Urban women in Myanmar are choosing to delay marriage and motherhood
316
Phyo/Saw (NP News) - Dec 26
According to the 2024 Population and Housing Census report, Myanmar women in urbanized and economically developed areas tend to marry and have children later in life.
The report states that the median age at which urban women first marry is 22.4 years, and the median age at which they have their first child is 24.7 years. In contrast, rural women first marry at a median age of 20.8 years and have their first child at a median age of 23.2 years.
In a comparison between urban and rural areas, urban women were found to marry and have children later than rural women, reflecting factors such as better access to education, employment, and health care in urban areas.
The median age at first marriage in Yangon Region is 22.2 years and the median age at childbirth is 24.6 years, while in Nay Pyi Taw, Mandalay Region, Magway Region and Kachin State, the age at marriage is 21 to 22 years and the age at childbirth is 23.6 to 24.1 years, which may be due to urbanization, economic opportunities and access to social services.
Furthermore, the average age of first marriage in Rakhine State and Shan State is around 21 years old and the average age of childbearing is between 21 and 22 years old, indicating that cultural norms or socio-economic pressures in these regions may be driving early marriage.
Census data shows that women tend to marry and have children later in life in urban and economically developed areas, whereas in rural and less developed areas, women marry and have children at a younger age.
Myanmar's total birth rate has fallen below the replacement level, and while the birth rate is declining nationwide, some states still have high birth rates, with urban-rural disparities.