The Role of Trendesetters in the Diffusion Process of First Cohabitations in Spain

This article identifies the stages involved in the process of diffusion of first cohabitations in Spain, taking into account: generation, period of union formation, educational level, and the birth of a child. These were essential elements for interpreting the data by using a competing risks methodology (marriage vs. cohabitation as first union choices). The results show a rapid diffusion of cohabitation as a type of first union in Spain, which began with the women who formed a union between 1980 and 1989, and followed a top-down spread.