The practice of informal marriages in the Muslim world: a comparative portrait

Abstract

ABSTRACT Informal marriages have been on the rise in recent years in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA) region. These unions are different from formal marriages in a number of ways. There are also many factors contributing to the growing popularity of such unions. Both men and women are delaying marriage; rates of formal marriage are declining; and rates of divorce are increasing. Because such unions are generally not registered, it has been difficult to document the growing popularity of this trend. In 2018, we used Facebook (FB) banner ads in seven Muslim-majority countries to survey the young computer-literate populations of Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, Palestine, Tunisia, and Turkey, as well as their respective diasporas, to better understand the nature of such unions. Our respondents, we hope, are a representative sample of younger people who are living or have lived in these nations, and who are using this social media site. Over 10,000 respondents provided us with information about their marital status. This paper examines the marital histories of those engaged in informal marriages, their sexual orientations, and the attitudes of formally and informally married respondents about informal marriage. Who engages in informal marriage and what do married people think of this marital form.