Distance between children and parents after a separation – which children have a close distance to the absent parent?

Karin Lundström, Statistics Sweden
Anna Nyman, Statistics Sweden
Maria Brandén, Stockholm University
Jani Turunen, Stockholm University

Roughly one in four of all children under age 18 in Sweden have parents that do not live together. For these children, the distance to the parent that the child does not live with can have great significance for the child's possibility to meet this parent. It has become more common that children have a short distance to the parent they do not live with. The percentage of children who have the parent they do not live with within 2 km distance has increased from 18 percent in 1975 to 32 percent in 2013. Most of this increase occurred before 2000. This study aims to give insight about the characteristics of the children who have a close distance to the parent they do not live with. The study is based on information on all children 0–17 years not living with both of their parents during the period 2005–2013. The information is collected from different registers at Statistics Sweden. The characteristics of children who have a close distance (0–2 km) is analysed using logistic regression with the dependent variable being if the child has a distance to the parent they do not live with. The results show for example that it is more common with a short distance if the parents were married or were cohabiting before the separation compared to if they did not live together, if both parents are foreign born, compared to children with at least one parent born in Sweden and if the parents have a high income. With time, fewer and fewer children have a short distance to the parent they do not live with. The propensity to have a close distance is also reduced if either parent have children with a new partner.