Mapping Singlehood across the Life Course: A Longitudinal Comparison of Germany and the UK

Elke Claessens , University of Antwerp
Dimitri Mortelmans, Universiteit Antwerpen

Singlehood has been steadily increasing worldwide, reshaping demographic structures, social care systems, and intergenerational relations. Yet, cross-national and longitudinal analyses remain limited, often relying on narrow definitions such as “unmarried” or “living alone.” This study provides the first harmonised longitudinal mapping of singlehood across the life course in Germany and the United Kingdom, two countries with diverging family-policy regimes and cultural attitudes toward singlehood. Building on Mortelmans et al. (2023), we operationalise singlehood through the intersection of partnership and living arrangements, distinguishing those who are (1) partnered and living alone, (2) unpartnered and not living alone (e.g., cohousing), and (3) unpartnered and living alone. Using four nationally representative household and family panels (PAIRFAM/FReDA for Germany; BHPS/Understanding Society for the UK), we analyse over three decades of data covering cohorts born between 1971 and 2003. Sequence analyses and multinomial logistic regression models trace the age- and cohort-specific prevalence of each singlehood type, accounting for gender, education, employment, parenthood, and region. Preliminary results reveal distinct national patterns: living-apart-together relationships peak earlier and decline more steeply in Germany, while remaining stable across adulthood in the UK. Meanwhile, solo-living singlehood increases with age in both contexts but follows a more gradual trajectory in the UK. These findings suggest that singlehood is not only growing, but also diversifying across cohorts and contexts, with delayed partnerships and greater heterogeneity among younger generations. The study highlights the importance of conceptualising singlehood as a multidimensional, context-dependent, and dynamic life-course process with growing demographic and policy relevance in Europe.

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 Presented in Session 103. Singlehood and Partnerships across the Life Course