Unmarried older people: Are they socially better off today?

Objectives: Previous studies have shown that unmarried older adults are generally at disadvantage in personal networks and social well-being compared to the married. It can be questioned whether their situation has improved in contemporary society, as amongst others the stigma of divorce and being never-married has declined. We hypothesize differential developments in networks and well-being according to marital status (married, widowed, divorced and never-married) across birth cohorts.

Method: Data are from the 1993 and 2013 observations of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam on Dutch people aged 55-69 (N = 2,894) and 70-84 years (N = 2,317). We employ general linear modelling of network size and diversity, received emotional and instrumental support, emotional and social loneliness, and depressive symptoms.

Results: The widowed are better off socially in 2013 than in 1993. Similar to the divorced they have a larger network, and similar to the never-married they receive more emotional support and are less emotional lonely. We find some gender-differences in these developments.

Discussion: Societal change has not radically altered networks and well-being of unmarried older people. The widowed seem to benefit most, possibly because they are better able to retain relationships after widowhood.