Changing Nuptiality Patterns in Contemporary Spain

Nuptial behavior has changed considerably in Spain during the decade of the 1980s. This paper describes recent nuptiality trends and explores some socio-demographic factors that influence marital timing. Event history analysis is applied to retrospective marital histories collected in the 1985 Spanis National Survey of Fertility. Discrete hazard models are used in order to capture the changing dynamics of the nuptiality process throughout the age range. The results indicate that a trend towards late marriage has evolved in Spain during the last decade, without a concomitant rise in nonmarital cohabitation. The patterns of marriage postponement is especially pronounced among women residing in urban areas and those better educated.Peer reviewe