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Majority of births in France out of wedlock
Children born to unmarried parents used to be the kind of "lifestyle confined to Paris". Now, it has spread to rural areas of France as well, making 2007 the first year when the majority of children born in France are born to unmarried couples, according to Bloomberg.
Contrast that with the US, where 37% of children are born to unmarried couples. What this statistic doesn't show, though, is whether or not they are "unmarried by choice." Call me crazy, but that makes a huge difference.
In the Czech Republic, for example, a growing number of people don't get married because they a) do not believe in the institution of marriage and b) get substantial tax benefits by not getting married (e.g. single mothers get generous benefits from the state.)
I don't know how much that actually says about the "Paris lifestyle."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chi Jan 20th 2008 8:37AM
I understand that a lot of French people choose not to marry simply because getting a divorce in France is a bureaucratic nightmare. So many young people in France today have seen their parents go through the difficulty of divorce, and they just don't want to deal with.
Alternately, many French choose to get a "civil union", which just acts like a contract. Romantic, isn't it?