Zeitschriftenartikel

Partner selection by immigrants in Germany: the impact of religious affiliation and education on age at marriage

Abstract

Using small-sample survey data collected by the author, this study examines the patterns of partner selection for 151 men and women aged 18 to 45 who have immigrated to Germany from 54 different countries. The article focuses on the effects of immigration as well as of religious affiliation and level of education of the partners on age at marriage. We show that, in comparison to the non-immigrant population in Germany, marriage at a relatively young age can be traced back particularly to the absence of pre-marital cohabitation. Among immigrants, there appears to be a preference for a partner of the same religion, and, as usual among non-migrants, people with an academic or professional degree largely prefer partners who have an equivalent level of education.