Delhi/Hyderabad, July 15 (Maxim News): The average age of marriage for women in India has increased from 19.3 years to 23.1 years, according to the Sample Registration Survey (SRS) and National Family Health Survey (SFHS). Currently, women generally get married at an average age of 24.4 years in urban areas and 22.6 years in rural areas, the report said. The government had introduced a bill in Parliament in 2021 to raise the legal age of marriage for women to 21 years. However, it was delayed due to the dissolution of the Lok Sabha. Now, a final decision on this matter is likely to be taken after the 2027 Census.
The census will help to assess the reasons behind the increase in the age of marriage of women. Studies on whether higher education is delaying marriage, whether late marriage is reducing fertility, and whether household expenses, unemployment, and migration are contributing factors could help to understand the reasons for women’s delay in marriage. India is now witnessing East Asian-style trends of late marriage and declining birth rates. Policy changes are needed in areas such as population, education, maternal health, and employment.
The total fertility rate (TFR) in India has declined to 1.9. It is 1.5 in urban areas and 2.1 in rural areas. Experts say that women are marrying later, which reduces their reproductive years and thus reduces birth rates. The population of children aged 10-14 in the country has decreased by 24 percent. The working-age population has increased to 66.4 percent. Currently, those aged 6. years and above constitute 9.7 percent of the population. (Maxim News)
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