Intergenerational Coresidence Between Adults: A Form of Mutual Support

Intergenerational coresidence can be associated with precarious circumstances, such as an adult child who is supported by an older parent, an older parent living in the household of an adult child, or the two generations living together and supporting each other. The French Family and Housing survey that was linked to the 2011 census is used to explore how multi-generational households are organised. The results confirm that this type of household continues to exist and should be considered other than a form of living arrangement that is destined to disappear. Approximately 8% of individuals aged 30 years and above with a parent alive coreside with a parent, representing 1.8 million individuals. Overall, coresidence is associated more with men, individuals not in a couple, childlessness, unemployment or inactivity, crowded housing with poor amenities, and poor urban areas where the monthly income is below the average. Sharing a household can be considered as a family response to life course hazards. Three types of response can be identified. Adults living with their parents (38%), who are more likely to be men with low resources, whereas women who have comfortable housing conditions are associated with living conditions where a parent is supported by an adult child (32%). In the third group (30%) the two generations are more likely to belong to higher social class sectors, although the available data cannot distinguish whether children accommodate their parents or parent accommodate their children.