Social and economic development, new social values, and pan-European integration are some factors which make Europeans change their lifestyle and their preferences for family life. One of the most visible effects of the Europeans' changing behaviour during the last decades is the emergence of new types of households and patterns of family formation in Europe. Fundamental changes in society's most important institution - the family- has important consequences on the demographic characteristics of Europe's population, in particular fertility. This volume sets out to study this important relationship.