Dynamics of Life Course Family Transitions in Germany: Exploring Patterns, Process and Relationships

58 Pages Posted: 6 Sep 2023 Last revised: 27 Sep 2023

See all articles by Raimond Maurer

Raimond Maurer

Goethe University Frankfurt - Finance Department

Sehrish Usman

European Central Bank (ECB); Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE; Goethe University Frankfurt

Date Written: September 25, 2023

Abstract

This paper explores dynamics of family life events in Germany using discrete time event history analysis based on SOEP data. We find that higher educational attainment, better income level, and marriage emerge as salient protective factors mitigating the risk of mortality; better education also reduces the likelihood of first marriage whereas, lower educational attainment, protracted period, and presence of children act as protective factors against divorce. Our key finding shows that disparity in mean life expectancies between individuals from low- and high-income brackets is observed to be 9 years among males and 6 years among females, thereby illustrating the mortality inequality attributed to income disparities. Our estimates show that West Germans have low risk of death, less likelihood of first marriage, and they have a high risk of divorce and remarriage compared to East Germans.

Keywords: Family dynamics, Life Events, Hazard estimation, Life course transitions

JEL Classification: C13, C34, J12

Suggested Citation

Maurer, Raimond and Usman, Sehrish, Dynamics of Life Course Family Transitions in Germany: Exploring Patterns, Process and Relationships (September 25, 2023). SAFE Working Paper No. 399, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4560666 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4560666

Raimond Maurer

Goethe University Frankfurt - Finance Department ( email )

Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 3
House of Finance
Frankfurt, 60323
Germany

Sehrish Usman (Contact Author)

European Central Bank (ECB) ( email )

Sonnemannstrasse 22
Frankfurt am Main, 60314
Germany

Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE ( email )

House of Finance
Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 3
Frankfurt, 60323
Germany

Goethe University Frankfurt ( email )

Grüneburgplatz 1
Frankfurt am Main, 60323
Germany

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