J&K Has Highest Number Of Unmarried Youth Despite Crossing ‘Marriageable’ Age. Dowry, Casteism Among Main Reasons.

J&K Has Highest Number Of Unmarried Youth

A latest report from the Ministry of Statistics and programme implementation has revealed that Jammu and Kashmir has the highest number of unmarried youth.

According to the report titled “Youth in India, 2022”, in 2019, 29.1 percent of youth in J&K were those who never married with the highest number recorded among males. For male gender, the percentage stood at 30.1 percent in 2019 while for females, it stood at 28.1 percent.

These numbers are the highest reported by any state in India in the latest survey.

At the national level, 25 percent of youth were not married in 2019. In 2011, it was 18 percent.

In 2011, 25.3 percent of youth between 15 and 29 years were not married in Jammu and Kashmir. It included 27.1 percent male and 23.5 percent female, who remained single either by choice or due to poverty.

The percentage of unmarried youth increased to 25.9 percent in 2015 and subsequently 29.1 percent in 2019. The report also revealed that most males in the age group of 15-29 years are unmarried in Jammu and Kashmir compared to the females.

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Interestingly, the figures have come at a time when J&K’s Total Fertility Rate(TRF) has hit a grueling demographic milestone as the erstwhile state has fifth lowest Total Fertility rate(TFR) in the country besides the women’s TFR slipping below the replacement-level by 0.6 percent.

A superficial look at the figures clearly indicates that the percentage share of young people who are not married is on the rise in J&K with the trend being common among both men and women. The percentage of youth who are never married has shown an increasing trend in J&K from 25.3 percent in 2011 to 29.1 percent in 2019.

The ministry of statistics and programme implementation classifies persons between the age group of 15 and 29 years as ‘youth’.

According to the report, in J&K, for the age group(including both males and females) of 15-19, 9.5 percent are “who never married”, for the 20-24 age group, the number was recorded at 10.7 percent and for 25-29, the percentage stood at 8.9 percent.

Sociologists claimed that the reasons behind the late marriages in Jammu and Kashmir were economic constraints, dowry, and other social issues.

“It has been noticed that the average marriageable age in Kashmir has increased over the last few decades. Some two decades ago, a 22-year-old man or woman was considered suitable for marriage. The average marriageable age in Kashmir has now increased to 30. The main reason is the financial constraint. An average marriage function in Kashmir costs more than Rs 10 lakh, which many can’t afford,” said Irshad Ahmad Bhat, a sociologist.

He said social problems like dowry and casteism have equally contributed to the late marriage in Kashmir. “We also noticed that people prefer marrying their son or daughter in their caste, which is also challenging for them. Dowry is still persistent in Kashmir and has not witnessed an end despite efforts by the administration,” Bhat said.

Recently, a Kashmir-based NGO has revealed that nearly 50,000 women of Kashmir have crossed the marriageable age owing to societal rituals.