Norway and other industrialized countries have experienced massive changes in family behaviour over the last few decades: the age at marriage has increased, a larger proportion has remained unmarried, informal cohabitation has become more common, and rates of union disruption have escalated. At the same time, women got fewer children, and those who became mothers did so later in life. These changes are, of course, closely linked to each other. For example, people who do not live in a stable relationship usually do not want a child, and conversely, the childless may see little need to formalize a consensual union and they may find it easier to dissolve a relationship.

The intention of the project was to learn more about the reasons for and consequences of these changes in family changes, with special emphasis on the Norwegian setting. The drift away from the formal marriage has been particularly pronounced in Norway and other Nordic countries. Yet, fertility is relatively high. This situation makes Norway very interesting from an international perspective. In addition, the country has quite unique register data that allow detailed exploration of demographic behaviour. However, it would obviously also be important to contrast the development in Norway with that seen in other industrialized countries. Another goal of the project was to develop better tools for analysing and forecasting future family patterns.