Which Pakistani marriage trends are supported by national evidence rather than anecdotes?
Last reviewed:
Direct answer
National evidence supports several careful conclusions: median age at first marriage rose for women and men between the 2012–13 and 2017–18 PDHS rounds; marriage by 18 among women declined; first childbirth occurs later than in 1990–91; fertility has fallen over the long run; and Census 2023 documents substantial never-married populations in the twenties and early thirties. HIES also shows smaller average households and much wider internet use. None of these indicators alone proves why change occurred or how matrimonial preferences changed.
Sources used
Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017–18
National Institute of Population Studies and The DHS Program
National survey evidence for marriage timing, women, households and health indicators.View sourcePakistan Demographic and Health Survey 1990–91
National Institute of Population Studies and The DHS Program
First Pakistan DHS wave, used with later waves for long-run comparisons in marriage and fertility indicators.View sourcePopulation age 15 and above by marital status, Census 2023
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
Census 2023, Table 6: population aged 15+ by sex, age group, marital status and rural/urban residence. Counts are census stocks, not annual marriages or divorces.Source checked:
View sourceHIES 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 source