Economic inequality has been rising in many sub-Saharan African countries alongside rapid changes to union and family formation. In high-income countries marked by rising inequality, union and family formation practices have diverged across socioeconomic statuses, with intergenerational social and health consequences for the disadvantaged. In this study, we address whether there is also evidence of demographic divergence in low-income settings. Specifically, we model the age at first marriage and first birth by socioeconomic status groups for women born between 1960 and 1989 using Demographic and Health Survey data from 12 sub-Saharan African countries where economic inequality levels are relatively high or rising. We argue that economic and sociocultural factors may both serve to increasingly delay marriage and childbearing for the elite as compared to others in the context of rising inequality. We find emerging social stratification in marriage and childbearing, and demonstrate that this demographic divergence is driven by the elites who are increasingly marrying and having children at later ages, with near stagnation in the age at first marriage and birth among the remaining majority. We urge further research at the intersection of socioeconomic and demographic inequality to inform necessary policy levers and curtail negative social and health consequences.

中文翻译：

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撒哈拉以南非洲家庭形成的经济不平等和分歧

许多撒哈拉以南非洲国家的经济不平等一直在加剧，同时工会和家庭组建也迅速发生变化。在以不平等现象加剧为特征的高收入国家，工会和家庭组成的做法因社会经济地位而异，对弱势群体产生代际社会和健康影响。在这项研究中，我们探讨了是否也有证据表明低收入环境中存在人口差异。具体来说，我们使用来自 12 个经济不平等程度相对较高或不断上升的撒哈拉以南非洲国家的人口和健康调查数据，对 1960 年至 1989 年间出生的女性按社会经济地位群体划分的初婚年龄和初育年龄进行建模。我们认为，在不平等加剧的背景下，与其他人相比，经济和社会文化因素可能会越来越多地推迟精英阶层的婚姻和生育。我们发现婚姻和生育方面正在出现社会分层，并证明这种人口差异是由越来越多的精英阶层推动的，他们越来越晚结婚和生育，而其余大多数人的初婚和生育年龄几乎停滞不前。我们敦促进一步研究社会经济和人口不平等的交叉点，以便为必要的政策杠杆提供信息并减少负面的社会和健康后果。并证明这种人口差异是由越来越晚结婚和生育的精英推动的，而其余大多数人的初婚和生育年龄几乎停滞不前。我们敦促进一步研究社会经济和人口不平等的交叉点，以便为必要的政策杠杆提供信息并减少负面的社会和健康后果。并证明这种人口差异是由越来越晚结婚和生育的精英推动的，而其余大多数人的初婚和生育年龄几乎停滞不前。我们敦促进一步研究社会经济和人口不平等的交叉点，以便为必要的政策杠杆提供信息并减少负面的社会和健康后果。