Gender Asymmetries in Cross-National Couples

Abstract

We use census microdata for Spain and the United States to examine gender differences in cross-national heterosexual couples (marriages and cohabitating unions involving natives and immigrant spouses). We examine whether native men and native women in cross-national couples exhibit similar patterns regarding the country of birth, age, and educational attainment of their international partners. Countries are ranked by their level of the human development index (HDI). In both Spain and the United States, native men are slightly overrepresented in cross-national couples. Native men are more likely to be married to individuals from low HDI countries than native women. On the contrary, native women are predominantly married to men born in countries with similar or higher levels of HDI. Unions of native men are characterized by large spousal age differences, which increase with the HDI gap; this pattern reverses among native women. These gender asymmetries do not extend to education level, with cross-national couples, overall, involving highly educated individuals. These results point to the endurance of certain features of traditional marriage patterns in cross-national couples, but the patterns differ starkly between native men and native women.