THE CHOICE BETWEEN A MARRIED OR UNMARRIED FIRST UNION BY YOUNG-ADULTS - A COMPETING RISK ANALYSIS

In this paper the choice between marriage and unmarried cohabitation as a first union by young adults is studied. A hazard analysis is performed on a sample of 590 26-year-old men and women from the Netherlands. Students are much less likely to start a union in general, and marriage in particular, than are other categories of young adults. Young adults living at home are less likely to enter a consensual union than those living on their own. Religious young adults are much less likely to enter a consensual union and much more likely to marry than are non-religious ones. Educational attainments at age 16 do not influence union formation. © 1991 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.