Partnership Histories and the Gender Gap in Wealth among Older Singles: A Study Across Four European Countries

We document the gender wealth gap among single individuals aged 50 or more, an age group where wealth differences might be particularly pronounced and relevant for economic well-being. We investigate to what extent differences in partnership histories can explain the gender gap in household wealth among singles in four countries using data from SHARE. Whereas we do not find a gender gap in wealth of singles in the Czech Republic, we find that single men live in wealthier households in Austria and Sweden than single women. In Spain, we observe a gender gap favoring women which is partly explained by the high rates of widowhood among single women as well as high home ownership rates. Our results underline the importance of understanding selection into singlehood for interpreting gender gaps in household wealth.