Second generation and family formation in Sweden

Lena Lundkvist, Statistics Sweden

Migration contributes significantly to the population of Sweden. Almost every year since the 1930s, Sweden has had an immigration surplus. The children of the immigrants are now a growing group in Sweden. In 2008 11 per cent of the Swedish population has at least one parent born abroad. In this ongoing study the aim is to investigate if second generation migrants has a different pattern when it comes to family formation compared to others born in Sweden. Are they forming families at younger ages than others born in Sweden? Who are they forming a family with? Are there any differences depending on where their parents are born? Sweden has high quality register data which are used in this study. One is considered to have formed a family either when you have your first child or your first marriage. The data consists of everyone that formed a family during the years 2004-2008 and those that have remained childless and unmarried during those years. The preliminary result indicates that the second generation Swedes with two parents born abroad have significant lower propensities to form a family both compared to those born in Sweden with two parents born in Sweden and those born in Sweden with one parent born abroad. On the contrary they have a significant higher propensity than those born abroad. The results apply both to men and women in the age group 25-40 years. There are no significant differences between the different groups in the propensities to form a family in ages under 25 and over 40 years. The next step in this study is to examine who the second generations migrants are forming a family with and the difference due to parents’ country of birth. In time for the conference in Vienna there will be more results to present.