Published on September 30, 2024 at 8:16 p.m.
A recent study by the National Institute of Demographic Studies (INED) reveals that couples where the woman contributes more to the joint income than her male partner have a higher risk of separation. The report, presented this Monday, September 30, underlines the importance of income sharing in marital stability.
A woman who earns more than her partner would not be lucky in love? A recent study by the National Institute of Demographic Studies (INED), presented this Monday, September 30, reveals that couples where the woman contributes more to the joint income than her male partner run “a higher risk” of separation.
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“Couples in which the share of income provided by the woman is greater than 55% are more unstable than other couples, significantly”, with a “risk of separation” higher by 11% to 40% compared to couples with equal income, reveals in particular the study which was carried out for the first time in France and which appeared in June in the European Journal of Population. In addition, the risk of separation would increase “with the woman’s share of the total income” of the couple.
A trend that affects precarious couples even more
According to the study carried out from a sample bringing together data from nearly a million couples, representative of the French population, between January 2011 and January 2017, this “increased risk” of separation is observed both among married couples than in civil partnerships or simply living together. A trend that is all the more significant among the lowest incomes.
The balance between income, however, does not have the same influence depending on the type of couple: in marriage, the man’s preponderant contribution is “stabilizing”, while equality between income fulfills this role among couples. “cohabiting” couples. The influence of income is less marked among civil partnership couples.
Among the couples studied, the most important income remains provided by the man in 49.3% of cases, 20.5% have equal income and in 13.7% the woman is the main contributor. The couple’s income is provided entirely by the woman in two couples out of 100 and by the man in 14.5% of cases.
A new egalitarian balance, despite standards that are difficult to change
The study points to “the emergence of a new egalitarian balance” towards which “the profile of the stable couple” is evolving, even if the risk of separation remains “always lower among couples” where the man is the main provider of income.
The authors of the study also believe “that the higher rate of separation which persists among couples where the woman is the main income earner clearly indicates that deviating from the norms is difficult to accept even in countries like France” . In France, however, female employment remains high and largely supported by family policies.
