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The last bastion is falling: Survey evidence of the new demographic reality in Italy

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Abstract

The study makes use of the 2016 Household Multipurpose Survey of Family, Social Subjects, and Life Cycle (FSS) to demonstrate that family-related behaviour is now rapidly changing in Italy. The country is often taken as a stronghold of traditionalism. We, instead, highlight recent and substantial changes in cohabitation, dissolution and non-marital fertility in the country. In doing so, we carefully assess the predictions made by the Second Demographic Transition (SDT), and show that trends in Italy are monotonically moving in the direction of the SDT. There are, though, important differences across educational groups and regions. Demographic behaviour is also changing in the South of Italy in much the same way, but not at the same speed as in the rest of the country.

Suggested Citation

  • Arnstein Aassve & Letizia Mencarini & Elena Pirani & Daniele Vignoli, 2023. "The last bastion is falling: Survey evidence of the new demographic reality in Italy," Econometrics Working Papers Archive 2023_04, Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Statistica, Informatica, Applicazioni "G. Parenti".
    • Handle: RePEc:fir:econom:wp2023_04
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    File URL: https://labdisia.disia.unifi.it/wp_disia/2023/wp_disia_2023_04.pdf
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    Keywords

    Second demographic transition; Marriage; Non-marital cohabitation; Childbearing; Union dissolution.;
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