Trends in Educational Assortative Mating in Post- Socialist Central Europe: Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary Between 1988 and 2000

PWP-CCPR-2005-033

Abstract

This article analyzes trends in educational homogamy in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary from 1988 to 2000. Our initial hypothesis is that educational homogamy strengthened in post-socialist countries as a result of changing socio-economic conditions during the post-communist transformation. We argue that people’s behavior changes in reaction to a new socio-economic environment where risks associated with a poor marital match are more pronounced. We analyze key statistical data on all new marriages in the years 1988, 1991, 1994, 1997 and 2000 in each country. Log-linear and log-multiplicative models led to the rejection of our initial hypothesis. Between 1988 and 2000 educational homogamy remained low and constant in the Czech Republic and high and constant in Poland, whereas it increased slightly in Hungary and rather significantly in Slovakia. The article concludes with a discussion of some possible explanations of these varied trends in educational homogamy with regards to changes in demographic as well as social mobility processes in former socialist countries during the 1990s.