Three-generation family households in early childhood: Comparisons between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia

Natasha Pilkauskas and Melissa Martinson
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Natasha Pilkauskas: University of Michigan
Melissa Martinson: University of Washington

Demographic Research, 2014, vol. 30, issue 60, 1639-1652

Abstract: Background: Shifting demographic trends in the United States (US) have resulted in increasing numbers of three-generation family households, where a child lives with a parent(s) and grandparent(s). Although similar demographic trends have been occurring in the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia, very little research has studied three-generation coresidence in these countries and no research has documented trends cross-nationally. Objective: We investigate differences in the rates of three-generation coresidence in early childhood cross-nationally. Methods: This study uses three longitudinal birth cohort studies to investigate cross-national differences in three-generation coresidence in early childhood: the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Birth Cohort for the US, the Millennium Cohort Study for the UK, and the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children - Birth Cohort. Results: We find that nearly one-quarter of US children live in a three-generation household during early childhood, compared to 8% of children in the UK and 11% in Australia. Although there are large differences in the frequency of coresidence cross-nationally, we find that similar demographic groups live in three-generation households across contexts. In general, younger, less educated, lower income, and minority mothers are more likely to live in three-generation households in all three countries.

Keywords: early childhood; grandparents; coresidence; cross-national research; multigenerational households (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J1 Z0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (17)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:dem:demres:v:30:y:2014:i:60

DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2014.30.60

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