The changing demographics of cohabiting unions in Latin America

Cohabiting unions and marriages have coexisted in Latin America since the times of colonization. Traditionally, the former was most common among population groups characterized by lower socioeconomic status. However, since the 1990s, consensual unions have increased considerably in almost all countries in the region, suggesting its spreading across traditional social barriers. Centered on the idea that cohabiting unions are not a one-dimensional phenomenon; this paper analyzes the extent to which the demographics of cohabiting unions have changed across different cohorts of women in Latin America, while contrasting country-level differentials. Using census data from IPUMS International (1970-2000/2010) we conduct multilevel multinomial logistic regression models. Second, given the relatively recent increase in women’s labor force participation in this region we compare, across countries, the role of income in predicting cohabitation during the mid-2000s. By addressing these two aspects of consensual unions’ continuity and change, our study contributes to the understanding of the role this type of union plays within the larger society and how it may contribute to its stratification.