Scandinavian countries rank worst in Europe for marriage take-up among poorest

Aug 15, 2016 by Jill

from The Marriage Foundation:

Low income parents in Scandinavia are amongst the least likely in Europe to be married, according to new research by Marriage Foundation.

Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark have an average of under a third (30 per cent) of poor parents who are married, as compared to the continental average of 43 per cent.

The Mediterranean countries fare best with over half (53 per cent) of low income parents married.

The research reveals for the first time that the so-called ‘marriage gap,’ the difference in marriage take up between the poorest and richest households, is a problem throughout the continent.

The marriage gap is widest in the Scandinavian countries, with 75 per cent of the highest earner parents married compared to only 30 per cent of low earners, a difference of 45 per cent.

The Mediterranean countries have the lowest marriage gap with 53 per cent of low income and 87 per cent of the richest parents married, a difference of only 34 per cent.

A previous study by the Institute for Family Studies have shown that where marriage rates are low, family breakdown is high across Europe. Marriage Foundation research has found that the marriage gap is one of the main drivers of the cycle of social disadvantage.

Harry Benson, research director of Marriage Foundation, commented: “This research shows for the first time that the problem of the marriage gap – where the wealthy perpetuate their wealth and advantage by getting married, while the poorest suffer greater instability by not – is manifest across Europe.

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