates are provided that highlight formal and informal marital status, previous experience with marriage and cohabitation, the sequencing of marriage and cohabitation, and the stability of cohabitations and marriages. Methods The analyses presented in this report are based on a nationally representative sample of 12,571 men and women aged 15-44 living in households in the United States in 2002, based on the National Survey of Family Growth, Cycle 6. Results Over 40% of men and women aged15-44 were currently married at the date of interview, compared with about 9% who were currently cohabiting. Men and women were, however, likely to cohabit prior to becoming married. Marriages were longer lasting than cohabiting unions; about 78% of marriages lasted 5 years or more, compared with less than 30% of cohabitations. Cohabitations were shorter-lived than marriages in part because about half of cohabitations transitioned to marriage within 3 years. Variations- often large variations-in marital and cohabiting relationships and durations were found by race and Hispanic origin, education, family background, and other factors.
AB - Objective This report provides an overview of marital and cohabiting relationships in the United States among men and women aged 15-44 in 2002, by a variety of characteristics. National estimates are provided that highlight formal and informal marital status, previous experience with marriage and cohabitation, the sequencing of marriage and cohabitation, and the stability of cohabitations and marriages. Methods The analyses presented in this report are based on a nationally representative sample of 12,571 men and women aged 15-44 living in households in the United States in 2002, based on the National Survey of Family Growth, Cycle 6. Results Over 40% of men and women aged15-44 were currently married at the date of interview, compared with about 9% who were currently cohabiting. Men and women were, however, likely to cohabit prior to becoming married. Marriages were longer lasting than cohabiting unions; about 78% of marriages lasted 5 years or more, compared with less than 30% of cohabitations. Cohabitations were shorter-lived than marriages in part because about half of cohabitations transitioned to marriage within 3 years. Variations- often large variations-in marital and cohabiting relationships and durations were found by race and Hispanic origin, education, family background, and other factors.
KW - Cohabitation
KW - Demographics
KW - Divorce
KW - Marriage
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M3 - Article
C2 - 20629347
AN - SCOPUS:80055101060
SN - 0278-5234
VL - 23
JO - Vital and Health Statistics, Series 23: Data from the National Survey of Family Growth
JF - Vital and Health Statistics, Series 23: Data from the National Survey of Family Growth
IS - 28
ER -