Trends in Intergenerational Coresidence in Developing Countries: 1970-2010

Sheela Kennedy, University of Minnesota
Steven Ruggles, University of Minnesota

Despite widespread predictions of a decline in intergenerational co-residence in developing countries, the existing evidence for such a decline is mixed at best. Using data from IPUMS-International, we evaluate trends in living arrangements in over 40 low and middle-income countries. We also examine the contribution of larger macroeconomic and demographic context changes on intergenerational living arrangements. From the perspective of the older generation, we find that that only South America is beginning to show signs of a systematic decline in intergenerational coresidence. Most other regions contain a substantial number of countries with increases in intergenerational co-residence. In contrast, the younger generation increasingly resides with parents across all regions, except Sub-Saharan Africa, due in part because of increased survival of the older generation. This is increase is driven primarily by unmarried adults, rather than young adults forming their own families.