Sociodemographic analysis of an accelerated transition: the rise of solo living in Spain
Fecha
2021
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Routledge
Resumen
The rise in one-person households is one of themost significant sociodemographic
phenomenaWestern societies have undergone since the mid-twentieth century. It
is a phenomenon of particular interest in societies where family has traditionally
held an important role in determining living arrangements. In Spain, only 4.1%
of the population lived alone in 1991 while currently such percentage is more
than 10% and approximately one in four homes are one-person households.
This study analyses the process of generational replacement of these
households taking into consideration four sociodemographic variables: age, sex,
marital status and level of education. The influence of these variables, together
with labour status, on solo-living is examined between 1991 and 2011 by
applying demographic analysis and multivariate logistic regression models to
census microdata samples from the Spanish National Institute of Statistics.
Results show an inter-generational increase in solo living, affecting all age
groups, as well as a diversification of the demographic profile of solo dwellers in
Spain over the last three decades. This trend did not interrupt during the
economic recession although being employed increased the probability of living
alone invariably. Other factors contributing to a higher probability of living alone
were being man and having higher education level (particularly among women).
We find notable changes in the sociological profile of these households: an
increase in the relative weight of young solo-dwellers and a drop in the weight
of widowhood in favour of singlehood. These results are discussed in the
context of the social changes that Spain has undergone
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Palabras clave
Solo living, one-person households, second demographic transition, generational replacement, demographic analysis, Spain
Citación
Antonio D. Cámara, Carmen Rodríguez-Guzmán, I. Barroso-Benítez & Felipe Morente-Mejías (2021) Sociodemographic analysis of an accelerated transition: the rise of solo living in Spain, European Societies, 23:1, 161-189