Rupture of marriages between Spaniards and foreigners with children: Comparative statistics

Abstract

In Spain, marriages, births and the dissolution of marriages in binational households have increased notably in recent years, as well as the social impact of this phenomenon. The aim of this paper is to explore the specific characteristics of marital ruptures between Spanish and non-Spanish spouses and compare them to ruptures between Spanish-only couples. Using statistical data on annulments, separations and divorces published by the National Statistics Institute of Spain, the paper provides evidence of differences between both types of couples regarding 1) length of time between the marriage and the marital rupture, 2) length of the dissolution process, 3) type of sentence, and 4) child custody.