This paper by Niels Blom, Brienna Perelli-Harris, and Kenneth Aarskaug Wiik (2023) examines how relationship quality shapes transitions to marriage and childbearing among cohabiting couples in seven European countries. Using data from the Generations and Gender Survey and the UK Household Longitudinal Study, it follows couples as they move from cohabitation to marriage, conception, or separation. The study shows that higher relationship quality is associated with a greater likelihood of marriage in Austria, France, Hungary, and the United Kingdom. In contrast, this pattern is weaker in the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden, where cohabitation is more widespread. In Sweden, higher relationship quality is instead linked to a higher likelihood of conception within cohabitation. After a birth, higher-quality relationships are positively associated with marriage in several countries, suggesting that marriage remains important but may occur later in the family formation process.
Blom, N., Perelli-Harris, B., & Wiik, K. (2023). Relationship quality and family formation in Europe. Advances in Life Course Research, 55, 100527 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.alcr.2023.100527
