Bushra Faisal Al-Sabaei

Studies Reveal Reasons for Avoiding Marriage

July 17, 2026 - 00:02 | Last update July 17, 2026 - 00:02

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According to the General Authority for Statistics: the percentage of young men and women who have never been married in the 15-34 age group reached 66.23%, 75.6% of males have never been married, the percentage of unmarried women in the 25-34 age group is 43.1%, and initiatives recently emerged by tribes and dignitaries of regions to reduce the financial cost of marriage and lower dowries, which girls considered negative because it diminished their side. When Omar ibn al-Khattab wanted to set a reduced value for dowries, a woman objected and proved that this is not valid religiously, so he said: “A woman is right and Omar is wrong,” and canceled his decision. Note that financial requirements for marriage go beyond dowries; even if the dowry is set to one riyal and no wedding, there remain housing costs and the importance of having a stable job with a high salary that ensures a decent life for the family. Studies have shown that the main cause of divorce is economic, meaning there is no benefit in facilitating marriage for someone who does not have a high income source that provides a decent life for the family in the long term, because it will lead to divorce and greater problems than not marrying, related to children suffering from the consequences of divorce, which negatively affect their academic achievement and make them more prone to psychological escape behaviors such as addiction, delinquency, and psychological and social problems. “Report of Al-Mawadda Family Development Association”: 61% depend on their parents for marriage expenses, meaning most of the dowry and wedding requirements are paid by parents, so this is not the real obstacle; the real obstacle is that the young man’s own income is lacking or low and does not provide a decent life for his family. 80% of young men refuse to marry before reaching a high financial ability, meaning even if the girl does not demand high financial requirements, young men themselves have come to consider themselves unprepared for marriage until they reach a high material level. Studies have shown that non-economic considerations are the main reason for avoiding marriage; a study on Saudi women in Riyadh (Noura Al-Ruwaili, Princess Nourah University): causes of avoiding marriage are “desire for independence and self-fulfillment, social fears and challenges, negative perceptions of marriage, and social and cultural changes.” A study (Huda Al-Dugairi, Princess Nourah University): “social reasons are first, followed by personal reasons, excessive ambition regarding spouse specifications, fear of intellectual incompatibility with the partner.” (Hind Al-Otaibi, Umm Al-Qura University): “young people’s avoidance of marriage is linked to the social and cultural construction of society, and the phenomenon declines the more society enjoys balance and stability.” (Ahd Al-Obaidallah, Tahani Al-Juhani, King Saud University): conducted on a sample of males and females aged 35 and above who have never been married in Riyadh: “personal factors ranked first among factors leading to avoidance of marriage, with the top two statements in personal factors: difficulty finding a partner intellectually compatible, and difficulty finding a partner with the personal specifications I desire,” while social factors ranked second among factors leading to avoidance of marriage, with the top two statements: “high divorce rate, and others’ negative experiences,” and health factors ranked third and last, with the top two statements: “fear of repeating others’ negative experiences, fear of psychological non-acceptance of the other party.” (Tahani Al-Usaimi, King Saud University): “the impossibility of a chance for a young man to get to know a girl; the problems that young people face today, regardless of the economic factor, are purely psychological and social factors; unfortunately, the focus was only on the economic factor in delaying marriage age, but it seems that there are major social and psychological factors that are stronger in influencing young people and causing delay in marriage age.” There is an awareness gap between the sexes; young men want a wife like their mothers and grandmothers, while girls no longer accept traditional marriage culture; the solution is an advanced cultural discourse that bridges this gap.