French couples are increasingly fragile with unions that last less. And women are the big losers during the separation.
What is the composite portrait of French couples and families? This is the question answered this Wednesday the study “Couples and families” published by the National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee).
First of all, it shows that two out of three French people live in a couple (73% married, 4% in civil partnership, 23% in a common-law union). These couples are however more and more fragile, with unions that last less over time.
“The first unions are also shorter and shorter, over the generations, since those born in the 1950s. This is one of the most striking trends. It is more and more frequent to live several unions during its life ”, writes Vianney Costemalle, who took part in the work.
Separations are increasing
Whether in marriage, PACS, or common-law, the number of couples who break up is therefore inexorably increasing. According to INSEE figures, between 1993 and 1996, 155,000 couples had separated. Between 2009 and 2012, they are 253,000, an increase of 63%. Thus, at the end of 2013, one in three people aged 26 to 65 living as a couple had already experienced a separation.
As a result, single-parent families (1) went from 16% in 1999 to 20% in 2011. Single-parent families largely maternal (85%). The main custody of the mother still concerns 75% of cases, while the main custody of the father does not exceed 7%. The rest are in shared custody.
Difficult to find a job
And during these separations, the men are doing better. It is thus women who are the big losers. For example, the standard of living in the year following the break-up falls by 20% for women, against only 3% for men.
Worse, having at least one minor child seems to complicate a new love life. The INSEE study indeed shows that a woman who has a child under the age of five has two times less chances of rebuilding her life as a couple than a woman without children. For their part, men get back together more quickly after a breakup, specify the authors.
To further drive the point home in this painful trend for women, INSEE indicates that those in charge of single-parent families also have more difficulties in finding a job: their unemployment rate is 15%, against 7% for women. in a relationship with.
The risk of heart attack in women higher
Finally, divorce doesn’t just come with financial hardship. It also increases the risk of myocardial infarction, with divorced people being more at risk than people in a relationship. According to a recent study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, women are 24% more at risk of myocardial infarction after a first separation.
This is not the case for men. From the second divorce, the risk is increased for both sexes. But here again, women are more severely affected (+ 77% against + 30%). And if remarriage makes it possible to restore men to good heart health, the fair sex is still in danger, added these scientists.
So, to reassure those who choose divorce, know that according to Danish researchers, arguing regularly with his / her partner could increase the risk of premature death. Especially for men! In this article, women can finally breathe …
(1) A single-parent family consists of a single parent and one or more unmarried children (having no children).
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