As noted earlier, women aged 18 to 49 were the first to be asked questions on cohabitation in the GHS which means this group yields the longest time series. To set the cohabitation figures in context Table 5.6 presents marital status for the same group over the same time period. Among this group:

• the proportion married has decreased from nearly three quarters (74%) in 1979 to just over a half in 2000 (51%) – representing a decrease from 53% in 1998.
• the proportion of single women increased from 18% to 30% in 1998 and showed another statistically significant increase between the two weighted figures for 1998 and 2000 to 35%.

In terms of current cohabitation among women aged 18 to 49:

• there has been a marked increase in the proportion of non-married women who were cohabiting, from 11% in 1979 to 30% in 2000, although this represented no change from 1998
• the proportion of single women cohabiting had almost quadrupled, from less than one in ten (8%) in 1979 to almost one in three (31%) in 1998, but no further change to 2000