Demographics of Marriage in Turkey

SUMMARY

The section discusses views on marriage and marriage plans in Turkish society:

• What do you think is the ideal age for a woman to get married?
• What do you think is the ideal age for a man to get married?
• At what age did you get married? At what age did you have your first marriage?
• How many times did you get married?
• How did you get married?
• Are you related to your spouse?
• Are you thinking of getting married?
• Why don't you think of getting married?
• Which of the following did you accomplish during your marriage?
• Which of the following will you accomplish during your planned marriage?

Despite the decline observed in the crude marriage rate in recent years, marriage remains in the life plans of nearly half of young people, while one-third are already married. Among youth not considering marriage, one-quarter cite financial constraints, while nearly half believe it is too early. The upward trend in the age of marriage continues; the marriage age has risen to 28.3 for men and 25.8 for women. Both figures are higher than the ages considered ideal. The age difference between men and women in marriage is generally accepted by society; three out of five people believe that the man should be older than the woman. Additionally, the rate of consanguineous marriage is decreasing year by year.