Living apart together in Kinshasa. The impact of the economic crisis on cohabitation of couples

Bruno D. Schoumaker, Université Catholique de Louvain
Jocelyn Nappa, Université Catholique de Louvain
Albert Phongi, Université Pédagogique Nationale
Marie-Laurence Flahaux, University of Oxford

Being in couple and not living in the same dwelling - "living apart together" (LAT) - has been little studied in the African context. Kinshasa - which experience severe economic crises since the late 1980s, is an interesting case study for this type of living arrangements. Anecdotal evidence indicates that living apart together is not uncommon, and that returning to the parents’ home is one of the strategies used by couples facing economic hardship. Using retrospective data on union and living arrangements, this paper aims to study the phenomenon of living apart together in Kinshasa. (1) The frequency and the dynamics (entry and exits) of this phenomenon will be documented; (2) living arrangements of non-cohabiting couples will be described; and (3) factors that delay entry into cohabitation and the factors that increase the probability of leaving cohabitation will be identified.