Factors Affecting Marriage Delay in Iran and around the World

Marriage of young people has been delayed in recent decades, following the alterations resulting from modernization, industrialization and major changes in economic, social and cultural structures. Its social harms and impact on fertility decline have made marriage delay as one of the most important issues in macro-level policies in Iran. Several studies have examined the factors associated with delayed marriage so far. This paper explains and categorizes the results of these studies by conducting a systematic review of papers that have been published on this subject during the last 10 years (1390 to 1400 SH and 2010 to 2021 AD) in Iran and the world. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the factors related to delayed marriage were examined in 30 studies and 10 categories were identified, including economic factors, social factors, place of residence, race, demographic factors, lifestyle, psychological factors, family background, religion and ethnicity. The most common determinants of delayed marriage are increased education and economic factors. The results of this study can provide appropriate solutions for families, officials and statemen to design appropriate plans for building a society with the right age at marriage by identifying effective factors. This will help to maintain family and increase fertility.