Intergenerational Similarities in the Transition to Marriage in Mexico

This paper aims to provide a more comprehensive sociodemographic view of the transition to marriage in Mexico, a country with a relatively young and stable age at marriage during most of the twentieth century when important socioeconomic and demographic changes also took place. It builds on the idea that the transition to marriage is influenced simultaneously by social context, family context, and individual’s early biography and socioeconomic status. Unlike previous studies that examine the transition to marriage in Mexico, I consider theoretically and analyze empirically the role of intergenerational influences on marriage timing. I analyze the extent to which mother’s age at marriage is related to children’s age at marriage. I find that children of mothers who married young enter into marriage earlier than children of mothers who delayed marriage. This relationship persists after controlling for important socioeconomic factors. In fact, the effect of mothers’ age at marriage on children’s age at marriage is larger than the effect of mother’s education. I also find this relationship to be similar for both sons and daughters, suggesting that family influences are a key aspect of the transition to marriage in Mexico.