Marriage strategies among immigrants in Spain

This paper studies patterns of endogamous marriages of immigrants in Spain by using data from the National Immigrant Survey of Spain (2007). First of all, we examine patterns of endogamous marriage and links between migration and marriage. Second, we assess the factors influencing the likelihood of being in an endogamous marriage. Our analyses focus on persons married either immediately before, during or after arrival in Spain originating from six countries: Morocco, Romania, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, and a group of other developing countries. Results show that the level of endogamy is highest among the Moroccan immigrants and lowest for those coming from Colombia. The likelihood of an endogamous union is higher for those married before migration compared to those married later. Furthermore, chances on endogamy are lower for more highly educated. Women are less likely than men to be in endogamous unions. keywords: endogamy; immigrants; marriage; Spain