Is internet adoption changing how Pakistanis search for marriage partners?
Last reviewed:
Direct answer
The opportunity for digital search has expanded sharply: HIES reports that internet use among people aged 10 and above rose from 17% in 2018–19 to 57% in 2024–25, while household internet access rose from 34% to 70%. That makes online introductions far more feasible, but HIES does not ask whether the internet was used for matrimonial search. Research on Pakistani online matrimony shows digital and family practices interacting. Adoption supports a plausible channel of change; it does not measure the share of rishtas that began online.
17% → 57%Recent internet use among people aged 10+, HIES 2018–19 to 2024–25
Sources used
HIES 2024–25: Social Indicators Report
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
Latest report linked by PBS at review: literacy, out-of-school children, household size and internet use. Survey period 2024–25; PDF page and table definitions matter.Source checked:
View sourceExtended Version: Security and Privacy Perceptions of Pakistani Facebook Matrimony Group Users
Human-computer interaction research preprint
2025 extended research version, based on interviews with 23 users. Qualitative privacy experiences, not a representative national prevalence estimate.Source checked:
View sourceFamily Participation in Pakistan's Digital Matrimony
Weddme Research
Analyzes family-managed and self-managed Weddme profiles in a frozen production snapshot.View source