Explaining the Durability of Marriage Leading to Divorce in Iran

Decreasing the duration of marriage leading to divorce is one of the social issues of Iranian society. This phenomenon has a determining role in continuing below-replacement level fertility. This paper aims to explain the duration of marriage leading to divorce in Iran. The research method is post-event and a cross-sectional approach was used in data analysis. Data adopted from the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI) and National Organization for Civil Registration (NOCR). Results showed that the average duration of marriage resulted in divorce is slightly more than seven years, ranging from 2.6 to 12 years. Districts located in the western, southern, and eastern regions of the country have the shortest duration of marriage leading to divorce. Accordingly, it can be said that a particular cultural pattern dominates the geographical distribution of divorce in Iran. Multivariate analysis show that the level of development, sex ratio of literates, sex ratio of university graduates, men unemployment and the difference of mean age at marriage between men and women have the most impact on durability of marriage leading to divorce respectively. Therfore, the adoption of policies in accordance with the socio-economic and cultural context of the Iranian society is essential to strengthen the family's foundation.