Young women's living arrangements in Mexico : diversity, stability, and social stratification
Trias Prats, Rita (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)
Floridi, Ginevra (University of Edinburgh)
Esteve, Albert (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)
Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics

Date:	2026
Abstract:	This study examines diversity in the living arrangement trajectories of young Mexican women, focusing on social stratification and its change across cohorts. While previous research has documented isolated events in the transition to adulthood (e. g. , union formation, childbearing), less is known about how these shape young women's living arrangements in a Latin American context. Using data from the Encuesta Demográfica Retrospectiva (EDER), we apply sequence analysis to summarizing women's living arrangement trajectories at ages 18-30 across cohorts born between 1962-1987 (N = 9341). We assess stratification by family socioeconomic status (SES) by examining how trajectories vary by parental education. Results reveal substantial heterogeneity in living arrangement trajectories, particularly in early vs. late family formation, single motherhood, and household context. Parents' SES consistently predicts trajectory types: women from lower-SES families are more likely to experience early family formation, single motherhood, and extended family co-residence, while women from higher-SES families experience both delayed and early family transitions, including single motherhood in extended households. Cohort trends indicate persistent stratification in living arrangement trajectories over time by family background, with potential negative implications for the reproduction of social inequalities. We discuss family and household trajectories in a Latin American country, highlighting key differences from Global North contexts on which previous research has focused.
Grants:	Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2021-124267OB-I00 Generalitat de Catalunya 2022 / INV-1 00032 European Commission 101052787
Note:	Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UAB
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Young adults ; Living arrangements ; SES ; Co-residence ; Cohort ; Latin America
Published in:	Advances in Life Course Research, Vol. 68 (June 2026) , art. 100743, ISSN 1879-6974

DOI: 10.1016/j.alcr.2026.100743

18 p, 1.9 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Social and Legal Sciences > Centre for Demographic Studies (CED-CERCA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles