Estimation of same-sex couplesin the Netherlands

Jan Latten

Liesbeth Steenhof

Statistics Netherlands

Outline

- Introduction: background

- Register data

- Household statistics

- Estimation of number of same-sex couples

- Demographic characteristics

Marriages and partnerships per quarter among same-sex couples

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

I II III IV I II III IV I II III IV I II III IV I II III IV

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

male marriages female marriages

male partnerships female partnerships

Register data

- Since 1 October 1994 automated system

- Every municipality has its own register

- Basic register for (e.g.): - Social security- Water and electricity supply- Old age pension fund- Statistics Netherlands

- Up-to-date

- Personal list (e.g.):- Personal data- Data about parents, offspring, spouse- Data about address

- Unique personal identification number

Person 1: Age 15Sex: malePIN: 11PIN mother: 21PIN father: 22

3 persons at an address

Person 2: Age 45Sex: femalePIN: 21PIN spouse: 22PIN mother: 31PIN father: 32PIN child1: 11PIN child2: 12

Person 3: Age 46Sex: malePIN: 22PIN spouse: 21PIN mother: 33PIN father: 34PIN child1: 11PIN child2: 12

child

motherchild

father

spouse

spouse

Household statistics %

Married couple without children 22

Married couple with children 27

Unmarried couple without children 7

Unmarried couple with children 3

Single parent household 6

One person household 34

Other household 1

Person 1: Age 15Sex: malePIN: 11PIN mother: 21PIN father: 22

4 persons at an address

Person 4: Age 25Sex: femalePIN: 66PIN mother: 77PIN father: 78

Person 2: Age 45Sex: femalePIN: 21PIN spouse: 22PIN mother: 31PIN father: 32PIN child1: 11PIN child2: 12

Person 3: Age 46Sex: malePIN: 22PIN spouse: 21PIN mother: 33PIN father: 34PIN child1: 11PIN child2: 12

child

motherchild

father

spouse

spouse

?

Address groups for imputation

- Couple with/without children and 1 ‘unattached’ person living at an address

- Single parent family and 1 ‘unattached’ person living at an address

- 2 ‘unattached’ persons living at an address

- 3 ‘unattached’ persons living at an address

- 4+ ‘unattached’ persons living at an address

Assumptions about predictors for 2 households instead of couple

- Same sex

- Age difference

- Average age

- Number of never married persons

- Number of foreigners

- Degree of urbanization

- Interactions

+

+

+

+

0

+

-

Estimation of number of same-sex couples

Age distribution of persons in households with 2 persons of the same sex, 1 January 2002

male

04000800012000

15-19

25-29

35-39

45-49

55-59

65-69

75-79

85+

female

0 4000 8000 12000

Age distribution of partners in same-sex couples, 1 January 2002

male

04000800012000

15-19

25-29

35-39

45-49

55-59

65-69

75-79

85+

female

0 4000 8000 12000

Demographic characteristics

Number of same-sex couples, 1 January

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002*

male female* provisional data

Same-sex couples with children,1 January 2002

0

5

10

15

20

male female

%

Ratio of same-sex couples to the total number of couples, 1 January 2002

0

1

2

3

4

5

Amsterdam the Hague Utrecht Rotterdam the Netherlands

%