[The role of migration processes in the formation of marriage structure of Moscow population. II. Assortative mating for the age, birthplace and nationality].

Positive assortative mating for age at marriage, birthplace and nationality has been revealed by means of sample analysis of couples married in Moscow in 1955 and 1980. The correlation coefficient between mates for age at marriage was r = 0.81 in 1955 and r = 0.88 in 1980; the age difference between spouses had a mean of 1.55 and 2.21 years, respectively. The determinative role of migration in forming Moscow population marriage structure accounts for the fact that the greater part of marriages registered in the capital are between migrants from various regions of the USSR or between the Moscow-born and the migrants. The proportion of marriages between individuals born in Moscow has increased over 25 years from 10 to 38%, these values being significantly higher than those expected under random mating between the migrants and the Moscow-born. The contingency coefficient measuring the association between the birthplaces of husband and wife was K = 0.16 in 1955 and K = 0.11 in 1980, the preferential marriage between mates born in the same region being still significant even when marriages are registered in Moscow. The highest degrees of assortative mating were observed for nationality character: K = 0.37 in 1955 and K = 0.28 in 1980. The decrease in these values over the past 25 years has resulted in a slight growth of the proportion of international marriages (from 14.75 to 16.53%) which has not yet reached the level expected under panmixia (about 21%).