“Cohabitation:
Cohabitation: changes over
the 1990s and longitudinal
evidence
id
on transitions
t
iti
in
i
status”
Lynda
y
Clarke & Julian Buxton
CeLSIUS, LSHTM
BSPS Annual Conference,
Conference 18-20 September
2006
Law Commission Consultation on
Cohabitees
• Work carried out for the Law
Commission for consultation on
“Cohabitation: The Financial
Consequences of Relationship
Breakdown”
• Thiss consultation
co su tat o iss looking
oo g into
to tthe
e
impact of separation or death in
cohabiting
g couples
p
A l
Analyses
using
i the
th ONS Longitudinal
L
it di l
Study
1.
2.
3
3.
4.
5.
Mortality of cohabiting persons compared to
married
d persons
Same sex couple characteristics in 2001
Same sex couples linked back to household
situation in 1991
Cohabiting and married persons compared at 91
and 01 Censuses – cross-sectional
cross sectional characteristics
Transitions of cohabiting and married persons
compared – followed from 1991 to 2001
The ONS Longitudinal Study
• 1% sample of population of England & Wales
• Selected if birthday falls on one of four days in each year
• Data from censuses and vital registration systems
• Initial sample from 1971 Census; updated with addition of
1% new births and 1% of immigrants
• Exits from LS are by death or recorded emigration (also
some loss
l
to
t follow
f ll
up).
) All records
d are retained
t i d
• Individuals linked from one census to another so for those
in the sample since 1971, census data from four censuses
now available
This presentation
1. Cross-sectional at 1991 and 2001
Censuses (16+, usually resident in a private
household, not sex discrepant)
2. Transitions between 1991 and 2001
(persons cohabiting or married at 1991 and also
present at 2001)
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
5 year age group
Source: ONS Longitudinal Study
65
5+
60-6
64
55-5
59
50-5
54
45-4
49
40-4
44
35-3
39
30-3
34
25-2
29
20-2
24
1991
2001
16-1
19
Percent
P
Cohabiting couples - Age
distribution at 1991 and 2001 (All)
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
5 year age group
Source: ONS Longitudinal Study
60
0+
55-5
59
50-5
54
45-4
49
40-4
44
35-3
39
30-3
34
25-2
29
20-2
24
1991
2001
16-1
19
Percent
Married couples - Age distribution in
1991 and 2001 (All)
C o h a b itin g c o u p le s - N o . o f d e p e n d e n t
c h ild re n in h o u s e h o ld b y A g e in 1 9 9 1
100
90
80
Percentt
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1 6 -2 4 2 5 -2 9 3 0 -3 4 3 5 -3 9 4 0 -4 4 4 5 -4 9
A g e g ro u p
0
Source: ONS Longitudinal Study
1
2
3+
50+
P
Percent
C oh a b itin g c o u p les - N o. o f d e p e n d e n t
c h ild re n in h o u s e h o ld b y A g e in 2 0 0 1
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0
1
2
3+
1 6 -2 4 2 5 -2 9 3 0 -3 4 3 5 -3 9 4 0 -4 4 4 5 -4 9
A g e g ro u p
Source: ONS Longitudinal Study
50+
M arried couples - No. of dependent
children in household by Age in 1991
100
90
80
P
Percent
70
0
60
1
50
2
40
3+
30
20
10
0
16-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
5 ye a r Age group
Source: ONS Longitudinal Study
45-49
50+
M a r r ie d c o u p le s - No . o f d e p e n d e n t
c h ild r e n in h o u s e h o ld b y Ag e in 2 0 0 1
100 00
100.00
90.00
80.00
Percent
70 00
70.00
0
60.00
1
50.00
2
40.00
3+
30.00
20.00
10.00
0.00
16-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
Ag e g ro u p
Source: ONS Longitudinal Study
40-44
45-49
50+
Cohabiting couples - Economic Activity of LS Member in
1991 and 2001 by Sex (Column percentages)
Economic Activity
Full time
Full-time
Part-time
SE
Other Econ Act
Student
Econ Inact
Looking after home
Retired
TOTAL
Source: ONS Longitudinal Study
Male
1991
2001
64 01 68.83
64.01
68 83
1.37
2.69
16.09 14.43
12.35
3.86
0.78
1.23
2.53
5.03
0.74
1.05
2.13
2.87
100
100
Female
1991
2001
55 19 53.51
55.19
53 51
12.45 18.38
3.77
4.63
5.44
2.77
1.27
2.19
1.64
4.76
18.35 10.97
1.9
2.79
100
100
Married couples - Economic activity in 1991 and 2001 by
Sex (Column Percentages)
Economic Activity
F ll time
Full-time
Part-time
SE
Other Econ Active
Student
Econ Inactive
Looking after home
Retired
TOTAL
Source: ONS Longitudinal Study
Male
1991 2001
56 08 53.35
56.08
53 35
1.85
3.22
15.09 15.26
6.05
2.02
0.22
0.21
5.37
7.46
0.41
0.8
14.94 17.67
100
100
Female
1991 2001
22 96 25.75
22.96
25 75
25.37 27.01
4.35
5.65
2.2
1.38
0.25
0.43
2.88
6.6
29.19 15.17
12.79 18.01
100
100
Transitions for Cohabiting couples 91-01 - Whether children in household in 91 by couple status in 01
Couple status in 2001
Whether dep children
Cohabiting Cohabiting Married (No Married TOTAL
dep chd)
(Dep chd)
(%)
in 1991
Unmarried Lone parent (No dep chd) (Dep chd)
No dep children
15.6
3.4
21.5
7.7
19.3
32.6
100%
n 11 801
n=11,801
With dep children
12.6
12.0
10.2
23.9
10.9
30.4
100%
n=5,267
Source: ONS Longitudinal Study
Transitions for Marriedcouples 91-01 - Whether depchildrenin householdin91 by couple status in 01
Couple status in2001
Cohabiting (No Cohabiting (Dep Married(No dep Married(Dep
Whether depchildren
depchd)
chd)
chd)
chd)
in 1991
Unmarried Lone parent
No depchildren
16.5
0.5
1.1
0.5
73.2
8.3
Withdep children
6.5
Source: ONS Longitudinal Study
4.2
1.7
1.7
38.8
47.1
TOTAL
100%
n=98,077
98077
100%
n=75,416
Transitions for Cohabiting couples 91-01 - Whether children in household in 1991 by couple status in 2001
With Dependent Children in 1991
Couple status in 2001
Cohabiting
Cohabiting Married (No Married
dep chd)
(Dep chd) Total
Age in 91 Unmarried Lone parent (No dep chd) (Dep chd)
16-19
5.6
25.6
4.8
24.8
2.4
36.8
100%
20-24
8.2
18.6
3.9
25.5
1.7
42.1
100%
25-29
8.8
15.7
3.2
29.7
3.0
39.6
100%
30-34
11.9
11.9
9.2
25.8
9.3
31.9
100%
35-39
17.1
7.9
14.3
23.2
17.4
20.1
100%
40+
19.6
2.9
23.4
13.7
26.8
13.6
100%
S
Source:
ONS Longitudinal
L
it di l Study
St d
Transitions for Married couples 91-01 - Whether children in household in 1991 by couple status in 2001
With Dependent Children in 1991
Couple status in 2001
Age
g in 1991
16-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
35
39
40+
Unmarried Lone p
parent
4.0
15.4
4.3
8.9
4.9
6.2
6.2
6.
3.7
8.4
1.2
Source: ONS Longitudinal Study
Cohabiting
((No dep
p chd))
2.3
1.8
1.8
2.0
.0
1.4
Cohabiting
((Dep
p chd))
7.2
4.5
2.4
1.1
.
0.3
Married
(No dep Married
p chd)) Total
chd)) ((Dep
1.7
69.4 100%
2.8
77.7 100%
12.1
72.7 100%
35.8
51.2
5
.
100%
00%
68.7
19.9 100%
Transitions for Cohabiting couples 91-01 - Couple status in 91 by Economic Activity in 01 by Sex
Economic Activity in 2001
Looking
after
home Retired Total
Couple status in 91
F-T P-T S-E Other EA Students
EI
Male (No dep chd)
65.5
2.3 16.9
2.4
0.1
5.9
0.9
6.0 100%
n=5,320
Male (Dep chd)
59 1
59.1
2 8 19.5
2.8
19 5
41
4.1
04
0.4
95
9.5
25
2.5
2 1 100%
2.1
n=2,216
Female (No dep chd)
40.5
25.6
6.7
1.6
0.5
5.2
14.0
Female (Dep chd)
29.9
32.0
5.4
3.7
0.9
7.9
19.4
Source: ONS Longitudinal Study
6.1
100%
n=5,546
0.8 100%
n=2,645
Transitions for Married couples 91-01 - Couple status in 91 by Economic Activity in 01 by Sex
Economic Activity in 01
Looking
after
home Retired
Couple status in 91
F-T P-T S-E Other EA Students
EI
Total
Male (No dep chd)
33 3.41 11.78
1.46
0.05 10.14
0.41 39.72
100%
n=33,602
Male (Dep chd)
62.4 2.95 18.93
2.51
0.05
7.25
1.04
4.9
100%
n=37,323
Female (No dep chd)
16 17.8
3.9
0.77
0.12
8.04
9.03 44.34
100%
n=34,925
Female (Dep chd)
30 36 6.82
1.75
0.35
6.83
15.27
3.06
100%
n=36,072
Source: ONS Longitudinal Study
Summary
• Cohabiting couples younger than married
couples
• They were older in 2001 compared to 1991
• They have fewer children
• Cohabiting couples more likely to become
lone parents
• Cohabiting couples more likely to be working
www.celsius.lshtm.ac.uk
Emily Grundy
Andy Sloggett
Chris Marshall
Julian Buxton
Jo Tomlinson
Lynda Clarke
Rachel Stuchbury
General enquiries:
celsius@lshtm.ac.uk
020 7299 4634