Changes in partnership patterns across Europe affect not only individual life trajectories but also the functioning of family solidarity. Research by Veronika Sofia Corradi‑Eiger from the Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University focuses on how adult children’s partnership histories shape their access to parental support. The findings were presented at the European Population Conference 2026 in Bologna.
The share of adults without a partner has been rising across Europe. However, previous research has often treated this group as uniform. Corradi‑Eiger’s study highlights the importance of distinguishing how individuals became unpartnered—whether they have never been in a partnership or whether they experienced a separation such as divorce or widowhood.While partnership dissolution represents a visible life transition that can signal a need for support, lifelong singlehood does not send an equivalent signal. This difference is reflected in the level and type of parental support provided.
The analysis is based on SHARE data (2021–2022), covering nearly 56,000 parent–child dyads across 16 European countries. The study examines three forms of support: financial transfers, practical help, and inclusion in family social networks.The results show that previously partnered but currently unpartnered adults receive significantly more financial support from parents than partnered individuals. By contrast, those who have never had a partner do not receive additional financial support. Differences also emerge in other forms of support, such as integration into broader family networks.
The findings further reveal variation across European regions. The impact of partnership history on access to family support differs depending on institutional and cultural contexts, with stronger effects observed in Northern Europe than in Southern Europe.
The study concludes that partnership status and its trajectory play a key role in structuring access to family “safety nets.” Parents tend to respond to visible life events such as divorce, while long-term singlehood may remain overlooked.This research contributes to a deeper understanding of how inequalities in access to informal support arise and highlights the importance of family context in shaping these processes.
The research was conducted as part of the project “On Our Own: Opportunities and Risks in the Individualization of Society (PRINS),” co-financed by the European Union. Veronika Sofia Corradi-Eiger is affiliated with the Department of Sociology at the Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University.
