Study: People born in 1980s less likely to marry

By Jim Leffman via SWNS

People born in the 1980s are less likely to marry the first partner they move in with compared to previous generations, according to a new study.

They move in with each other later than those born in the 70s - and are much more likely to split up, the findings reveal.

People co-habiting before or instead of marriage has now become the norm of a first partnership, across all social and educational classes.

But whilst previous generations looked at it as a trial marriage, millennials move in with a partner for a host of other reasons.

The research team from University College London (UCL) and the University of St Andrews concluded that the main reasons were economic and convenience.

Lead author, Dr. Alina Pelikh, of UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, said: “Our findings suggest that compared to older cohorts, first cohabiting relationships among millennials do not tend to last long.

"This raises interesting questions on the meaning young people attach to cohabitation and the quality of these partnerships which tend to be short-lived.

“While among older cohorts first co-residential partnerships were likely to be treated as trial marriages, young adults born in the 1980s could be more likely to move together for different reasons - the lack of normative constraints, convenience, and economic reasons are all likely and potentially intertwined underlying factors of this phenomenon.

“Alternatively, it could be that young adults in the youngest cohorts and especially at young ages see living together as an alternative to being single and it is not until later ages when they consider marriage or marriage-like long-term cohabitation.”

The team used data from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) and the Understanding Society study (UKHLS).

The study sample contained 3,233 individuals from three birth cohorts: 1974-1979, 1980-1984 and 1985-1990, who were observed between 1991 and 2016 and were aged between 16 and 27.

They found those born in the 70s had a 50/50 chance of splitting or staying or marrying their first partner.

The youngest cohort was significantly more likely to separate from their partners than to marry them.

When looking at how long people stayed together, within the two oldest cohorts, 25 to 27 percent of couples had separated within two years from the start of cohabitation.

This figure is 43 percent in the youngest cohort suggesting that first cohabiting partnerships have become less stable and do not last as long among younger generations.

via GIPHY

The study, published in the journal Advances in Life Course Research, also shows that parental background and socio-economic status as well as individual education levels still play a role in shaping young people’s partnerships in Britain.

The study found a positive link between education levels and the transition from cohabitation to marriage for those born between 1974 and 1979, suggesting that education contributes to partnership stability.

In contrast, among those born in the 1980s, more highly educated people are more likely to move in with a partner. However, levels of education do not affect the stability of these partnerships as they almost universally end in separation.

Study co-author Dr. Júlia Mikolai, of the University of St Andrews, said: “This could be a sign of the emergence of a new behavior such as short-lived relationships starting while in education or shortly after finishing a degree.

"Postponement of first partnership formation among those not pursuing further education could also be a marker of the increased economic hardship and uncertainties.”

Professor Hill Kulu, also of the University of St Andrews, added: “Our findings provide further evidence towards the increasing complexity of partnership transitions among millennials with many postponing cohabitation and being less likely to marry their first partner and more individuals experiencing multiple partnerships.”