Why the youth are waiting longer before getting married - UNFPA

Many young people are not turning away from marriage and family life; rather, financial insecurity, unemployment and the rising cost of raising a family are forcing many to postpone their plans.

The trend was revealed in the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) latest report, ‘Lives, Choices and Futures’, released to mark World Population Day 2026.

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The report, based on the UNFPA Demographic Futures Survey involving more than 108,000 young adults across 73 countries, found that more than two-thirds of young people aged 18 to 39 want to marry, while only about one in 10 said they do not want children.

However, for many young people, achieving these aspirations depends on first attaining financial stability.

The UNFPA report found that,"88 percent of respondents consider financial security essential before having children, while 87 percent said stable employment is a key requirement before starting a family".

UNFPA Executive Director Diene Keita said the findings show that young people still value marriage and parenthood but need the right conditions to make those choices.

"The findings are striking most young people aspire to partnership and parenthood," it said.

Diene Keita further noted that removing financial barriers would allow young people to make "the choices that are right for them."

The report found that 80 percent of respondents cited the joy children bring as a major reason for wanting children, while government incentives ranked among the least important factors.

It also revealed that young people in West and Central Africa, including Ghana, generally expressed a preference for larger families compared with many other regions surveyed.

UNFPA said Ghana has the potential to benefit from a demographic dividend if young people have access to education, healthcare and decent employment.

However, unemployment and insecure work remain major obstacles.

The study noted that young men often feel pressure to save for land, housing and marriage ceremonies before starting families but without stable income, these milestones become increasingly difficult to achieve.

It said while many youth continue to dream of marriage and parenthood, economic pressures are changing the timing.

It also added that many want to marry, but struggle with the cost of ceremonies and setting up homes prevent them from doing so.

“Many want children, but worry about education, healthcare and living expenses. Many want financial independence, but face unemployment and unstable work,” the study said.

The report noted that delay in marriage is therefore less about changing attitudes towards family and more about the difficulty of achieving the financial security needed to build one.

It added that for many youth, marriage is not being rejected but it is being postponed until the conditions feel sustainable.

World Population Day is observed annually on July 11 to raise awareness about global population issues, reproductive health, and youth empowerment.

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