Not only the ways of life, but also systems of values and basic moral attitudes are undergoing constant change. Faithfulness to one’s partner remains an important value, but the norm of staying together for life has become more relaxed. In 2008, for example, an average marriage had lasted 14.1 when the couple divorced. The expectations associated with years partnership, on the other hand, have risen. This is one of the reasons for around one in three marriages over the past few years ending in divorce. As a result of this trend there has been a clear increase in the number of couples living out of wedlock. There has also been a clear increase in the number of same-sex couples cohabiting. Since 2001 a law has enabled two people of the same sex to officially register a civil partnership.

This form of cohabitation without actually being officially married is particularly popular with young people and those whose marriage has failed. As a result the number of illegitimate children has also risen: Almost a third of all children are born to unwed mothers. One result of this change is demonstrated by the increase in the number of so-called patchwork families and single parents: Around one fifth of all households with children have single parents, and as a rule these are single mothers.

As society has developed, so have relations within families themselves and models for raising children. As a rule the relationship between the different generation of parents and children is exceedingly good and for the most part is no longer characterized by traditional upbringing patterns such as obedience, subordination and dependence but by involvement and equal rights, affection, encouragement, and being brought up to be independent.