The Formation and Stability of Informal Unions in Cote D’ivoire

Abstract

Data from the 1980/81 Cote dIvoire Fertility Survey was used to examine the relationships between nonmarital cohabitation and marriage and to determine the relationship between union and divorce. The sample of 3185 women was restricted to women aged 15-49 years who were first married under age 25 from 1957 to 1976. The sample characteristics were reasonably distributed by religion education employment and education. 28% had a premarital birth or conception. 38% were in informal unions at cohabitation. Union formation varied with ethnicity. The findings from the multivariate logistic regression model showed that social changes were stronger determinants of informal cohabitation: Christianity education and urbanization had significant positive effects on the likelihood of informal cohabitation. The likelihood of informal cohabitation was 2.7 times greater for Christian women compared to Muslim women 2 times greater for uneducated women compared to women with some schooling 32% more likely for the youngest cohorts compared to the oldest cohorts and 37% more likely for women living in towns compared to women in rural areas. With controls for Christianity and education there was still a greater likelihood of Akan ethnic group entering informal unions by twice as much as the Voltaique who were twice as likely as the Mande Sud and other patrilineal groups. In the multiple decrement life table analysis there was a greater likelihood that informal unions resulted in marriage than in dissolution (49.3% vs. 34.1%). By the 5th year of informal cohabitation 65% are ended: 42% into formal unions and 23% dissolved. The interpretation is that informal unions reflect a transitional stage in the marriage process. The risk of dissolution (with controls) for informal unions versus formal unions was greater but risk of dissolution of informal unions declined over time. Fertility was similar in formal and informal unions.