Endogamy of Foreign-Born Population in Spain: Individual and Structural Factors

Clara Cortina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Albert Esteve, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Andreu Domingo, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Anna Cabré, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

We explore marriage patterns of foreign-born population in Spain, a country that has experienced a dramatic and unprecedented increase of foreign population in the last decade. Precisely, we use alternative sources (2001 Spanish census and vital registration data of the last fifteen years) to examine endogamy patterns for a selected and representative group of origins. We apply multivariate regression techniques to examine the effect of individual and contextual factors on the likelihood of being in union with a partner of the same origin. We find that, after controlling for individual and couple characteristics, differences in endogamy levels by gender and origin prevail. Instead, our results suggest that group characteristics, such as group size, sex ratio, and migratory background, are highly associated to the distinct patterns of endogamy.