
A new study finds that great changes have taken place in the last 25 years in the marriage and study patterns of young people with a migrant background in Denmark, bringing them much closer to the patterns of young Danish people.
Compared to 25 years ago, fewer young people with a minority background are getting married, the ones who do are older, and fewer bring a spouse form abroad. Many more are receiving an education, especially young women, who are embarking upon longer educational trajectories. According to the author of the study, the reasons behind these significant changes are political – mainly concerning rules for family reunification – and demographic.
The paper is published by the Rockwool Research Foundation and written by Marie Louise Schultz-Nielsen. It compares the study and marriage patterns of three groups of young people aged 18-32 over the last 25 years (1994-2018): ethnic Danes, first generation people with a non-Western minority background, and second generation people with a non-Western minority background. All three groups have been raised in Denmark, either having been born in the country or having arrived before the age of 15.
Marriage
The rate of marriage for group 2 has dropped significantly, from 34% in 1994 to 12% in 2018. Meanwhile, the average age at the time of marriage rose from 21.2 to 26 years. These changes can be explained partly by observing the demographic pattern, and partly through political changes such as stricter rules for family reunification (particularly the controversial introduction of the age limit of 24 years for spousal reunification, which was introduced in 2002 and had a strong and sudden impact).
Another remarkable change shows that the individuals in group 3 mainly married people with the same background in 2018 (others with a minority background, raised in Denmark), whereas in 1994, 88% of members of the same group married a person who did not grow up in Denmark and brought them to Denmark. The rate of people marrying a person from the same country of origin has also dropped, and the rate of minority youths marrying an ethnic Dane has doubled.
As mentioned, the tighter rules for family reunification of recent years can explain some of the developments, as it has become harder to bring a spouse from abroad. But the overall number of ethnic minority youths has also grown, making the choice broader, and integration has in general improved. This last factor has similarly contributed to the change in education patterns.
Education and work
During the same study period, participation in the education system rose significantly for groups 2 and 3. In 1994, 28% of young people aged 18 - 28 with a non-Western background were receiving an education, rising to 47% by 2018. The length of time these individuals stay in education has also increased mainly for women.
An additional part of the study followed people from the same groups after they married until the age of 42. This research shows a connection between a person's length of education and the ethnic background of the person they marry. People who marry an ethnic Dane tend to be the most educated, and to have slightly higher employment rates. Despite the fact that these women tend to have had more education, the employment rate is higher for the men.
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