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Cited by 165Family Dynamics and RelationshipsMarriage and Family DynamicsMarriage and Sexual Relationships

Cohabitation in China: Trends and Determinants

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Yu, Jia, Xie, Yu·2015·Population and Development Review
DOI 10.1111/j.1728-4457.2015.00087.xPMC PMC6226097
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Abstract

Using recent, nationally representative data, we examine the prevalence and social determinants of premarital cohabitation, an important sign of the Second Demographic Transition (SDT) in China. Descriptive results show that although only about 7 percent of Chinese adults born before 1980 cohabited before first marriage, cohabitation has grown sharply among recent birth cohorts. Based on the theoretical perspectives of “ideational change” and “economic development,” we conduct multivariate analyses of social determinants of cohabitation that may reveal potential mechanisms of its diffusion. We find that greater exposure to Western culture, higher educational attainment for men, and more advantaged family background were all positively related to premarital cohabitation. Our results also show the influence of a unique social institution in China, with Communist Party members less likely than their counterparts to cohabit before first marriage. Broadly speaking, the positive association between economic development and local rates of premarital cohabitation suggests the transformative influence of modernization on family systems.

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  • Both female marriage age and proportion never married have increased sharply in recent years.

    “Both female marriage age and proportion never married have increased sharply in recent years (Davis & Friedman 2014, Yu & Xie 2015).”

    From The Social and Sociological Consequences of China's One-Child Policy (2021) · cites this paper as Yu & Xie 2015

    The Conclusion and discussion (page unavailable) describes a trend toward older ages at marriage in China, which supports the marriage-age part in general. It does not specify female marriage age or say it rose sharply, and the Methods and measures section gives a low unmarried rate for women born before 1980 without showing that the proportion never married increased. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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Authors
Yu, J., & Xie, Y.
Affiliations
  • Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CN)
  • Princeton University (US)
ORCID
Venue
Population and Development Review
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2015-12
Volume
41
Issue
4
Pages
607-628
ISSN
  • 0098-7921 (ISSN-L)
  • 1728-4457
DOI
10.1111/j.1728-4457.2015.00087.x
PMC
PMC6226097
OpenAlex
W2227856424
Cited by
165
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 5
FWCI
14.39
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor, 14 d)
Locations
  • Population and Development Review (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R24HD041028, P2CHD047879)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Demography › Family Dynamics and Relationships
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Marriage and Family Dynamics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Marriage and Sexual Relationships
Keywords
premarital cohabitation, second demographic transition, ideational change, economic development, educational attainment, family background, Communist Party membership, modernization, family systems, China

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