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Partnership satisfaction in Czechia during the COVID-19 pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Martin Kreidl

    (Masarykova Univerzita)

  • Barbora Hubatková

    (Masarykova Univerzita)

Abstract

Background: There are several published investigations of family life during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, only a few describe trends in partnership quality, and none do so for the later stages of the pandemic. Objective: We want to show how various measures of partnership quality develop over time and whether trends differ by respondent’s sex and education. Methods: We use non-parametric descriptive methods based on aggregated weekly measures of subjectively assessed partnership quality and separation proneness. These dependent variables are obtained from a preliminary version of the Czech GGS2 survey; all respondents interviewed between May and December 2021 are retained for analysis. We apply a scatter plot smoother to weekly means and display them graphically. Results: We document a massive deterioration in both measures of partnership quality. For instance, separation proneness increased from 2% to 28% between May and December 2021. The trend was more pronounced among women and individuals without college education. Among less-educated women separation proneness reached 35% in December 2021. Contribution: This paper suggests that the negative effects of COVID-19 may unfold and cumulate over a long period and may become extreme, especially when combined with additional external stressors such as rising price levels and energy market turbulence, which were apparent in Czechia in the latter half of 2021.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin Kreidl & Barbora Hubatková, 2023. "Partnership satisfaction in Czechia during the COVID-19 pandemic," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 49(24), pages 635-650.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:49:y:2023:i:24
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2023.49.24
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Li, Jianghong & Bünning, Mareike & Kaiser, Till & Hipp, Lena, 2022. "Who suffered most? Parental stress and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany [Wer leidet am stärksten? Erziehungsstress und psychische Belastungen bei Eltern während der COVID-19 Pandemie in Deutschland]," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 34(1), pages 281-309.
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    3. Alejandra Rodríguez Sánchez & Anette Fasang & Susan Harkness, 2021. "Gender division of housework during the COVID-19 pandemic: Temporary shocks or durable change?," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 45(43), pages 1297-1316.
    4. Patrick Royston & Nicholas J. Cox, 2005. "A multivariable scatterplot smoother," Stata Journal, StataCorp LLC, vol. 5(3), pages 405-412, September.
    5. Marta Pasqualini & Marta Dominguez Folgueras & Emanuele Ferragina & Olivier Godechot & Ettore Recchi & Mirna Safi, 2022. "Who took care of what? The gender division of unpaid work during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in France," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 46(34), pages 1007-1036.
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    Cited by:

    1. Arielle Kuperberg & Briana D. Daniels & Celeste Curington & Jennifer Lundquist, 2026. "Partnering in turbulent times: Hooking up, dating, and romantic relationship formation in college, 2019–2024," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 54(37), pages 1203-1250.

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    JEL classification:

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

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