Changing family formation behavior in post - socialist countries : similarities , divergences , and explanations in comparative perspective

Following the collapse of communism, all countries in Eastern Europe and Eurasia have experienced dramatic changes in family formation. Some common patterns include delays and/or declines in marriage and fertility, increasing rates of non-marital cohabitation and nonmarital childbearing, and, in many countries, rising rates of divorce. Not all of these trends have exhibited the same pattern in all the post-socialist countries: their duration, intensity, and timing have varied cross-nationally. Demographers have debated the origins and implications of these patterns, which some describe as part of a "second demographic transition," proposing economic, cultural/normative, and political explanations for them. This paper documents the trends, considers the main explanations for them, and suggests potential consequences in the coming years.