TEHRAN – The rates of marriage and divorce in the country have increased by 23.6 percent and 16.4 percent, respectively, over the first three months of the current [Iranian calendar] year (March 21-June 21) compared to the same period last year, according to the data published by the Statistical Center of Iran.

Last year, 557,649 marriages and 184,654 divorces occurred, ISNA reported on Wednesday.

Over the spring, some 158,992 marriages and 41,757 divorces were registered, while a year ago, 128,621 marriages and 35,860 divorces were recorded, which shows an increase of 23.6 percent and 16.4 percent, respectively.

The decline in the marriage rate, followed by a dramatic decrease in childbearing, has sounded the alarm of the aging population. In the Iranian calendar year 1398, marriage and divorce records were reported to be 533,458 and 176,900, respectively, showing an approximate 4.5 percent increase in both.

The marriage rate in Iran has increased by 5 percent over the past [Iranian calendar] year (March 2020-March 2021), despite the coronavirus pandemic, Masoumeh Ebtekar, former vice president for Women and Family Affairs said in May.

Despite the pandemic that was expected to lead the marriage rate to a downward trend, the rate grew by 5 percent last year, while, divorces have decreased by 4 percent, she explained.

Demographic issue

Today, the country's fertility rate has reached about 1.6 children per woman, however, it was 6.5 children per woman, in 1986. The lowest fertility rate in the whole region of West Asia, North Africa, and the MENA region is recorded for Iran.

While 1,594,000 births were registered in the [Iranian calendar] year 1394 (March 2015-March 2016), the downward trend continued annually to the point that the number of births reached about one million in the [Iranian calendar] year 1399 (March 2020-March 2021). In other words, we lost more than 550,000 births in five years.

The decline in the marriage rate, followed by a dramatic decrease in childbearing, has sounded the alarm of the aging population, an issue that has forced government officials to enact legislation to support the population growth and the youth.

This law was proposed in a situation when despite the announcement made by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in [the Iranian calendar year] 1393 (March 2014-March 2015) regarding 14 policies to support childbearing and the family; the lack of operational and systematic planning to solve this important and strategic issue was evident.

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