ShareBy Faten Omar
An ageing population is an economic and social burden. It also has an impact on the politics of many societies, including how to allocate limited financial resources to pay for pensions and elder care, which could be an issue in graying economies around the world for decades to come. Kuwait is to face a Demography of Ageing by 2040 if fertility rates continue to decline, along with the high rate of celibacy and early divorce cases, according to a recent report by CSRGULF.
The research shows that a decrease in early marriage, increase in educated females and prioritizing education and employment over marriage, in addition to social media addiction and globalization, are all factors that affect the demographic growth of Kuwaitis.
Mohammad Al-Jassem told Kuwait Times that a reluctance to marry in Kuwaiti society is not a new phenomenon, but has recently risen among both women and men. "The reasons for reluctance are due to the housing crisis and the financial burden on the groom, where the bride's family demands a lot, which makes it impossible to consider marriage," he said.
Jassem called on the government to search for quick solutions by finding temporary housing for young people, as well as providing sufficient material and moral incentives for Kuwaitis, stressing the importance of media awareness campaigns to motivate youth to marry and build a Kuwaiti Muslim family to preserve the young population and authentic customs and traditions.
Adnan Al-Shawwa agreed with Jassem, saying the costs of marriage are high, where a wedding costs between KD 10,000 to KD 25,000 or more in some cases, adding these costs do not include the high rentals and cost of living. Abdulaziz Al-Jumaili, a Kuwaiti young man who married after 30, said the reason for delaying marriage was his eagerness to complete his studies and be ready with a suitable job.
He added one of the most important reasons for the reluctance to marry is the bad marriage experiences of friends and relatives. "When we see how many fights, problems and financial issues our friends go through, we decide to not rush in getting married. The experience is not an easy; the responsibility is huge," Jumaili added.
As for Mariam Al-Khudhair, many Kuwaiti women believe that marriage restricts their freedom, especially since they see that men are not ready and responsible enough to start a family. "Many young males are not responsible emotionally and financially to take care of a family and children. They will leave all these responsibilities on the wife, which increases women's hesitation, and they think carefully before getting married," she said.
The annual growth of the Kuwaiti population declined from 3.3 percent in 2011 to about 2 percent in 2020, down to 1.8 percent in 2021, according to data from the Public Authority for Civil Information. The growth of the Kuwaiti population has continued to decline since 2015 at an alarming pace, with a sharp decline of about 1.8 percent in 2021 compared to about 2.5 percent in 2015. The age group of 0 to 14 years witnessed a decline in the Kuwaiti population from about 23 percent in 2011 to about 21 percent in 2021. On the other hand, the age group from 65 years and over increased from 2 percent in 2011 to about 4 percent by the end of 2021.
According to the study, there are many reasons for this. One of them is the negative marriage experiences shared on social media platforms that contribute to changing the stereotypical image of attachment and fertility rates. In addition, the high divorce rate in Kuwait increase the fears of those who are about to get married about the possibility of failing, which leads to not rushing to have children, as well as economic and social reasons.
A report issued by the Cabinet in August indicated Kuwait has the highest divorce rate in the world per capita. It was on the top of the list despite its low population, as the divorce rate has risen to 48 percent.
