The partnership context of first parenthood – and how it varies by parental class and birth cohort in the United Kingdom

Background: Family background strongly shapes when and how people have their first child, with potential consequences for inequality. In the United Kingdom, non-marital births have risen, yet little is known about how parental class drives these patterns. Objective: This study investigates how parental occupational class influences first-time parenthood within marriage or cohabitation, or outside any union. It further examines changes in these relationships across birth cohorts from 1940 to 1990. Methods: Using longitudinal data from about 55,000 individuals in the British Household Panel Study and Understanding Society, we apply discrete-time event history models. We compare transitions to parenthood by partnership context, controlling for individual and parental socioeconomic characteristics. Results: Higher class origins delay parenthood and reduce the likelihood of single parenthood. Over time, the probability of first birth within marriage has become increasingly similar across social classes, while cohabiting and single parenthood have become more strongly stratified. Conclusions: Socioeconomic background remains central to shaping partnership contexts around first births, with growing divergence in cohabitation and single parenthood. These findings signal persistent class-based inequalities, underscoring the need for policy to pay attention to family formation pathways. Contribution: This research demonstrates that parental occupational class influences not only the timing but also the context of first childbearing. By linking cohort trends to social background differences, it offers new evidence on how intergenerational inequality persists or evolves through shifting pathways to parenthood in contemporary Britain.