How fertility and union stability interact in shaping new family patterns in Italy and Spain

Abstract

In this paper we investigate the relationship between fertility decisions and union dissolution in Italy and Spain. We ask whether these processes affect each other directly and whether they are simultaneously influenced by the same unobserved characteristics. The analysis is based on the 1996 Fertility and Family Survey for Italy and Spain. Results show that the direct effect between processes is significant in both countries: as expected, childbearing decreases the risk of union dissolution, and union dissolution decreases the risk of further childbearing. Individual unobserved characteristics simultaneously shape both processes in Italy, where individuals who have a higher risk of having children also have a lower risk of dissolving their union (and vice versa). In contrast, this result does not hold in Spain. © 2008 Coppola & Di Cesare.