https://arab.news/mzbt9
I recently participated in a webinar on the critical issue of the postponement of marriage or reluctance to marry among the Saudi youth. This has become a hotly debated topic considering the high number of unmarried youths: 65.3 percent of the youth population aged 15 to 34 are single, according to the 2023 Saudi Youth Report. Even if we remove the 15 to 19 and 20 to 24 age groups from consideration, together making up a little over half of the youth population, that means about 30 percent of youths aged 25 to 34 are unmarried. This will have great repercussions on society and the economy a decade down the road.
A serious concern is how delayed marriage will impact the declining birth rates in Saudi Arabia. The fertility rate in the Kingdom has been steadily declining, from 6.6 in 1960 to 2.28 in 2023, with an estimated drop to 2.12 in 2025, bringing it close to the fertility rate needed to maintain a stable population size from generation to generation. This decline has rung alarm bells, especially among policymakers, making it necessary to study the factors that influence reduced fertility rates, including the rising age of first marriage, in order to formulate effective and sustainable healthcare, family planning and economic policies.
