The government provides day care for young children of working parents. Before marrying, many young couples live together in the home of either the man's parents or the woman's parents. They may live there for years while working and saving their money for an apartment or a house. During this time, they may have one or more children. More than 60 percent of all first-born children in Iceland are born before their parents are married.
Most couples marry only after they are economically self-sufficient.
Icelanders spend a large portion of their incomes on their houses, equipping them with imported television sets, refrigerators, electric stoves, and other appliances. Houses were once built of turf and stone in the country and wood in the cities. But most houses are now built with reinforced concrete, which is not easily damaged by earthquakes or by the high winds that sweep the coasts. Many people paint the outside of their house a pastel color. Natural hot water piped from hot springs is used throughout Iceland for hot tap water.