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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 ºÚÁÏÉçÇø. 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.

The webinar addressed the possible social and economic factors for young people’s reluctance to get married. My fellow panelists focused on the social changes, including women’s education and employment, fear of failure and high expectations, as well as the impact of social media in creating unrealistic and exaggerated perceptions of the wife/husband-to-be, weddings and married life. I focused on the economic factors, which in my opinion have the most impact, from high demands of mahr (dowry) and wedding expenses to high housing costs and living expenses compared to low salaries.

During the past four decades, total population size, life expectancy, the human development index, literacy, the size of the female labor force and urbanization have improved tremendously, reflecting the better quality of life for families. However, there has also been a change in the perception and attitude regarding early marriages and traditional values about childbearing.

There has been a change in the attitude regarding early marriages and traditional values about childbearing

Maha Akeel

Due to technological advancements, industrialization and globalization, as well as socioeconomic factors, a preference for smaller families has become prevalent. In addition, the increased rate of female labor force participation has contributed to a shift from interest in early marriage and family formation toward prioritizing work and career opportunities. The average age of first marriage for women climbed from about 18 years in 1995 to 27 in 2017.

Another possible factor fueling the inclination toward small family sizes is the high living costs due to economic development, rapid urbanization and higher living standards. Childcare, education, housing, food and other expenditures have skyrocketed in recent years, probably causing a preference for fewer children. Additionally, due to rising costs or just personal desire, there are generally more households now where both parents work, which means less inclination to have more children.

If action is not taken urgently, in a few years there will probably be more reliance on immigrant workers to sustain the shrinking population. Effective policies are needed to increase fertility rates and remove the obstacles that impede working parents from having more children.

However, incentives such as parental leave and covered childcare only address the after-marriage factors that affect fertility. Another under-considered approach is to address the pre-marriage factors that prevent young people from marrying. Most of these factors are economic. The affordability barriers to marriage — housing, dowries, wedding expenses and insecure early jobs — emerge as key chokepoints.

Since 2022, property rental prices have accelerated, rising by about 6 percent to 10 percent per year, according to the General Authority for Statistics. In Riyadh, the rental consumer price index climbed nearly 17 percent between February 2024 and January 2025. Nationally, the housing component of CPI rose 8 percent year on year in January 2025, driven almost entirely by rents. In response to this surge, the government in September introduced a five-year rent freeze in Riyadh.

Because most first-time married couples begin family life through rental accommodation rather than ownership, rent inflation represents a clear barrier to marriage. Furthermore, housing subsidies through the Real Estate Development Fund have gone mainly to support villas and townhouses, rather than apartments, which are the more favored and affordable starter units for the youth.

There are generally more households now where both parents work, which means less inclination to have more children

Maha Akeel

Moreover, while residential housing ownership rates among the youth are relatively high in Riyadh, Makkah and Eastern regions (24 percent, 21 percent and 13.9 percent, respectively), they fall to between 1.4 percent and 6.3 percent in the other regions, which indicates a difference in availability and affordability among regions and, most probably, among cities.

Another complaint by youth, especially men, is the high dowry and wedding expenses, as well as the furnishing of the marital home and honeymoon costs, the total of which is estimated to range from SR145,000 to SR850,000 ($38,600 to $226,600) or even higher. When considering these wedding and housing costs in relation to youth employment and salaries, the problem becomes clearer.

Youth unemployment has dropped significantly since its COVID-19 pandemic-era peak of about 30 percent in 2020 to 12.9 percent in 2023, but a large share of young people still lack a stable income. For those who do find work, earnings have improved modestly, with average salaries for the younger cohorts likely to marry ranging from SR4,000 to SR 7,000 in 2024. These wage levels are increasingly inadequate against the backdrop of rising costs.

According to the General Authority for Statistics’ 2023 Household Income and Expenditure Survey, the average Saudi household had a monthly consumption expenditure of SR16,028, an increase of 10 percent from 2018. While this could indicate a higher purchasing power and standard of living for Saudi families, it could also indicate higher living costs, including in the food and beverage category.

What is needed is a concerted effort by the relevant and concerned government, private and civil society institutions to raise awareness among youth about the importance and real values of marriage and childbearing, away from consumerism, individualism and extravagance. The youth should also be educated in financial literacy early on. More importantly, reforms and incentives should facilitate the entry into and sustained marriage and parenting.

• Maha Akeel is a Saudi expert in communications, social development and international relations. She is a member of the UN’s Senior Women Talent Pipeline. X: @MahaAkeel1