Modelling the age-specific nuptiality pattern in modern populations

Paraskevi Peristera, Athens University of Economics and Business
Anastasia Kostaki, Athens University of Economics and Business

Parametric models used for graduating the nuptiality pattern are valuable tools in demographic analysis. The Coale-McNeil model is widely used for estimation and projection purposes. This model estimates the density function of the distribution of women who ever marry using a nuptiality standard based on Swedish empirical data. Kaneko argued that a global standard schedule might be inappropriate for various populations and suggested the Generalised Log Gamma (GLG) model. Later on, Liang suggested that in some populations, people who marry come from different groups and proposed the use of a mixture model. In this paper a flexible parametric model for estimating the age pattern of first marriages for both homogeneous and non-homogeneous is presented. In order to evaluate the adequacy of the model, we fit it to several empirical data and w e compare it to the GLG and the Coale-McNeil models .