Single motherhood and multigenerational coresidence in Europe

Bram Hogendoorn , Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute
Juho Härkönen, European University Institute

Single motherhood is on the rise throughout the Western world. Theory suggests that public support to single mothers is inadequate in some contexts, so that single mothers rely on kin support instead. This study explores an intense form of kin support: coresidence with one’s own parents. Combining census and survey microdata from 29 European countries, we provide a detailed description of single mothers’ multigenerational coresidence. The data reveal large geographical variation in coresidence, with the lowest prevalence in Northern and Western Europe and the highest in South-Eastern Europe. Moreover, coresidence is temporary arrangement in the former regions but a more permanent one in the latter. Finally, coresidence has declined in almost all countries with data from the past half century. These findings corroborate cultural and institutional theories of kin support for single mothers. The findings also contribute to the debate about changes in living arrangements.

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 Presented in Session 81. Ageing and Intergenerational Relations