Despite Iranian leaders' desire to increase the marriage rate and population, the latest statistics published by the National Organization for Civil Registration and the Ministry of Youth and Sports indicate that men and women have less interest in getting married while the divorce rate has risen.

Ali Akbar Mahzoon, chairman of the Information and Statistics Department of the National Organization for Civil Registration, said in an interview May 6 with Mehr News Agency that Iran has more than 11 million unmarried youths in marriage age range. In Iran, the customary marriage age range is 20-34 for men and 15-29 for women. According to the information provided by Mahzoon, 46% of men and 48% of women in those age ranges remain unmarried.

Mahzoon said the marriage rate has declined in the last 3½ years — down 1.9% in 2012, 5.1% in 2013, 6.7% in 2014 and 7.2% in the first months of 2015.

A University of Tehran sociology professor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Al-Monitor that the youths' reduced interest in marriage stems in part from the "living condition of Iranian youths born in the 1980s and 1990s. Economic and cultural middle classes of society have experienced astronomical growth in technology and freedom in social relationships. Therefore, the youth have more opportunities to engage in romantic and sexual relationships while they are single. They are not willing to lose these opportunities by committing themselves to marriage."