Changing marriage age and consanguineous marriage in Saudi females

Current marital age and consanguinity are not precisely known in Saudi Arabia. Saudi National Child Health Survey data were used to examine marital age, consanguinity, status and outcome of marriage of Saudi females. The survey (1987-88) involved interviewing 8482 ever-married urban and rural females by 120 female nurses. The results showed that 16% of young females and about 1% of young males were married before age 20. The rate of first marriage of females under 15 years of age decreased from 33% 20 years earlier to only 3.6% recently. The highest of 90% of females (35 to 39 years) and 98% of males (50 to 54 years) were currently married. Widowhood increased from 8% in the age group 40 to 44 to nearly 54% in those 70 over. Over all, nearly 0.5% of males and 3.4% of females remained widowed and 0.2% of males and 1.2% of females divorced. Thirty-four percent of all marriages were to first cousins in urban areas and 41% in rural areas. Thirty percent of marriages among literate groups and 39% in illiterate groups were consanguineous. Further research is needed to examine the causes and effects of (1) intercousin and (2) delayed marriage of females and (3) the welfare status of widowed and divorced females and their children.