First, Second or Third Time Around? The Number of Co-residential Relationships among Young Norwegians

Abstract

Young adults in Norway mostly choose cohabitation as their first co-residential union and the age of first union formation is comparatively low. However, dissolution rates are higher in Norway than in most other parts of Europe, potentially leading to unstable relationship careers in young adulthood. Using recent survey data from Norway on men and women born 1927–73 (N = 9, 723), we analyze the prevalence and correlates of the number of co-residential unions experienced by the age of 35. We find that the number of co-residential relationships has increased across cohorts, but this development has slowed down among the youngest cohorts. The type of the first union plays a crucial role, and young adults who did not marry their first cohabiting partner have a higher likelihood of experiencing several co-residential unions than those who married directly or via cohabitation.