Although various
studies indicate that money is a major source of conflict between cohabiting and
marital partners, the existing research on what causes conflict within intimate
relationships remains insufficient. Using data from the European Social Survey
2004/2005, this article explores the factors that predict monetary conflict
between partners across 23 European countries. Previous research concerning
financial conflicts has concentrated on individual level factors. This study
adds a macro-level perspective to the existing body of research by exploring whether
the rate of female labor force participation and societal gender equality are associated
with the prevalence of conflict. Individual-level factors, such as personal characteristics,
household controls, relative resources, and gender equality, explain the frequency of
disagreements. At the macro-level, this study shows that relationship dynamics are affected by
the institutional characteristics of countries. In particular, in countries
where the rate of female
labor force participation is high, conflicts over money are more common. However, societal gender equality does not
explain the frequency of conflicts.