TEHRAN -

Bahar, a 25-year-old industrial engineering graduate who works in online commerce, says waning hope for better conditions in the country, economic problems, lack of social freedoms, as well as restricted cyberspace are among the motivations of young people to emigrate from Iran.

Bahar showed - to Al Jazeera Net - that the Iranian girls' reluctance to marry is related to economic and living issues, and she mentioned that although a large percentage of girls do not oppose marriage, the provision of household appliances that are the girl's responsibility, and their high prices, which caused the inability to bear their costs affected her Low rate of marriage in families.

Bahar continued - in her interview with Al Jazeera Net - that due to the high prices and uncertainty about the future, young people are afraid of marriage and postpone it in the hope that the situation will improve.

Also, changing the way of life and work of girls in society and self-sufficiency affected their reluctance to marry.

Economic immigration is one of the most important types of immigration for Iranians (European)

These are the concerns of the Iranian youth

Afshin, 30, who holds a doctorate in law, believes that immigration in the past was an opportunity to improve living conditions and gain new opportunities, as most young people focused on personal development, improving their quality of life and discovering new opportunities, and they mostly included educated people and entrepreneurs. .

But the current migration - which is widespread among all segments of society - is a kind of escape from the current situation, instability and economic pressures.

As for the reasons why young people do not want to marry, Afshin says - in his interview with Al Jazeera Net - that most of them are related to economic matters, when housing and economic stability are not available, one fears his personal future, not to mention starting a family life.

Despite the fabric of traditional Iranian society, cultural and religious reasons, and the desire of Iranian youth to marry, economic problems prevent this, according to Afshin.

Despite the fabric of traditional Iranian society and the desire of Iranian youth to marry, economic problems prevent this (European)

Motives for youth migration

The statistics of the Iranian Migration Observatory show that the proportion of Iranian immigrants in the total population of Iran increased from 1.45% in 1990 to 2.29% in 2019.

According to the latest statistics of the observatory, 37% of the medal holders of the Student Olympiad and 25% of the members of the National Elite Foundation are currently residing in other countries.

The observatory also mentioned that economic migration is one of the most important types of migration for Iranians, and even many migrations that take place through educational channels or asylum channels have economic motives as well.

And Mohammad Vahidi, the first deputy chairman of the Parliament's Education and Research Committee, told the official Iranian newspaper, Hamshahri, "Iran is one of the countries with the highest immigration rate among the 98 countries that lost their elites because of (this) immigration."

In the wake of the economic turmoil and the return of US sanctions in 2018, the emigration of students and activists, especially in the field of startups, increased dramatically.

With all these explanations, it seems that given the country's economic situation, as well as the ineffectiveness of nuclear negotiations, and whispers about restricting the country's Internet space, we are likely to see a new wave of Iranian immigration, according to observers.

In his first meeting with the media, the eighth president of Iran, Seyed Ibrahim Raisi, said about Iranians abroad, "We will provide everything necessary to facilitate the return of Iranians from abroad," according to what was published by the official ISNA News Agency (Iranian Students News Agency).

Raisi added, "Just as the government considers itself responsible for Iranians inside the country, it is also responsible for Iranians abroad, and the entry of Iranians into the country should be facilitated by all relevant authorities, and investment in the country by Iranians residing abroad is a priority."

President of the Scientific Society of Gynecologists: The birth rate in 1986 was about 3.91%, and it fell to less than 1% (Getty Images)

Population decline

The head of the Scientific Society of Gynecologists in Iran, Azam Sadat Mousavi, told the official Fars news agency that the population growth rate in Iran is less than 1%, and she talked about the fear of the future, growing economic problems, insufficient income, and lack of housing, among the obstacles. childbearing.

Mousavi said: "We have seen a decline in the birth rate, which was 3.91% in 1986, then it is less than 1% now."

For his part, the head of the Population Policy Studies and Monitoring Committee of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution, Mohammad Javad Mahmoudi - told the Iranian Students News Agency - that the population growth rate in Iran is expected to reach zero between 2036-2041, to become negative after that.

Mahmoudi added, "The birth rate reached from about 20 people per thousand of the population in 2015, to 13.3 per thousand of the population in 2020. This is the lowest rate in 50 years, and the population growth rate decreased from 3.2% in 1986 to 1.29% in 2011 and 1. 24% in 2016, and it is estimated that the natural growth rate of the population has now reached less than 1% (0.73%).

Azam Karimi, Director-General of the Planning and Social Development Office for Youth Affairs at the Ministry of Sports and Youth, indicated - in a statement published by the Iranian Student News Agency - that "births declined very quickly, and it is estimated that we have witnessed a 20% decrease in births in the past three years alone, which is a very large decrease." ".

Despite the policies of the Iranian leader, Ali Khamenei, announced in 2014 to compensate for the decline in population growth and fertility rates, these policies were not implemented properly, according to what was published by the "Farsi" website (a website affiliated with the leader).

Hamid Barakati: In the past four years, the birth rate has decreased by about 25% (communication sites)

"The population situation is deteriorating; in the past four years, the birth rate in the country has decreased by about 25%," Hamid Barakati, Director-General of the Population, Family and Schools Health Office at the Ministry of Health recently told the Iranian Student News Agency.

In addition to economic issues, cultural impacts and changes in beliefs, values ​​and lifestyles show a decrease in the desire to marry or the desire of both spouses to have children.

The lack of government support for childbearing is another factor in reducing the desire of couples to have children, according to observers.

Changing the lifestyle and work of girls and self-sufficiency affected girls' reluctance to marry (European)

abstaining from marriage

And Azam Karimi said - during her interview with the local radio station Kuftco - that "according to the results of opinion polls conducted on the statistical community, 60% of young people affirm the necessity of marriage, and 30% of them indicated a lack of job opportunities as a main reason for delaying marriage."

Ahmed Naderi, head of the Committee to Confront Social Damage in Parliament, stressed that "the lack of jobs, youth unemployment, continuing education, in addition to economic issues - especially housing problems - are among the reasons for delaying the marriage of young people in Iran, which sometimes leads to the absolute celibacy of young people."

According to local media, and according to field studies in Tehran, the capital, the waiting period for each worker to buy a house has reached nearly a century, at a time when real estate prices have increased by about 400% during the past 5 years.

The government offers marriage loans with long-term repayment facilities to facilitate marriage for young people, and the value of these loans reaches about $5,000 with a repayment period of 5 years and an interest of 4%, and the amount will rise to $7,000 if the marriage age is reduced to less than 25 years for young people and less. From 23 years for young women.

As former Minister of Sports and Youth Dr. Masoud Soltani Far said - in a statement published by the official IRNA news agency - "The marriage rate increased in 2020 to 4.6% compared to 2019, which showed good and effective efforts in this regard, and we hope that we will witness a decrease in divorce rates as well." ".

Alireza Zali: Of the 13 million Iranians who are single men and women, 2.5 million are over the age of marriage (communication sites)

The president of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Alireza Zali, indicated - in a news release published by the official IRNA news agency - that "of the 13 million Iranians who are single men and women, 2.5 million are over the age of marriage."

According to the "Arman Melli" newspaper, the average age of marriage in Iran is 28 years for girls and 32 years for young men.