Rewritten Title: A Demographic Shift: Analyzing the Trend of Rising Marriage Ages in Iran
Article:
A significant demographic shift is underway in Iran, as new data reveals a consistent and accelerating trend of citizens marrying at later stages in their lives. This evolving social pattern, based on official statistics, is drawing attention for its long-term societal and political implications.
The Accelerating Timeline
Recent analysis of data from the National Organization for Civil Registration highlights a rapid change. In the Persian year 1400 (2021-2022), the average age for a first marriage was 23.6 for women and 27.8 for men. Fast forward to the first seven months of the current year, 1404 (2025), and these averages have risen to 24.2 and 28.3, respectively.
This represents an increase of approximately one year in the average marriage age over just a four-year period—a change that previously took a decade to materialize. This indicates that younger generations are accelerating the trend of postponing marriage.
A Historical Perspective
To understand the scale of this shift, a look back nearly five decades is instructive. In 1976, before the Islamic Revolution, the average age for marriage was 19.7 for women and 24.1 for men. It took twenty years for two years to be added to these averages. The pace of change has since quickened, with another two-year increase occurring in the subsequent two decades.
If this accelerated trend continues, projections suggest that by the year 1450 (2071-2072), women may, on average, marry after the age of 30, and men after 35.
The Urban Factor and “Definitive Celibacy”
The national averages mask significant regional variations. In the capital city of Tehran, young people marry several years later than the national average, with men remaining single for two years longer and women for three years longer than their counterparts in other provinces.
This trend contributes to a broader demographic challenge. Officials have pointed to a substantial population of unmarried individuals, with millions of men and women over the age of 45 classified in demographic terms as being in a state of “definitive celibacy,” having never married.
Policy Responses and Economic Realities
In response to these trends, the government has implemented supportive measures, such as providing marriage loans to ease the financial burden on young couples. However, experts suggest that for such incentives to be truly effective, they must be precisely targeted.
One population researcher, Ali Akbar Mahzoon, emphasized that the high costs of starting a family—particularly housing, but also food, transportation, and healthcare—are a primary concern. He noted that without directing limited state resources and bank funds to specifically address these core expenses, such as the housing challenge, financial incentives may not achieve the desired outcome of lowering the average marriage age.
This demographic evolution presents a complex interplay of social change and economic factors, with implications that are closely watched by policymakers focused on the nation’s long-term social fabric and demographic structure.