The Spatial Pattern of Family Changes in Switzerland over the Last Half Century

Oumar Mbath, French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)
Adrita Banerjee, French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)
Yoann Doignon, French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)
Amira Hamieh, French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)

In the 1970s, many European countries were experiencing significant family changes. These included a declining interest in marriage, an increasing diversification in union formation and an increase in union dissolution, delayed motherhood, and persistent sub-replacement fertility. There is dearth of studies explaining the geographical dimension of these family changes. Our study aims to compare the spatial dynamics of five main family changes (increase in non-marital births, divorce rate, age at first marriage and at child of women, and decrease in nuptiality rate) in Switzerland. We use data from the Civil Registry of Switzerland. This data enables local geographical analysis over an extended timeframe from 1969 to 2023. Through descriptive analysis and mapping, we uncover the spatial dynamics of family changes in Switzerland. The findings suggest that the family changes occurs through a process of spatial diffusion (through mechanisms of geographical proximity and hierarchical diffusion via the urban hierarchy).The analysis reveals both similarities and differences in the pattern of family changes. While certain regions, particularly those bordering France and in urban centres, were consistently at the forefront of these changes, other areas exhibited varied timelines and intensities, reflecting the complex interplay of cultural and socio-economic factors in shaping regional family dynamics.

Keywords: Civil Registration and Vital Statistics, Families, Unions and Households, Spatial Demography, Small area estimation

See extended abstract.