Risk of dissolution of families with children. An analysis of married and cohabiting couples with children

Kari Skrede, Statistics Norway
Turid Noack, Statistics Norway
Ane Seierstad, Statistics Norway
Kenneth Aarskaug Wiik, Statistics Norway

The present study provides an analysis of the risk of dissolution of married and cohabiting couples with children in Norway. The analysis will be based on data collected from different administrative registers. The data comprise all couples who got their first common child in Norway during 1987-2001, and we will use information on their family status (still cohabiting, married or split up) at the beginning of every year until the start of 2003. We will use survival analysis/event history analysis to estimate the risk of a break-up, controlling for the available background variables. We will address questions like whether the same significant difference in dissolution risk between cohabiting and married parents is found now that cohabitation has become more and more popular. And whatever level of dissolution, what risk factors influence the dissolution risk, and do they have the same effect on both cohabiting and married couples?