Full Citation

Title: A More Measured Approach: An Evaluation of Different Measures of Marriage Rates and Implications for Family Economics

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2018

ISBN:

ISSN: 20540906

DOI: 10.1017/dem.2017.23

NSFID:

PMCID:

PMID:

Abstract: Marriage patterns can be well understood only if researchers employ measures of marriage rates that are appropriate for the question asked. In this paper, we provide evidence that the two classes of measures typically used in the literature, the number of new marriages per population and the share of individuals currently or ever married within an age range, generally lead to misleading inference when used to study the probability someone marries during his or her life or fertile life, how it evolves, and how it differs across populations. An alternative measure, the share of individuals ever married in a given cohort by a given age, is better suited for such studies. When researchers are interested in year-on-year changes in marriage probabilities of singles, age-specific marriage hazards are more reliable than population-based measures. We conclude by discussing implications of our findings for studies of the drivers and consequences of marriage formation.

Url: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-demographic-economics/article/abs/more-measured-approach-an-evaluation-of-different-measures-of-marriage-rates-and-implications-for-family-economics/BDE756B12CEAAEC1F8932927715A9F16

Url: https://doi.org/10.101

User Submitted?: No

Authors: Bronson, Mary Ann; Mazzocco, Maurizio

Periodical (Full): Journal of Demographic Economics

Issue: 2

Volume: 84

Pages: 189-207

Data Collections: IPUMS USA, IPUMS CPS

Topics: Family and Marriage, Methodology and Data Collection

Countries: