Cohabitation or Marriage? Contemporary Living Arrangements in the West

Abstract

Cohabitation is increasingly prevalent all over the Western world. Levels of cohabitation vary a great deal between European countries, the highest being in the Nordic countries and the lowest in the southern and eastern parts of Europe. By and large, cohabitation in Europe is still not regarded as an alternative to marriage with respect to childbearing and early childrearing. In most countries, however, most people have no objection to people living together without being married. Unlike marriage, cohabitation has normally not been regulated by law, nor has its occurrence been officially registered. In recent years there has been increasing regulation of cohabitation and this is generally most developed in countries with high cohabitation rates. Legalisation of same-sex marriages, which in recent decades has taken place in several countries, represents another de-standardisation of the traditional family formation pattern. This chapter comprehensively explores the issues arising from contemporary living arrangements in the West.

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