Continuity and Changes in the Timing and Formation of First Marriage Among Postwar Birth Cohorts in Taiwan

Abstract

This study analyzes trends in the timing of entry into first marriage and the tendency for Taiwanese to choose partners of similar age, educational attainment, and ethnicity. Using pooled data from the 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2006 Taiwan Social Change Surveys, we examine the shift from early and universal marriage toward late and less marriage among postwar birth cohorts. After educational expansion, higher educated Taiwanese are more likely to postpone marriage, but poorly educated men have become most likely to remain single. In 2012, among primary-educated men born in 1968-1972, 42% were never-married. While men still prefer to marry younger women, the age gap between spouses has narrowed significantly, and following the increase in educational attainment of both genders, there is an increase in ethnic intermarriage and educational homogamy. However, if women postpone marriage to older ages, their chances of marrying men with equivalent education decreases significantly.