Broken homes and empty pantries: the impact of couple separation on living standards in France

Abstract This study sheds new light on the impact of couple separation on the living standards of women by considering the effects of separation on measures reflecting the adequacy of food consumption in addition to more commonly studied income and expenditure measures. Using panel data from France, I examine changes in disposable income, food expenditures and quantities purchased, diet quality and body weight around the time of separation and up to 8 years later, compared to a control group of households that did not separate. Living standards decline to such an extent that some households cannot maintain their food consumption, resulting in weight loss.