Remarriages and transnational marriages in Hong Kong: implications and challenges

Abstract

Marriage, divorce, and remarriage have undergone significant changes in the past two decades in Hong Kong. Types of marriages have become more diverse, with increasing number of cross-border marriages between Hongkongers and Mainland Chinese as well as cross-national marriages with non-local-and-non-Chinese ethnic groups. Meanwhile, divorces and remarriages are surging, with disproportionate increase of remarriages among those in transnational marriages. Particularly, the proportion of remarriages among marriages between Hong Kong men and Mainland women, and Hong Kong women and Mainland men increased to 40% and 27%, respectively in 2012. This study investigates assortative mating in marriages by separating remarriages from first marriages, to uncover the real patterns and uniqueness in Hong Kong. The results show that assortative mating in first marriages and remarriages appear across local marriages and six types of transnational marriages. And it also shows that remarriages between Hong Kong men and Mainland women have become more hypergamous, and more welfare support is needed to assist socially deprived cross-border couples to reside in Hong Kong.