The impact of attitudes on the transition to marriage among cohabiting couples in Sweden

Cohabitation among unmarried couples is very prevalent in Sweden. Yet, marriage seems to remain a positive option for a majority of the cohabiting couples. This paper analyses whether, and in which way, values matter in explaining the transition to marriage among cohabiting couples in Sweden. We use a unique data set which combines survey data on attitudes among young adults in Sweden with register data on marriages occurring in the 2½ years following the survey. Our preliminary findings show clearly that attitudes matter. Among the 17 attitudinal scales constructed, several were found to be highly significant. The three most important, with a positive impact on marriage, were 1) importance of economic success and autonomy at work, 2) general satisfaction with own living conditions, and 3) regarding marriage as romantic and indicating a serious relationship. The only significant interaction between gender and attitudes was the attitudinal scale stressing the provider role.