Cohabitants

Updated: 3 May 2023

Next update: Not yet determined

Proportion of the population 45-49 years who live in cohabitation

2020-2022

22

%

Proportion of cohabitants in different age groups. Per cent
	1993-1995	2002-2004	2011-2013	2020-2022
20-24 years	25	28	25	21
25-29 years	35	41	39	42
30-34 years	24	33	36	40
35-39 years	15	25	29	29
40-44 years	10	17	22	26
45-49 years	8	14	21	22
50-54 years	6	12	15	19
55-59 years	4	8	10	17
60-69 years	3	5	7	10
70-79 years	1	2	4	5

Selected tables and charts from this statistics

Table 1Proportion of cohabitants, married and single by age. Per cent. Males and females.

Proportion of cohabitants, married and single by age. Per cent. Males and females.
Cohabitation, sex, age	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Cohabitant
Males
16-19 years	2	2	1	1	1	1	3	3	1	1	1	2	2	3	1	1	1	2	3	1	1
20-24 years	27	19	18	25	23	24	21	24	19	18	21	18	22	20	15	17	16	21	15	19	16
25-29 years	37	40	43	37	39	40	37	29	33	41	31	40	36	37	34	33	38	34	33	38	43
30-34 years	33	37	31	29	31	37	30	28	28	36	34	37	34	41	38	42	38	41	41	41	44
35-39 years	27	26	27	25	24	26	28	26	31	28	29	31	33	36	29	29	28	31	32	33	27
40-44 years	15	22	17	24	19	23	19	23	22	19	20	24	22	20	25	24	25	26	28	28	26
45-49 years	14	18	14	18	17	16	20	21	17	21	24	20	16	21	22	22	24	23	27	26	24
50-54 years	11	14	15	9	12	10	11	15	16	13	16	19	17	18	16	19	14	20	23	19	20
55-59 years	10	7	12	8	11	10	11	9	11	12	14	12	17	15	21	22	16	17	13	20	19
60-69 years	7	5	6	7	7	7	8	5	7	6	8	9	9	11	10	7	13	12	12	11	11
70-79 years	2	3	6	2	3	4	4	2	4	4	6	7	5	7	4	5	6	6	6	8	7
Females
16-19 years	4	4	7	8	4	7	5	4	6	4	2	1	5	3	2	3	4	2	3	3	2
20-24 years	35	35	32	36	38	37	36	30	32	34	32	29	30	24	30	28	30	24	29	23	23
25-29 years	39	48	40	45	41	39	44	39	51	41	34	45	49	43	37	41	39	44	43	49	46
30-34 years	31	33	35	32	28	30	34	32	33	38	33	38	34	40	33	33	30	39	36	35	44
35-39 years	22	22	27	22	24	25	24	26	25	29	28	27	31	24	30	27	23	26	26	26	28
40-44 years	16	15	17	19	19	18	20	20	20	26	19	25	20	21	25	21	17	26	26	24	21
45-49 years	12	14	13	13	14	16	21	20	17	21	18	20	20	21	22	20	18	21	20	19	19
50-54 years	11	9	9	8	12	10	9	15	11	12	14	16	13	22	13	17	18	22	20	17	16
55-59 years	6	7	5	8	4	8	8	7	11	7	9	9	10	9	10	14	21	11	15	15	19
60-69 years	5	2	3	3	4	6	5	4	7	5	5	9	4	7	7	9	9	10	9	7	11
70-79 years	1	2	2	3	2	3	2	2	3	3	3	1	2	2	2	3	4	4	2	4	4
Married
Males
16-19 years	..	1	..	..	..	1	..	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
20-24 years	4	4	2	3	2	1	1	3	2	2	2	5	1	2	1	0	2	2	0	2	1
25-29 years	14	18	16	16	15	16	11	19	21	12	16	12	17	18	17	14	8	8	9	7	5
30-34 years	37	36	37	36	45	44	41	43	45	28	30	34	37	32	32	30	33	29	29	26	21
35-39 years	48	49	44	53	49	51	49	50	49	52	47	46	48	44	47	50	50	46	41	44	49
40-44 years	61	54	60	56	58	56	52	55	63	65	63	51	55	59	53	54	53	50	47	53	50
45-49 years	70	67	64	60	64	65	55	56	57	58	57	56	61	56	55	55	61	58	54	52	53
50-54 years	69	67	70	71	71	68	69	66	66	69	67	58	62	59	55	53	56	58	50	56	50
55-59 years	77	75	72	74	73	70	75	73	75	70	68	71	63	64	60	59	62	60	62	55	55
60-69 years	76	79	79	75	75	71	77	77	72	76	74	75	71	71	70	73	65	71	65	67	69
70-79 years	75	79	72	77	78	71	77	80	74	78	74	76	76	73	75	76	81	70	72	78	74
Females
16-19 years	0	1	0	1	1	0	..	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
20-24 years	5	8	4	6	7	5	7	5	7	6	4	6	3	3	4	2	3	1	2	2	3
25-29 years	29	24	26	23	27	30	23	27	21	21	28	20	28	15	19	18	16	13	16	16	12
30-34 years	50	43	46	41	48	47	49	42	52	40	42	43	45	38	42	44	45	41	39	38	33
35-39 years	56	58	56	56	58	54	56	54	57	57	50	56	53	53	53	55	55	53	52	51	48
40-44 years	63	64	61	59	60	59	61	62	59	52	66	55	57	57	53	49	58	57	53	49	49
45-49 years	69	63	58	63	61	62	61	56	55	53	61	61	56	59	53	59	53	56	56	57	60
50-54 years	69	70	66	64	64	70	67	60	60	66	61	58	57	55	60	55	59	55	52	61	60
55-59 years	75	74	62	69	67	70	69	61	61	68	64	71	61	62	64	61	52	53	55	55	49
60-69 years	60	64	70	67	64	61	68	65	69	71	65	62	68	62	67	64	62	61	59	62	57
70-79 years	51	53	42	50	47	49	53	56	47	46	55	59	54	54	51	56	59	59	55	56	57
Single
Males
16-19 years	98	97	99	99	99	98	97	98	99	99	99	98	98	97	99	99	99	98	97	99	98
20-24 years	76	80	72	75	75	29	77	73	79	80	77	77	77	79	84	83	82	77	85	79	84
25-29 years	48	42	41	47	46	45	52	52	45	46	53	47	47	45	48	53	55	58	58	55	52
30-34 years	29	27	32	35	24	20	29	28	27	36	36	29	29	27	30	28	30	29	30	33	35
35-39 years	25	25	29	22	27	24	23	24	21	19	24	23	20	21	25	22	21	23	26	23	24
40-44 years	23	24	23	20	23	21	29	23	15	16	17	24	23	21	22	22	21	23	25	18	24
45-49 years	17	16	23	22	20	19	25	23	27	21	20	23	23	23	23	23	15	20	19	22	24
50-54 years	19	18	15	20	17	22	20	20	19	17	17	23	21	23	29	29	29	22	27	25	30
55-59 years	14	17	16	18	16	20	14	18	14	18	17	17	21	21	20	20	23	24	25	25	26
60-69 years	18	16	15	18	19	22	15	18	21	18	18	16	19	18	20	20	22	20	22	22	21
70-79 years	23	18	22	21	19	25	19	18	22	18	21	17	19	19	21	19	13	25	22	14	19
Females
16-19 years	96	95	93	91	96	93	95	95	94	96	98	99	95	97	98	97	96	98	97	97	98
20-24 years	63	58	64	58	55	58	57	65	62	61	65	66	67	73	66	70	66	75	69	76	74
25-29 years	33	29	34	32	32	31	33	34	28	38	39	36	23	42	44	42	44	43	41	35	42
30-34 years	20	24	19	27	24	24	16	26	15	21	26	20	21	23	24	24	25	20	25	28	23
35-39 years	22	20	17	22	17	22	20	20	18	15	22	18	17	23	17	17	22	21	21	23	24
40-44 years	19	21	21	22	21	23	20	18	21	22	16	20	23	21	23	30	25	17	21	27	30
45-49 years	19	23	29	25	25	23	18	24	28	27	20	19	24	20	25	21	30	22	24	24	20
50-54 years	20	21	24	28	24	20	23	25	29	22	25	27	30	24	27	29	23	23	28	23	25
55-59 years	19	20	33	23	29	23	24	32	28	26	27	20	28	28	26	25	28	36	30	31	32
60-69 years	35	34	26	30	32	33	26	31	24	24	29	29	28	31	26	27	29	27	32	31	32
70-79 years	48	46	57	47	51	48	45	42	51	51	43	40	44	44	47	41	38	37	43	39	38

Explanation of symbols

Source

StatBank source table 06831

More figures from this statistics

See complete overview in Statbank (2)

About the statistics

Percentage of cohabitants in the population aged 16-79 years.

The information under «About the statistics» was last updated 4 June 2021.

Definitions

Definitions of the main concepts and variables

Person

The statistics is based on a sample of all persons between 16-79 years who was resident in Norway according to the population register.

Couple

Two persons who lives in the same residence and is married to each other, registered partners or cohabiting is counted as a couple.

Standard classifications

Not relevant

Administrative information

Name and topic

Name: Cohabitants
Topic: Population

Next update

Not yet determined

Responsible division

Division for Population Statistics

Regional level

National

Frequency and timeliness

Every third year

International reporting

Not relevant

Microdata

Files on individual level containing data that are processed and stored in the long term.

Background

Background and purpose

The statistics is based on surveys and place of usual residence for women and men aged 16-79 years. It shows proportions of cohabitants, married and singles in different age groups. The first figures published are from 1977 for women and 1988 for men. Since 1993 annual figures have been published.

Users and applications

The statistics have a wide range of users and applications, including institutes involved in researching demographics and living conditions, public administration, the mass media and private persons.

Equal treatment of users

No external users have access to the statistics and analyses before they are published and accessible simultaneously for all users on ssb.no at 08 am. Prior to this, a minimum of three months' advance notice is given inthe Statistics Release Calendar. This is one of Statistics Norway’s key principles for ensuring that all users are treated equally.

Coherence with other statistics

The statistics is based on a survey and whether a person is defined as a cohabitant or not depends on what answer the person himself gives to this question. In register based statistic one must be registered on the same legal residence address to be defined as cohabitants. Experience shows that statistics based on registers and legal residence address result in fewer cohabiting couples than statistics from surveys based on interviews and place of usual residence.

Legal authority

Statistics Act § 10

EEA reference

Not relevant

Production

Population

The statistics cover a sample of the Norwegian population in the age group 16 - 79 years.

Data sources and sampling

The sources for this statistics are the Population register in combination with the Travel survey.

The Travel survey is carried out among 8 000 Norwegians between 16 and 79 years of age, according to Statistics Norway's standard sampling procedure.

Collection of data, editing and estimations

Interview (telephone)/CATI

A computer is used during the interview. The interviewer reads the questions aloud from the screen and the answers are registered instantly. This allows the data to be controlled immediately, and it reduces the risk of asking the interviewee wrong questions.

The proportion of cohabitants in an age group is estimated by the number of people in an age group who have answered that they are cohabitants compared to everyone who has answered the questions on relationship status in the same age group. The proportion who are married/not in a relationship are calculated in the same way.

The total number of cohabitants is estimated by multiplying the estimated proportion of cohabitants in an age group by the mean population in the same age group.

Seasonal adjustment

Not relevant

Confidentiality

Not relevant

Comparability over time and space

From 2005 data from Statistics Norway's Travel survey has been used. Former sources have been the Fertility survey 1977, Family and Occupation Survey 1988 and Omnibus Surveys 1993-2004. The questions have been the same in all surveys. It is expected that use of data from different surveys do not influence the comparability in the time series.

Accuracy and reliability

Sources of error and uncertainty

Collection errors, like when the interviewee gives incorrect information, or processing errors, like when the interviewer registers the answer incorrectly, are tried kept to a minimum by automatically controlling the answers during the interview. Nevertheless, there may still be some errors left. The number and kind of errors are not known.

The unit non-response has inceased somewhat over the years, and is approximately 40 per cent. Non-response errors are errors caused by unit non-response, i.e. that the unit (for instance an individual or a company) has failed to respond, or item non-response, i.e. that the unit has failed to respond to some but not all the questions in the survey.

Bias
Sampling bias may arise when the distribution of some variables in the sample is not the same as the corresponding distribution in the population. The results in this survey are based on the information provided by those responding. Non-response is mainly due to the interviewee not wanting to participate or that he/she was not reached by the interviewer. If the interviewee was not reached due to he/she being on holiday, the distribution of this variable among those interviewed and the non-respondents may differ and sampling bias may arise.

Variance
The Travel survey is carried out among a sample of persons resident in Norway between 16 and 79 years of age. The uncertainty of findings based on only a part of the population, (sampling variance) depends among other factors on the number of observations in the sample and on the distribution of the current variable in the whole population. An estimate of this uncertainty (standard deviation) can be constructed by means of the observations in the sample. There is not made an exact calculation of the standard deviation for this survey.

Revision

Not relevant

Find more figures in Statbank

Analyses, articles and publications

Article / 23 January 2018
Fewer young and more older cohabitants
For the age group 20-24 years, the proportion of cohabitants has decreased over the last ten years. For all 30+ age groups, however, the number of cohabitants has gradually increased.

Statistics

Families and households

Describes the size and composition of families and households in Norway

Marriages and divorces

Figures on divorces, separations, marriages and partnerships

Contact

Linn Krokedal

linn.krokedal@ssb.no

(+47) 95 47 97 47

Espen Andersen

espen.andersen@ssb.no

(+47) 92 61 00 46

Statistics Norway's Information Centre

informasjon@ssb.no

(+47) 21 09 46 42