Changes in family and partnership life courses for men and women over cohorts in France and differences according to social background

Vianney Costemalle, Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques (INSEE)

The way people enter in cohabiting partnership has been changing for several years. Family life courses are much more diversified than in the past. The present study relies on data from the EPIC survey which took place in France in 2013 on close to 8 000 adults from 26 to 65. Duration models are used to estimate survival functions as well as hazard functions. Moreover a proportional hazard Cox model is used to estimate effects on hazard, all things being equal. Experiencing at least one partnership over one’s life is as frequent for young cohorts as for older ones. Nevertheless, changes occurred over cohorts. The entry in partnership starts later for the young cohorts and they split unions more frequently than the older cohorts. Among the people aged 26 to 65 in 2013, one person out of five do not live anymore with her/his first partner five years after the beginning of the cohabitation. In 2013, 25% of people aged 26 to 65 have already experienced two cohabiting unions or more. Cohabiting with a new partner after a separation is more frequent for men than for women. Other changes over time occurred: the first child comes later after the beginning of the first cohabitation. The percentage of people who have their first child with their second cohabiting partner has increased. Nevertheless, couples give birth to a child as frequently as before. An increasing number of children experience the end of their parent’s union.