Romania

Most Romanian families are traditional, married couples with children. In 2000, the marriage rate was 6.1 marriages per 1,000 inhabitants, the lowest level since the 1950s, but still relatively high among the European countries (NIS 2001; UNDP 2000). The average age at marriage was relatively young in 1998—28.4 years for men and 24.9 years for women (NIS 1999). The proportion of first marriages was over 80 percent, and, on average, marriages lasted twenty-two years, indicating a high level of family stability (UNPD 1996). The divorce rate remained relatively steady—around 1.3 divorces per 1,000 inhabitants (in the European context, this level is below average) (NIS 2001).

The number of children per family depended on educational background and region. People with higher educational levels and those living in the cities tended to have fewer children (Ilut 1995; UNDP 2000). Most of the families in the cities had one or two children. In the year 2000 the total fertility rate per woman was 1.3 (UNDP 2000).