Union dissolution and repartnering in the Netherlands

Elma van Agtmaal-Wobma, Statistics Netherlands
Arie de Graaf, Statistics Netherlands

Living together without being married has gradually developed into a serious alternative to marriage. When looking at life course events, the marriage, divorce and remarriage data tell only part of the story. With new Dutch Family and Fertility Survey (FFS) 2008 data, combined with register data, we aim to answer the following research questions: 1. What are the most important developments in the life courses of several generations, when it comes to union formation, marriage, separation and repartnering? 2. How do married and cohabiting couples differ in separation risks? What is the effect of factors like cohabitation before marriage, education, age at union forming and presence of children? 3. What are the reasons for union dissolution? Who decided to split up, who left the house, and do the ex-partners stay on good terms?