Marriage Rates Continue to Decline, IPB University Expert Reveals Causes and Impacts
The declining marriage rate in Indonesia each year has drawn attention from academics. A researcher and lecturer from the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, Faculty of Human Ecology, IPB University, Risda Rizkillah, SSi, MSi, stated that the phenomenon is influenced by various factors.
According to Risda, marriage among today’s younger generation is no longer viewed as a symbol of prestige or social status. Many young people choose to delay marriage in order to pursue higher education, build careers, and develop themselves.
“Marriage is no longer a top priority. The younger generation tends to focus on education, career, and personal experiences before deciding to get married,” she said.
She explained that several major factors have contributed to the decline in marriage rates, ranging from social and economic aspects to increasingly complex cultural dynamics.
“From an economic perspective, financial difficulties, the rising cost of living, and job instability cause many people to postpone marriage. In fact, the ability to meet a family’s basic needs is one of the important prerequisites for building a household,” she explained.
Educational and career factors also play a role. Longer periods of education and a strong orientation toward career achievement are considered to increase the likelihood of delaying marriage.
In addition, changes in social norms also contribute to the trend. Risda highlighted the growing normalization of non-marital relationships such as cohabitation within society. Viral content on social media, including narratives such as “marriage is scary,” is also considered to shape negative perceptions of marriage among young people.
Modern lifestyles that emphasize individual freedom, consumption, and the pursuit of personal experiences have also shifted priorities from marriage toward careers, hobbies, and travel.
“The development of technology and the trend of ‘digital dating’ have also led to the phenomenon known as the ‘paradox of choice,’ a condition in which having too many options actually makes it more difficult for someone to commit,” she added.
Risda warned that declining marriage rates may affect demographic structures in the long term because they have the potential to reduce birth rates. Currently, Indonesia’s total fertility rate (TFR) is recorded at 2,19. In addition, the trend also risks increasing loneliness or social isolation among the elderly.
From a reproductive health perspective, she added that if the decline in marriage rates occurs alongside an increase in sexual relationships outside marriage, the risk of transmission of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, may also rise due to the lack of commitment and consistent health protection.
To respond to this phenomenon, Risda emphasized the importance of building the mindset that marriage is a desirable life goal, rather than something frightening. Family education and counseling, she said, need to be packaged in ways that are engaging and relevant to the characteristics of the younger generation.
She also highlighted the role of the government through family-friendly public policies, such as support for work life balance, the provision of housing facilities for young couples, expanded employment opportunities, and the provision of decent wages.
In addition, continuous research is considered important to monitor changes in the norms and behavior of younger generations, in order to better understand patterns of delayed marriage and their impact on family resilience in the future. (dh) (IAAS/ADF)
