Cultural Dissimilarity and Intermarriage. A Longitudinal Study of Immigrants in Sweden 1990-2005

Summary, in English

Intermarriage with natives is a key indicator of immigrant integration. This article studies intermarriage for 138 immigrant groups in Sweden, using longitudinal individual level data. It shows great variation in marriage patterns across immigrant populations, ranging from over 70 percent endogamy in some immigrants groups to below 5 percent in other groups. Although part of this variation is explained by human capital and the structure of the marriage market, cultural factors (values, religion, and language) play an important role as well. Immigrants from culturally more dissimilar countries are less likely to intermarry with natives, and instead more prone to endogamy.

• Author: Martin Dribe; Christer Lundh
• Department/s: Centre for Economic Demography; Department of Economic History; eSSENCE: The e-Science Collaboration
• Publishing year: 2011
• Language: English
• Pages: 297-324
• Publication/Series: International Migration Review
• Volume: 45
• Issue: 2
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-7379.2011.00849.x
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Topic: Economic History
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 0197-9183