Partnerships between Immigrants and German Natives

The closest form of freely chosen relationship is a partnership with a joint household. An analysis of the 2022 microcensus conducted by the author shows that in that year 11.2 per cent of immigrants to Germany aged between 25 and 64 were in a relationship with a person born in Germany and of German parentage and ancestry. Taking only those in a partnership as a base, i.e. excluding singles, this proportion rises to 16.0 per cent and increases further with the level of educational qualification. Partnerships with people born in the country who have no history of immigration are particularly common among immigrants who have come to the country for education. Immigrant women in a partnership with a man of German birth and family background are significantly less likely to have three or more children, a finding which holds even after controlling for educational attainment, region of origin and other socio-de mographic characteristics in a multivariate analysis. These women are also significantly more likely to be in gainful employment, although this phenomenon can largely be accounted for by differences in other socio-demographic factors.