Understanding the Continuity and Change of Cohabitation in Mexico: Same as Before or Different Anew?

A recent boom in cohabitation in Mexico has sparked a debate about whether it is a new form or a renascence of the old. To be clear, the characterization of the old form of cohabitation focuses mostly about who cohabits and who does not (i.e., the low educated, etc.), but says little about its duration or dissolution via marriage and separation. Regrettably, claims of a new form of cohabitation are meted out without a thorough examination of cohabitation as a process. Therefore, I propose to establish a more accurate baseline using a multi-state transition formulation. Using data from two nationally representative surveys, this paper investigates the dynamism surrounding cohabitation as a status in matrix of possibilities, which is yet to be well understood. The current project contributes towards better understanding of the changing demographics of cohabitation in Mexico, and the nature and meaning of cohabitation around the world.