Marriage Loans Not Good Enough

EghtesadOnline: Over one million couples wanting to tie the knot were granted wedding loans by state banks over the past calendar year that ended in March, according to the deputy minister of sports and youth affairs.

News ID: ۷۷۶۲۴۴

16 May 2017

“We had projected to give loans to 1.2 million couples, but one million who had applied got the financial aid,” Mohammadreza Rostami was quoted by ISNA as saying.

Up until 2015, around $800 (30 million rials) was given in interest-free loans for marriage per person. The Rouhani government increased the amount to 100 million rials ($2,600), and also sought the same amount in the current year’s budget, approved and passed earlier by the parliament.

The government and relevant organizations have often reiterated their concern over the declining marriage rate in the country, and are encouraging single people to get married by offering incentives. Incentives are announced regularly as part of efforts to increase the rate of marriage and boost population growth, Financial Tribune reported.

In spite of the increase in loan amount, there are currently 11-13 million single Iranians in the marriageable age, as per official estimates. In order to bring down the figure or prevent it from rising, at least 1.65 million marriages should be registered each year. But that seems to be a tall order as not many young people are interested in getting married or starting their own families.

The so-called marriage crisis (categorized as the falling rate of marriage and rising number of divorces over the past decade) is considered by government officials and the people alike to be one of the most serious social problems. It refers to the rising number of young people of marrying age who cannot afford to marry or prefer not to do so for a variety of reasons.

The practice of holding “mass weddings” conducted in a simple manner is being encouraged so that couples can save on marriage expenses. Only the immediate family members are invited to the solemn occasion that is sans music, dinner and the usual paraphernalia that goes with a wedding.

High inflation and unemployment rates and soaring real estate prices have deepened the marriage crisis. According to experts, the average age of marriage had increased by 7-13 years as of 2014. Data from the National Organization for Civil Registration (NOCR) shows that women are now getting married at 27.2 years and men at 31 years, on average.

Numbers Keep Falling

According to the latest United Nations study, since the year 1980 the marriage average age has increased by 6 years globally. The main reason is that people spend more time for higher education and seek better living standards, and therefore postpone marriage.

The marriage rate in Iran has declined systemically in the last 3.5 years — down 1.9% in 2012, 5.1% in 2013, 6.7% in 2014 and 7.2% in the first months of 2015.

While the number of marriages ranged between 870,000 and 890,000 from 2007 to 2011, it decreased to 820,000 in 2012 and 770,000 in 2013.

On the other hand, divorce rates have jumped by 11.5% as 69,182 cases were registered in the year that ended in March 2016, the NOCR said last September.

Marriage is not the first priority on the list for young people and comes fourth after employment, education, home ownership as per a survey conducted a few years ago.

“The younger generation is more concerned with improving their financial status rather than creating a home and family,” according to Shahla Kazemipour, sociologist and faculty member of Tehran University.

The average life of Iranian marriages has reduced to three years. Only 11% of Iranians has the chance to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary.  About 6% of all divorces occur during the first year of marriage.