Work

A parallel kinship universe? A replication of Kolk et al. (2023) with Dutch register data on kinship networks

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND Kolk et al. (2023) use Swedish register data to provide a detailed numerical account of biological kinship.Applying their approach in other countries is challenging due to high data requirements. OBJECTIVEWe examine whether Kolk et al.'s (2023) findings generalize to another demographically advanced country, the Netherlands, and assess how differences in cohort fertility and divorce rates influence the prevalence of different kin types. METHODSWe analyze kinship network data for the entire Dutch population in 2018, focusing on ties to grandchildren, children, nieces, nephews, siblings, cousins, parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. RESULTSFirst, we find strong similarities between Dutch and Swedish kinship structures, extending the picture drawn by Kolk et al. (2023) to another demographically advanced Western context.Second, we show how the Dutch baby boom has trickled down across generations, leading to larger numbers of aunts, uncles, and cousins.Third, we show how differences in other family-related behaviors -specifically divorce and separationshape the composition of kinship networks and cross-national differences, evident in a substantially lower number of half-siblings in the Netherlands than in Sweden.

Source: Demographic Research

DOI: 10.4054/demres.2025.52.28

Authors: Vera de Bel, Eszter Bokányi, Karsten Hank, Thomas Leopold

Institutions: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, University of Amsterdam, University of Cologne

Language: English

Topic: Family Dynamics and Relationships

Subfield: Demography

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Award: Veränderungen im Familiennetzwerk nach der Scheidung der Eltern