Still the “Ireland of Asia”? Declining Female Age at Marriage in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Unlike the rest of South Asia, female age at marriage in Sri Lanka reached a high level of 25.5 years by 1993 and declined thereafter to 23.6 years as reported by the 2006-2007 Demographic and Health Survey. This article examines this trend and potential contributors to the trend by using data from Population Censuses and Demographic and Health Surveys. The relaxation of the marriage squeeze with the more balanced sex ratio at the turn of the present century and decline in male unemployment from mass labor migration are some factors contributing to decline in female marriage age. Increased female employment opportunities allow more young girls to accumulate money for dowry and other marriage expenses at younger ages than their older cohorts could and further contributions come from remittances from labor migrants. Changing attitudes to late marriage and government curbs on abortion services too may have contributed to the decline in female marriage age.