Interviewer instructions
5. Marital status
What is your marital status?
Marital status is understood as the situation of each person with regard to the laws or family customs for marriage or common law marriage that exist in the country. For the identification of marital status the following definitions should be taken into account:
[pg. 42]
Children younger than 12: This includes all people, children and youth, who are younger than age 12.
Consensual union: This is a person who is not legally married to the person he/she cohabitates with in a stable manner.
Married: This is a person who is legally married to their spouse.
Widow/widower: This is a person who, after their marriage with their partner, whether through legal or common-law marriage, is not married and does not live with a spouse.
Separated: This is a person who is separated from their spouse of legal or common marriage and doesn't live with another partner.
Divorced: This is a person who, having legally dissolved their marriage, has not married again nor do they live with a partner.
Single: This is a person who has never been married nor lived with a partner.
