Zusammenlebende

Zusammenlebende describes individuals who share a dwelling and maintain a close relationship without being married or in a registered civil partnership. The term emphasizes the living arrangement rather than a fixed legal status: it can refer to romantic partners who live together, as well as other adults sharing a household in a non-marital setting. In sociological research and statistics, zusammenlebende are distinguished from married couples and from households headed by single persons, to analyze family formation, child-rearing, and living arrangements.

Legal implications of cohabitation vary by country. In many jurisdictions, cohabiting partners do not automatically acquire the same rights as spouses or registered partners. Specific rights related to property, inheritance, social security, and parental responsibilities may depend on contracts, the presence of children, or domestic law. Some places recognize de facto partnerships or provide limited rights to cohabiting couples, while others leave these matters to general civil law or private agreements.

Demographic trends in German-speaking regions show increasing shares of adults living with partners outside marriage, influenced by shifting norms around marriage and family. Cohabitation can involve opposite-sex or same-sex couples and may include periods of testing a relationship, joint budgeting, and shared child-rearing, even when the couple remains unmarried.

Because usage of the word zusammenlebende can vary, researchers may specify whether they mean romantic partners, roommates with a close relationship, or a household with non-marital cohabitation, to avoid ambiguity.