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چکیده
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The postponement of marriage in Iran poses serious concerns as childbearing happens only after official marriage and within the family. The present study follows two primary objectives. First, investigating the marriage postponement at the macro level during 1984-2022. Second, elucidating the reasons for delayed marriage through microdata analysis. We analyzed information from 3891 who have experienced delayed marriage. The findings at the macro-level indicate a noticeable postponement in marriage, particularly among people aged 20-30. The percentage of married women aged 25-29 has declined from 90% in 1984 to 60% in 2022, while for men, this reduction has dropped from 76% to 30%. At the micro-level, the findings reveal that women and men have married 5 and 5.3 years later than their ideal age, respectively. Economic challenges, such as finding a job, financial problems, and housing concerns, were cited by 54% of men as reasons for delaying marriage. Conversely, women commonly cited reasons such as difficulty in finding the right partner, lack of conducive circumstances, and Continuing education and studying. Overall, it can be argued that the postponement of marriage often stems from adverse economic conditions rather than cultural norms. Thus, the government must prioritize addressing youth unemployment and economic challenges, alongside implementing socio-cultural initiatives.
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