J&K Women Oldest To Marry, Jharkhand Women Youngest: Report

Today in the metro cities, women’s age of getting married is generally the mid-20s. But in Jammu and Kashmir, more women are getting married later compared to the women in the rest of the country. Women, who get married in J&K, are three years older than the average age of marriage in India.

However, the age gap reduces to one-and-a-half years when the J&K women are compared to the women of Kerala, which ranks second in the average age list of women getting married in India.

This was revealed in 'Women and Men in India 2016', published last month by the central government’s Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The average age of women as shown in 22 states in India is 22 years and three months in 2014. However, the average age for women married in J&K is 25 years and two months.

Also, there is a difference in women's age in urban areas of J&K and the rest of the state. While the rest of the state shows the average age to be 25 years and two months, in urban areas, the average age of marrying of Kashmiri women is six months more -- 25 years and 8 months. In the rural areas of J&K, the average age is 24 years and nine months, still more than the rest of the country.

The report finds out that there has been a sudden increase in the marriageable age of women in J&K after the emergence of militancy. Prior to that, the average age was 21 years

The data compiled by the central government about the average marriageable age of women in J&K also includes Ladakh. It has also been found that the average age of women's marriage has increased steadily in all parts of the country.

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The report says that in 2014, the average age of marriage among women in rural India was 21 years and 8 months while the women in urban India was 23 years and 2 months.

Until 2014, the average age of women in Kerala at the time of marriage was 23 years and 8 months.

However, Jharkhand ranks the lowest in the list in terms of the average age of marriage. The average age was found out to be 21 in 2014.

The 2011 census data shows that in Kashmir, 68.3% of the state’s population is Muslim and 28.4% is Hindu.

Picture credit- Indiatvnews

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