Same-Sex Cohabiting Couples in Europe Since 2004: Evolution and Links to Legislations

Maïlys Goetschy ()
Additional contact information
Maïlys Goetschy: University of Strasbourg

Population Research and Policy Review, 2025, vol. 44, issue 1, No 12, 13 pages

Abstract: Abstract Changes in family and couple dynamics in Europe since the 1970s have led to a diversification of relationship models, including same-sex cohabitation. However, this phenomenon remains relatively under-researched. This article aims to examine the evolution of the proportion of same-sex cohabiting couples in European countries, linking it to public policies legalizing same-sex unions. It adopts an international comparative approach, taking into account the time dimension. Using data from the Eurostat European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) survey, our research analyzes data from 31 European countries between 2004 and 2020. The results indicate an increase in the proportion of same-sex cohabiting couples in the majority of European countries. While there are differences in intensity and timing, it appears that countries that legalize both civil partnership and marriage experience the most significant increases in same-sex cohabiting couples. Finally, while legislation may influence the evolution of same-sex cohabitation, it plays only a partial role, and seems to be more in line with changes in the population's demographic behavior.

Keywords: Same-sex couples; Cohabitation; Same-sex partnerships legislation; Europe; Evolution; EU-SILC (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11113-025-09939-1 Abstract (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:kap:poprpr:v:44:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s11113-025-09939-1

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer. ... es/journal/11113/PS2

DOI: 10.1007/s11113-025-09939-1

Access Statistics for this article

Population Research and Policy Review is currently edited by D.A. Swanson

More articles in Population Research and Policy Review from Springer, Southern Demographic Association (SDA)
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().