PACS civil unions in the West, marriages in the East: a regional breakdown of inter-personal unions

In 2016, in France, 7% of those living as a couple were bound by a PACS civil union. This form of union is much less common than marriage, which is largely predominant, and common-law unions. The type of union varies significantly according to age of the persons involved, their level of education, number of children, and immigrant versus non-immigrant background. It also varies by department of residence. For example, the PACS is more common in the departments in the South-West and along the Atlantic Coast. Marriage remains more frequent in the Eastern half of the country. There are also differences between major cities: common-law union and the PACS are more frequent in metropolises with student populations. Young people under age 30 are more likely to officialise their union through marriage in the Ile-de-France departments outside Paris, in the east of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region and the eastern edge of the Mediterranean coast.