Spanish Steps - Fact file - Marriage

La familia española, the Spanish family, has undergone much change over recent decades. Up until the 1970s, the family was often made up of five or more children plus los padres, parents, and extended family members, such as los abuelos, grandparents. Children stayed in the family home until they got married, went to university or left to find work elsewhere. Once out at work, the children continued to contribute to the family income.

Trends changed drastically from the late 1970s onwards, with the end of the Franco period and the legalisation of el divorcio, divorce, and of los contraceptivos, contraceptives. Spurred on by these new freedoms and shifting boundaries, young people also actively started to seek la independencia, independence from their parents. Thus in this more liberal atmosphere many couples can now say Vivimos juntos, we live together.

El divorcio was not legal in Spain until the early eighties. Though Spain remains a staunchly Catholic country, many can now say estoy divorciado or divorciada, I'm divorced.

However old traditions continue to be reflected in the language. In the past, once you were widowed that status did not change. Hence the expression soy viudo or viuda, I'm a widower or widow, the verb ser reflecting a more permanent state. Today you will also hear estoy viudo or viuda. Estoy comes from estar, the verb that refers to a more temporary state.

You can see evidence of a similar way of thinking in the phrase soy soltero or soltera, I'm single. Marriage is no longer seen as a goal, and younger people are happy to embrace the single life as a permanent lifestyle.

The impact of these lifestyle choices on wider society is far reaching. Today Spain has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, and some studies predict that in the next 50 years, Spain will see its population shrink by more than a quarter.