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Marital Dissolution in Japan

Author

Listed:
  • James Raymo

    (Princeton University)

  • Larry L. Bumpass

    (University of Wisconsin–Madison)

  • Miho Iwasawa

    (National Institute of Population and Social Security Research)

Abstract

Very little is known about recent trends in divorce in Japan. In this paper, we use Japanese vital statistics and census data to describe trends in the experience of marital dissolution across the life course, and to examine change over time in educational differentials in divorce. Cumulative probabilities of marital dissolution have increased rapidly across successive marriage cohorts over the past twenty years, and synthetic period estimates suggest that roughly one-third of Japanese marriages are now likely to end in divorce. Estimates of educational differentials also indicate a rapid increase in the extent to which divorce is concentrated at lower levels of education. While educational differentials were negligible in 1980, by 2000, women who had not gone beyond high school were far more likely to be divorced than those with more education.

Suggested Citation

  • James Raymo & Larry L. Bumpass & Miho Iwasawa, 2004. "Marital Dissolution in Japan," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 11(14), pages 395-420.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:11:y:2004:i:14
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2004.11.14
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sara Mclanahan, 2004. "Diverging destinies: How children are faring under the second demographic transition," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 41(4), pages 607-627, November.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. James Raymo & Setsuya Fukuda & Miho Iwasawa, 2013. "Educational Differences in Divorce in Japan," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 28(6), pages 177-206.
    2. Yen-Hsin Alice Cheng, 2016. "More education, fewer divorces? Shifting education differentials of divorce in Taiwan from 1975 to 2010," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 34(33), pages 927-942.
    3. Hiroshi Ishida, 2013. "The Transition to Adulthood among Japanese Youths," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 646(1), pages 86-106, March.
    4. Yen-hsin Alice Cheng & Fen-chieh Felice Wu, 2016. "Going it alone and adrift: the socioeconomic profile and parental involvement of single-father and single-mother families in post-industrial Taiwan," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 33(2), pages 147-172, June.
    5. Jia Yu & Yu Xie, 2021. "Recent trends in the Chinese family: National estimates from 1990 to 2010," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 44(25), pages 595-608.
    6. James M. Raymo & Miho Iwasawa & Larry Bumpass, 2008. "Cohabitation and Family Formation in Japan," ISER Discussion Paper 0714, Institute of Social and Economic Research, The University of Osaka.
    7. Sakata, K. & McKenzie, C.R., 2011. "Social security and divorce in Japan," Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (MATCOM), Elsevier, vol. 81(7), pages 1507-1517.
    8. Fumiya Uchikoshi & Ryohei Mogi, 2018. "Order matters: The effect of premarital pregnancy on second childbearing in Japan," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 39(48), pages 1305-1330.
    9. Parfait M. Eloundou-Enyegue & C. Shannon Stokes, 2007. "Demographic transitions and children's resources: growth or divergence?," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 16(7), pages 195-218.
    10. Wan-chi Chen, 2012. "How Education Enhances Happiness: Comparison of Mediating Factors in Four East Asian Countries," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 106(1), pages 117-131, March.
    11. Jeofrey Abalos, 2017. "Divorce and separation in the Philippines: Trends and correlates," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 36(50), pages 1515-1548.
    12. Wan-Chi Chen, 2012. "The Changing Pattern of Educational Differentials in Divorce in the Context of Gender Egalitarianization: The Case of Taiwan," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 31(6), pages 831-853, December.
    13. James Raymo & Yanfei Zhou, 2012. "Living Arrangements and the Well-Being of Single Mothers in Japan," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 31(5), pages 727-749, October.
    14. Hyunjoon Park, 2008. "Effects of single parenthood on educational aspiration and student disengagement in Korea," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 18(13), pages 377-408.
    15. James Raymo & Miho Iwasawa & Larry Bumpass, 2009. "Cohabitation and family formation in Japan," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 46(4), pages 785-803, November.

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    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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