Partners’ Health and Silver Splits in Europe: A Gendered Pattern?

Daniele Vignoli, University of Florence
Giammarco Alderotti, Università di Firenze
Cecilia Tomassini, Università degli Studi del Molise

This paper examines the correlates of silver splits – voluntary union dissolutions after age 50 – among mixed-gender couples in Europe, focusing on partners’ health status. Family diversity at older ages is growing in wealthy countries, with late dissolutions increasingly occurring through separation and divorce rather than widowhood. However, little is known about the role of health in silver splits in Europe. We use data from the European Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement and apply discrete-time event-history analysis to assess the risk of silver splits. We examine three health dimensions for both partners: self-rated health, Global Activity Limitations Index, and depression. Our findings reveal a significant association between health and union dissolution in couples aged 50–64, with gender playing a key role. Poor self-rated health or activity limitations in the male partner, when the female is healthy, does not increase dissolution risk. However, when the female has poor health while the male is healthy, the risk rises. Poor mental health in either or both partners also increases the risk. Researchers should account for health as a stressor on union stability and avoid over-interpreting cross-sectional studies on union benefits in early old age.

Keywords: Families, Unions and Households, Health and Morbidity, Population Ageing, Older Adults and Intergenerational Relations

See paper.