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Intergenerational Co-residency in the United Kingdom: Differentials by Race/Ethnicity and Nativity

Zohra Ansari-Thomas, University of Pennsylvania

Despite the growth of immigrant-origin populations in the United Kingdom, little is known about household formation strategies among immigrants and their descendants. Using data from the first wave of Understanding Society, the UK Household Longitudinal Study (2009-2010), this study explores differences in intergenerational household composition (adult children living with parents) by race/ethnicity. I find that Indian and Pakistani/Bangladeshi women and men are more likely to reside in intergenerational households than White individuals, while Black African and Black Caribbean individuals were not, net of sociodemographic controls. These group patterns persist when examining foreign-born individuals alone. Contrary to theories on immigrant incorporation, longer durations of UK residence among immigrants and UK-born status are associated with higher odds of intergenerational co-residency. These findings can be interpreted along with prior research suggesting the importance of family migration and kin availability for household formation, and the importance of extended family support for the socioeconomic well-being of immigrants across time and generations. This research has implications for the social and economic well-being of individuals transitioning to adulthood and their aging parents, and for understanding the role of household composition as a family adaptation strategy among immigrants and their descendants.

Keywords: Intergenerational relations, Family demography, Migrant populations

See paper.

  Presented in Session P23.