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Pathways and obstacles to parenthood among women in same-sex couples in Spain

Author

Listed:
  • Diederik Boertien

    (Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics (CED))

  • Clara Cortina

    (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)

  • Mariona Lozano

    (Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics (CED))

Abstract

Background: Even though same-sex couples face clear obstacles to parenthood, little is known about the extent to which preferences and obstacles can explain the lower levels of parenthood among individuals in same-sex couples. Objective: The objective is to document routes into parenthood and to quantify the gap between observed and desired number of children among women in different-sex and same-sex couples in Spain. Methods: We use the representative 2018 Spanish fertility survey, which includes 14,556 women, of whom 139 are in a same-sex couple. We use coarsened exact matching techniques to match women across couple types who are identical on a set of observable characteristics. Results: Less than half of women in a same-sex couple had children by the age of 40, as compared to around 80% of women in a different-sex couple. We do not observe changes in rates of parenthood across cohorts of women in same-sex couples, but do observe changes in the pathways followed. Even though women in same-sex couples have lower levels of desired fertility, the gap between desired and realized fertility is larger for women in same-sex couples than for women in different-sex couples. Conclusions: Overall, results show that obstacles to parenthood are prevalent among women in both different-sex and same-sex couples, but appear particularly high and persistent for the latter. Contribution: We are the first to quantify differences in the extent to which parenthood desires are met between women in same-sex and different-sex couples in Spain, using representative data.

Suggested Citation

  • Diederik Boertien & Clara Cortina & Mariona Lozano, 2024. "Pathways and obstacles to parenthood among women in same-sex couples in Spain," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 50(35), pages 1039-1070.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:50:y:2024:i:35
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2024.50.35
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Joan Garcia Roman & Clara Cortina, 2016. "Family time of couples with children: shortening gender differences in parenting?," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 921-940, December.
    2. Marta Seiz & Tatiana Eremenko & Leire Salazar, 2023. "Socioeconomic differences in access to and use of Medically Assisted Reproduction (MAR) in a context of increasing childlessness," JRC Working Papers on Social Classes in the Digital Age 2023-03, Joint Research Centre.
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    4. Iacus, Stefano M. & King, Gary & Porro, Giuseppe, 2012. "Causal Inference without Balance Checking: Coarsened Exact Matching," Political Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(1), pages 1-24, January.
    5. Karsten Hank & Martin Wetzel, 2018. "Same-sex relationship experiences and expectations regarding partnership and parenthood," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 39(25), pages 701-718.
    6. Mariona Lozano & Elisenda Rentería, 2019. "Work in Transition: Labour Market Life Expectancy and Years Spent in Precarious Employment in Spain 1986–2016," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 145(1), pages 185-200, August.
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    JEL classification:

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

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