Marriage in Tunisia Undergoing Profound Social Transformation
Professor of sociology Mamdouh Ezzeddine asserts that marriage in Tunisia is becoming increasingly a "market based on interests". In an interview on Express FM on Tuesday, September 30, 2024, the expert reacted to the latest data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS) on marriage and divorce, published on the eve of the national census.
According to Ezzeddine, the INS figures (notably the increase in divorces and the decline of marriage among young people) are not surprising, but they reflect a profound societal shift. He highlights three major trends:
- the postponement of marriage
- the individualization of family choices
- the commodification of conjugal relationships
Age of Marriage on the Rise, Divorce on the Increase
In Tunisia, the average age of marriage has now reached 35 years for men and 29 years for women. This delay, according to the sociologist, is both a deliberate choice and a constraint imposed by economic and social precariousness.
"Young people no longer have the means to assume family responsibilities in a context of high cost of living and the collapse of the middle class. Marriage then becomes a postponed project, or even redefined," explains Ezzeddine.
The family structure itself has changed: from the extended family, we have moved to a nuclear family, with increasingly autonomous couple decisions. Marriage is no longer perceived as a social or religious obligation, but as a tool for personal fulfillment — which disrupts traditional conjugal relationships.
A Marriage Based on Logics of Interest?
The professor goes further, stating that marriage is now guided by logics of emotional, social, and economic profitability. "It's no longer just about starting a family, but about finding a partner who brings added value, material or symbolic advantage," he emphasizes.
This shift towards an individualistic and utilitarian approach would have visible consequences:
- 40% of divorces occur within the first five years of marriage, with an average age of 37 years for divorced people
- Another worrying phenomenon: silent divorce, i.e., couples who remain officially married but live without emotional or sexual ties, only to preserve appearances or social benefits
To recall, according to the latest INS statistics:
- the divorce rate has risen from 0.5% in 2004 to 1.4% in 2024
- the rate of divorced women has doubled, from 1.5% to 2.8%
- the proportion of single men has fallen from 47.1% to 39%, while that of single women has dropped from 38% to 29.8%
These data confirm Ezzeddine's statements on a mutation of family relationships in Tunisia, between growing individualism, economic demands, and new social aspirations.
