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Saudi Unmarried Women raise some awkward questions

A social problem, HRC estimations of unmarried Saudi women raise some awkward questions


A prominent member of the Kingdom's Human Rights Commission this week issued a warning about the growing number of unmarried Saudi women. There are at present, he reports, an estimated 1.2 million single women aged 32 years and over — one in 16 Saudi women. Moreover, the figure could rise to four million by 2015. Apparently, the number of single women is higher in the cities than in the countryside and the situation is worst in Makkah province that includes Jeddah.


Various reasons for this are cited — changing social traditions as well as growing unemployment and a housing shortage. Certainly, it is true that young men find it difficult to contemplate marriage without a secure job or a home to offer their bride. All the anecdotal evidence points to Saudis marrying later. If true, it is bound to have a downward pressure on the population growth, currently put by the government at 2.3 percent but by others at 1.5 percent.


But these estimations raise some awkward questions. Assuming that the numbers of male and female Saudis are roughly balanced (which, in fact, they are not — there are more men than women), then what about the men? Are there currently 1.2 million Saudi men over 32 who are unmarried? Are there going to be 4 million unmarried men in 2015? Why is no one worried about them? Or will that be sorted out by them all marrying foreign wives?


The figures are certainly startling. But are they correct? A little number crunching, in fact, gives a rather different picture.


The census last year showed that the population of Saudi Arabia was 27,136,977 — made up of 18,707,576 Saudis and 8,429,401 expatriates. Of the Saudis, 9,527,173 (52 percent) were male and 9,180,403 (49 percent) female.


It is widely accepted that 70 percent of the Saudi population is under 30 years of age. If so and there are 9.18 million females, that means that there are approximately 2.3 million women aged over 32 at present. So if 1.2 million are unmarried, that means that over half of all Saudi women aged over 32 are currently unmarried.


That does not conform to the reality most of us know. Nor does it conform to the figure quoted above of one unmarried woman among every 16 women aged over 32.


So what about the estimated 4 million unmarried women in four years' time?


The Saudi population is rising. But we already roughly know how many women aged over 32 there will be in 2015 since all were born earlier than 1983. There will be about 900,000 more than today. In other words, 4.1 million in 2015. Of these, it is suggested four million will be unmarried. Saudi Arabia is changing, but not to the extent where over 90 percent of women are not marrying or delaying it till into their thirties.


The lesson here is obvious. First check the statistics. Nonetheless, there is an important issue that needs to be addressed. Saudi women, like Saudi men, are marrying later.


It is a worldwide phenomenon. But is it desirable?

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