Second Demographic Transition Invades Italy

Arnstein Aassve , Bocconi University
Letizia Mencarini, Università Bocconi
Elena Pirani, Università di Firenze
Daniele Vignoli, University of Florence

Recent trends in cohabitation, divorce and out-of-wedlock childbearing, show that Italy has entered a stage of rapid family change. The aim of this paper is twofold. We first document those trends, holding them up against rates of tertiary education and female labor force participation, and indicators of secularization. Second, we use the recently launched Household Multipurpose Survey of Family and Social Subjects to study the underlying drivers of those macro trends. The multipurpose survey was first released in June 2018, with life histories to be added in November 2018. The survey provides a unique opportunity to assess the diffusion of new family behaviours among young Italians.

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 Presented in Session 45. Cohabitation and Nonmarital Relationships