Separation and residential mobility among women of native and non-Western immigrant origin in the Netherlands

Ilse N. Rooyackers, Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI)
Marjolijn Das, Statistics Netherlands
Helga A. G. de Valk, Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI) and Vrije Universiteit Brussel

This paper explores patterns of union dissolution and residential mobility among women of native Dutch and non-Western immigrant origin in the Netherlands. We analyzed to what extent variations were accounted for by age, family and housing characteristics and how immigrant women differed from the native Dutch as well as the second generation. Unique population data (System of Social statistical Datasets, 2008/2009) provided information on native Dutch, Turkish, Moroccan, Surinamese and Antillean women in a (non)marital cohabiting union (N=717,539). When corrected for socio-demographic characteristics, initial differences in union dissolution rates between Dutch and Mediterranean women were no longer significant, but dissolution rates remained highest among Caribbean women. Mediterranean immigrant women were more likely to separate over generations, whereas Caribbean immigrant and second generation women did not differ. All women of immigrant descent were less likely to move after a union dissolution than native Dutch. Our findings indicate various effects of immigration on partnership (in)stability and demonstrate the importance of considering interlinked life events.