Comparing marriage and cohabitation dissolution risks across municipalities: Which characteristics matter?

Research has shown considerable municipal-level variation in divorce rates within countries. Given the large increase cohabitation over past decades, this study examines whether similar differences can also be observed union dissolution risks of cohabitants. By investigating six factors important understanding spatial are associated with cohabiting unions (financial uncertainty, gender roles, religiosity, social ties, alternative opportunities and educational attainment), article aims to improve our municipal unions. This is conducted on register data from Statistics Netherlands (2017–2018). For study, unique information per type (marriage cohabitation) constructed for 355 Dutch municipalities. Nearly all explanatory defined using publicly available information. We use lag regression models analyse different types. find that married couples only moderately correlated, suggesting risk not necessary high municipalities rates. Municipal-level indicators religiosity linked couples, whereas financial uncertainty attainment couples.