Simulacra | ISSN: 2622-6952 (Print), 2656-8721 (Online)

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Volume 7, Issue 2, November 2024 Page 151–167

Women who remain unmarried after their thirties in India
N. Pautunthang1*
Institute for Social and Economic Change, Dr, VKRV Rao Rd, Teachers Colony, Naagarabhaavi, Bengaluru,
1

Karnataka, India 560072

Corresponding author
*

E-mail address: naulakzomi@googlemail.com

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21107/sml.v7i2.24208

A RTICLE INFO A BSTRACT

Keywords: This study analyses the dynamics of never-married women aged 30 years
bachelorette and above in India over three periods: 2005-06, 2015-16 and 2019-21 based on
different socio-demographic dimensions. It analyses never-married women in
single
India and uses data from three rounds of the National Family Health Survey
never-married (NFHS). The analysis examines different variables of interest such as rural-
unmarried urban differences, educational attainment, types of occupation and wealth
spinster index followed by religion and caste. The results are nuanced and capture the
intricacies of broad national trends and regional dynamics. Of course, such
an overarching trend masks wide regional variation. On one hand, it is the
states like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim etc., where there
has been prevalence of this trend showing an upward trend that marriage
patterns are on change. On the other hand, states like Haryana and Bihar are
showing a steady decrease which speaks about the effect of regional cultural
dynamics. Moreover, the fluctuations in states like Meghalaya, and Assam
reaffirm how multi-parameter is determining marital choices. The binary
logistic regression used in the study analyses the effect of place of residence,
education, occupation, wealth index, religion and caste on women’s chances
to remain unmarried. The regression analysis demonstrates the distinct
influences of these factors on marital status and yet they still only tell part of
the story about an understudied subgroup, never-married women.

Citation suggestion:
Pautunthang, N. (2024). Women who remain unmarried after their thirties in India. Simulacra, 7(2), 151–167. https://
doi.org/10.21107/sml.v7i2.24208

Received 12 January 2024; Received in revised form 16 September 2024; Accepted 30 September 2024; Published
online 25 November 2024.
N. Pautunthang

Introduction 1990). Singleness is increasingly being

viewed as normal (Keith, 1986). As a result,
Historically, unmarried women were there is a declining societal expectation for
regarded as individuals who deviated women to get married in the current era
from societal norms by not participating in (DePaulo, 2019). The negative connotation of
procreation. This was thought to contribute 'old maid' has been replaced by the portrayal
to an imbalance in the sex ratio and raise of the 'Urban Single,' a woman who is self-
health-related concerns (Gordon, 1994). sufficient and does not rely on a man to
Unmarried women who have reached the achieve her life goals and ambitions. The
age at which they are considered suitable for forced single is no longer a reason for not
marriage are often seen as problematic and marrying, and 'by choice' is popular among
deficient in terms of their ability to form close educated urban women (Thatal, 2021).
relationships and become mothers (Hamilton Singlehood emerged as a new
et al., 2006; Mustard, 2000). Unmarried phenomenon and alternative to marriage
women over 30 were viewed as unacceptable, (Forsyth & Johnson, 1995; Spreider & Riley,
disgraceful, and distressed. There was a belief 1974; Stein, 1975). Thinkers and social
that women over 30 who had never married scientists have focused on the growing
were unable to have children, lacked life number of single people. The current study
satisfaction, and had problems with personal is primarily concerned with women (over the
and social adaptation, potentially reaching age of 30) who have never married in their
a pathological state (Cargan, 1986; Stolk & lives, also known as never-married women
Brotherton, 1981). Unmarried women were (Clover, 2003). A society is considered to
stigmatized by society, attributing their single be in marital transition if the number of
status to their lifestyle and attitude towards marriages in each age group decreases and
marriage. They are stigmatized, labelled as the proportion of women who remain single
'lonely,' and treated as unnoticed individuals increases (Lesthaeghe, 2010; Chintsanya,
who lack social approval from society 2015; Poppel et al., 2001).
(Thatal, 2021). Never-married women aged From 1990 to 2010, the percentage of
65 and older are more highly educated and women who have never married increased
have higher incomes and wealth (Schwenk, on all continents (Thatal, 2021). Australia
1992). Never-married women have higher and New Zealand saw the greatest increase,
education levels than married men (Thatal, up 9.7 percentage points from 4.4 per cent in
2021). Higher education levels among single 1990 to 14.1 per cent in 2010. whereas only
females, while men in higher occupational 0.2 per cent in Central and Southern Asia
levels do not remain single, females in higher (Sullivan, 2008). As a result, the proportion
occupational levels are more likely to stay of singles is increasing across regions. In the
single (Spreider & Riley, 1974). United States, unmarried individuals aged
Over time, the societal disapproval above 30 have been increasing at a faster rate;
and restriction associated with being an this growth of the singles has been termed as
unmarried woman decreases, transforming 'single boom', which includes late marriage
singleness into a viable alternative to age and 'retreat from marriage' for many
marriage (Smith, 1986). As individuals (Ahuvia & Adelman, 1992; Frazier et al., 1996;
gradually redirected their attention Manning & Smock, 1995). Women in South
away from marriage, they gained greater and East Asian countries are becoming more
autonomy from one another and prolonged single. The percentage of single women in
their period of being unmarried (Cherlin,

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South-East Asia increased between 1970 and as a distinct social demographic. Many
1990 (Jones, 2009; Podhisita & Xenos, 2015). successful unmarried women enjoy high
Some of the reasons for the growing status in the fields of profession, services,
proportion of singles in modern society and social work (Thatal, 2021). Some of the
include increased job and educational reasons for singleness in Indian society can
opportunities for women, as well as the be attributed to changing marriage patterns,
removal of the stigma associated with sex particularly the rise of late marriage
outside marriage (Croll, 1985). The rise in among educated women and the increased
the number of singles is directly related to preference for a career over marriage.
dissatisfaction with traditional marriage Individuals who believe that marriage limits
(Thatal, 2021). The likelihood of marrying self-realization and involvement in other
decreases as one grows older (Campbell, relationships, and singlehood provides
2003). The postponement of marriage has greater freedom of choice and autonomy,
led to a rise in the number of persons who permanent singlehood is often seen as a
have never married (Pelikh, 2019). Older status choice (Thatal, 2021).
single women declined marriage proposals, Although there is plenty of literature
usually because they were afraid of becoming on marriage, studies on never-married
subordinate to their husbands (Simon, 2010). women received less academic attention.
India's social and cultural milieu has The majority of the existing research on
long favored universal and early marriage never married primarily concentrates on
for women. In ancient times, unmarried historical and traditional viewpoints. Most
women were harshly condemned and had no of the existing studies covered a small area.
place in the society. Under the SDT regime, There is a scarcity of studies that thoroughly
the pattern of marriage has been changing; examine the current dynamics of never-
remarkably, the proportion of never-married married women, considering the changing
women has been increasing, mainly because societal norms, economic shifts, and personal
of the postponement of marriage. People aspirations that influence women's choices
are becoming choosy in partner selection to stay unmarried. This study aims to
and are prepared to wait until they find the provide a comprehensive analysis of factors
right match. It is of significant curiosity how influencing women's marital status in India,
the proportion of never-married women utilizing data from the National Family
has evolved across states and demographic Health Survey:
categories (Abalos, 2023). 1. To examine the changes in the proportion
The number of women who have of never married in India over time across
never married has emerged as a distinct states and districts.
demographic trend with far-reaching 2. To identify the factors influencing
repercussions (Chintsanya, 2015). The women to remain never-married after
causes for this transformation are diverse their thirties.
as India enters a new period characterized
by modernity, urbanization, and changing
gender dynamics. It results from a confluence Method
of the shifting of goals, the growth of
The study analyses data from three
economic possibilities, the rise of education,
rounds of the National Family Health
and the re-evaluation of established norms in
Survey (NFHS): NFHS-3 (2005-06), NFHS-
a fast-changing social setting. In urban India,
4 (2015-16), and NFHS-5 (2019-21). These
single women have established themselves

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surveys, conducted by the Ministry of Wealth Index: Based on household assets

Health and Family Welfare of India, and consumption data, the wealth index
provide comprehensive and nationally is divided into quintiles (poorest, poorer,
representative datasets that cover a wide middle, richer, richest). This index provides
range of demographic, health and socio- insights into how economic status influences
economic variables. The longitudinal nature marital decisions.
of the surveys enables an in-depth temporal Religion: Includes major religious
analysis of changes in women’s marital affiliations such as Hindu, Muslim, Christian,
status over time. Sikh, Buddhist, and others. Religion can
The NFHS surveys are valuable due significantly impact marital norms and
to their large sample sizes and rigorous practices.
methodology, which include household Caste: Categorized into Scheduled
interviews and individual questionnaires. Tribe (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC), Other
For this study, the focus is on women aged Backwards Classes (OBC) and General
30 and older. This age threshold is chosen categories. Caste can influence social
based on the assumption that by this age, expectations and marriage patterns.
most Indian women would have married
if they intended to do so (Goswami, 2012). The study employs statistical methods
Examining women who remained unmarried to analyze the relationship between the
beyond this age provides insights into dependent variable (never-married) and the
trends of delayed or non-marriage, revealing independent variables. Logistic regression
underlying social, economic and personal models were used to assess how each factor
factors influencing this decision. affects the likelihood of remaining unmarried.
The Dependent Variable is never-married The analysis has explored interaction effects
women. This binary variable indicates between variables to understand complex
whether a woman has never married. It is influences on marital status.
coded as 1 for never-married and 0 for those
who are married, divorced, separated, or
Results and Discussion
widowed.
The independent variables are: Trends over time
Place of Residence: Differentiates
This part provides the journeys of
between urban and rural areas. This variable
Jinarakkhita and the diverse versions of
helps in understanding how geographic
Buddhism he faced. The purpose is to discuss
location affects marriage trends and
why, even if he experienced different forms
opportunities.
of Buddhism, he prioritized Theravada
Educational Level: Categorized into no
tradition as his identity. Ashin Jinarakkhita
education, primary education, secondary
(1923–2002), an Indonesian-born Chinese, is
education, and higher education. Education
also known as Tee Boan-an. Table 1 shows
level is a critical factor influencing marital
the proportion of never-married women
decisions and opportunities.
(30+) by age in 2005-06, 2015-16 and 2019-
Occupation: Classified as professional,
21. From 2005-06 to 2019-21, there is a clear
technical, clerical, agricultural, and manual
rise in the proportion of never-married
labor. This variable examines how different
women in nearly all age groups, particularly
types of employment impact the likelihood
among younger cohorts. The percentage of
of remaining unmarried.
women in the 15–19 age range who have

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never married has risen the greatest, from In the 25–29 and 30–34 age groups, the
72 per cent in 2005-06 to 87 per cent in 2019- percentage of never-married women has
21. This points to a rising tendency to also shown a steady increase, though less
postpone marriage among teenagers and pronounced than in the younger age cohorts.
their families. This discovery is consistent This reflects that while many women
with the “Individualization Theory” (Beck still marry by their late 20s or early 30s, a
& Beck-Gernsheim, 2002), which holds that growing minority are delaying marriage.
people in contemporary societies are less The very constant proportions of single
concerned with following traditional society women in the 40–44 and 45–49 age groups
expectations, such as getting married young, suggest that although marriage is becoming
and more focused on achieving their own less common in India, it is still a prominent
objectives and fulfilling their own desires. social institution. However, the small
As demonstrated by the rise in the proportion of women remaining unmarried
percentage of single women in the 20-24 in this age group suggests a gradual shift in
age range―from 25 per cent in 2005-06 to 39 the perception of singlehood and long-term
per cent in 2019-21, the “Delayed Transition career-focused lifestyles.
Theory” put forth by Jeffrey Arnet (Jj, 2000)
is supported (Vepa & Viswanathan, 2020). State-level variations
This theory suggests that young adults are
Table 2 shows that the never-married
delaying traditional life milestones, such as
proportion among women varies
marriage and parenthood, as they prioritize
significantly across states. Sikkim, Nagaland,
education and career advancement. In India,
Manipur and Mizoram had proportionately
where the average age of marriage has
higher numbers of never-married women,
traditionally been lower, this shift highlights
reflecting regional differences in patterns
changing aspirations among young women,
of marriage. This result corresponds to
particularly those in more educated and
the idea that education and employment
economically stable demographics.
opportunities delay marriage (Becker,

Table 1. Percentage of Never-married Women across Age groups in India

Source: Calculated from National Family Health Survey, 2005-06, 2015-16 and 2019-21

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1991; Bhuwania et al., 2024). Northeastern cultural and regional variations on marital
states have higher levels of education and norms (Kaur & Singh, 2013).
gender equality. The availability of these Table 2 reflects the regional and cultural
opportunities in the northeastern region diversity of India. States with higher
suggests that economic independence and educational levels, greater employment
education are giving women an empowered opportunities, and stronger gender equality
view to exercise alternative life choices. In tend to exhibit higher proportions of never-
contrast, states such as Uttar Pradesh and married women, as seen in the northeastern
Haryana where the patriarchal norms are regions. In contrast, states with entrenched
very strong have lower proportions of never- patriarchal norms and limited educational
married women. This aligns with previous and economic opportunities for women
research that highlights the influence of continue to see lower proportions of never-
married women.
Table 2. Percentage of Never-Married Women (30+) in
India over time
District-level differences
Map 1 shows that there is considerable
variation at the district level in the percentage
of never-married women. Those from the
northeastern states like Kohima (Nagaland),
Chandel (Manipur) and Lunglei (Mizoram)
tend to have more unmarried women. These
are consistent with modernization theory,
which posits that as societies develop,
traditional institutions such as marriage may
become less rigid (Inglehart & Norris, 2003).
Urban districts such as Mumbai, Kolkata and
Chennai record similar percentages of never-
married women. This corresponds to the
existing urbanization literature pointing to
the fact that women in cities are more prone
to careers, delay marriage or remain single
(van der Lippe et al., 2014). Conversely,
in certain rural districts of Uttar Pradesh,
Bihar and Rajasthan, the lower percentages
also align with the “Rural Traditionalism
Theory” which argues that areas like these
continue to abide by traditional norms,
including early marriage.
Map 1 shows that characteristics like
education, urbanization, and conformity
to traditional standards have a significant
impact on district-level variances in the
percentage of never-married women. Higher
percentages in northeastern and urban
Source: National Family Health Survey, 2005-06, 2015-
districts underscore the role of education,
16, 2019-21

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Map 1. Percentage of never-married women in India by than in rural areas. The social structures
district in urban regions are more dynamic and
diverse, which raises the percentage of
single women. The advantage of living in an
urban area could be attributed to exposure to
contemporary ideas and work opportunities
that subvert conventional gender stereotypes
(R. Sen, 2020). According to Beck & Beck-
Gernsheim's (2002) theory, urbanization has
historically aided in the transition towards
individualization, when one’s own decision-
making takes precedence over the pressure
to follow conventional marital conventions.
Urbanization empowers women by giving
them the means to achieve educational and
career success, which may delay or replace
traditional life milestones like marriage. This
shift is also reflected in changing cultural
attitudes towards marriage in cities, where it
is increasingly seen as one of many potential
life choices rather than a societal obligation.

Educational attainment
Source: Prepared from National Family Health Survey,
2019-21 As it is illustrated in Figure 2 there is
a relationship that is higher educational
attainment and a higher percentage of
career opportunities, and modern values
never-married women. The proportion of
in delaying marriage. In contrast, lower
uneducated women is 1 per cent, while the
percentages in rural districts point to the
proportion of educated women is 4 per cent.
persistent influence of traditional marital
This supports Becker’s (1991) economic
norms, particularly in less developed regions.
theory on the family which suggests that
These trends reflect a complex interplay
as women acquire more years of education
between modernization, urbanization, and
they will be economically independent
cultural values, offering important insights
and therefore less likely to marry solely for
into the evolving marital practices across
financial support. In addition, A. Sen, (2006)
India.
explains that women are also engaged in their
professional development hence marriage
Rural-urban differentials may be postponed or avoided altogether.
Figure 1 demonstrates the existence of The information presented in Figure 2
rural-urban disparities, with urban areas emphasizes how important education is in
reporting a greater percentage of single enabling women to make decisions about
women (2%) than do rural areas (1%). The their lives that go against conventional
proportion of single women, 30 years of marriage norms. Higher-educated women
age or older in the majority of states and are more likely to stay single because they
union territories is higher in urban areas can prioritize their personal and professional

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Figure 1. Percentage of never married women (30+) in rural and urban areas of India

Source: Prepared from National Family Health Survey, 2019-21

aspirations over the expectations of society the trend in which women are becoming
surrounding marriage because of financial increasingly career-minded and focused
freedom (Nakray, 2012). on personal growth rather than traditional
life paths. Such trends are underpinned by
Occupational status the individualization theory (Beck & Beck-
Gernsheim, 2002), which suggests that the
The rise in singles is also linked to rise in career opportunities for women has
their increased inclusion in labor market led to a redefinition of personal success and
participation along with women as a fulfilment beyond marriage.
whole (Simon, 2010). The proportion of Women working in clerical (4%) and
professional, technical or managerial sales (3%) sectors also show a relatively high
women unmarried shown in Figure 3 proportion of remaining unmarried. These
is 4 per cent. The result is indicative of

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Figure 2. Percentage of never-married women (30+) in India by no education and higher education

Source: Prepared from National Family Health Survey, 2019-21

Figure 3. Percentage of never-married women (30+) in India by occupation

Source: Prepared from National Family Health Survey, 2019-21

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job categories often demand time, effort, married women. This trend points to the
and education, leading to delays in settling assumption that women’s financial freedom
down. The relatively lower percentages of enables them to either defer or opt out of
unmarried women in household/domestic marriage, supporting traditional feminism’s
services (2%) and agricultural roles (1%) may critique of marriage as an institution that
be due to traditional gender expectations primarily brought disadvantages to women
in these sectors, where early marriage and (Stacey, 1996). However, in certain states
family formation are often prioritized. such as Mizoram, where 17 per cent of the
never-married women resided in affluent
Wealth index households, money can be thought of as
a shield against the pressure to marry
As can be seen in Figure 4, the wealthier (Bhuwania et al., 2024).
families show a higher percentage of never-

Figure 4. Percentage of never-married women in India by poorest and richest

Source: Prepared from National Family Health Survey, 2019-21

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In wealthier households, women may obligatory compared in other religions. This

experience less pressure to marry for fosters an environment where women may
financial stability. Economic independence feel empowered to remain single, especially
offers the freedom to pursue personal and if marriage conflicts with their personal
professional aspirations, delaying or even aspirations or spiritual pursuits.
avoiding the traditional path of marriage. Christian women, particularly in
This is consistent with feminist critiques northeastern states like Mizoram and
of marriage as a limiting institution and Nagaland show higher proportions of never-
reflects broader societal shifts towards married women. This is largely attributed to
individualization, where financial stability higher levels of education and professional
offers women greater autonomy in shaping attainment among Christian communities
their life paths. The data underscores how in these regions. Christians in these areas
economic resources can act as a buffer tend to prioritize education and career
against societal pressures, allowing women development, which often leads to delayed
more freedom to make personal choices, or forgone marriages.
including the decision to remain single. In contrast, Hindu, Muslim and Sikh
women have lower percentages of never-
Religious affiliation married individuals. These religious groups
tend to have more traditional views on
As seen in Figure 5, Buddhist women marriage, often emphasizing the importance
had the largest percentage of never-
of early marriage and family formation. For
married women. Christians, Buddhist/Neo- instance, in Hinduism, marriage is viewed
Buddhist, and Jains have comparatively as a sacred duty, particularly for women,
greater numbers of single women than do
who are often encouraged to marry within a
Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs (Kaur & Singh, certain age range as part of fulfilling religious
2013). Among Christians, Buddhists, and and social obligations. The relatively lower
Neo-Buddhists, the percentage of single
percentages among Muslim women may be
women is greater than that of Hindus and influenced by cultural norms that promote
Muslims. **In Buddhism, traditional marital marriage at younger ages, especially in more
expectations may not be as pronounced or
conservative or rural areas where marriage

Figure 5. Percentage of never-married women (30+) in India by religion

Source: Prepared from National Family Health Survey, 2019-21

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remains central to social life and women's caste and class expectations. Marriage can
identities. Sikh women, although often serve as a way to maintain social cohesion
progressive in terms of gender roles, may and reinforce caste boundaries, making it
also experience cultural; pressures to marry more socially obligatory for women in these
at younger ages, particularly in traditional categories to marry.
family structures. This binary logistic regression table
shows the odds of women never marrying
Caste dynamics based on various independent variables.
The positive coefficient (β=0.707) for
According to Figure 6, Scheduled Tribe rural residents indicates that women in
women have a slightly higher proportion of rural areas have a lower likelihood of never
never-married status compared to the other marrying compared to urban areas. The odds
castes, but still, the percentage is not much, of being never married for urban women are
probably it is due to some uniqueness. These approximately 2.03 times higher than for
changes are also a result of the traits of rural women. As education levels increase,
the group such as being open about single the odds of being never-married also
status. It is quite possible cultural factors increase. For example, women with primary
that cherish personality (A. Sen, 2006). Tribal education are 5.53 times more likely to be
societies are also known for more fluid and never married than those without education.
flexible gender roles, where women often Professional, technical, and also managerial
enjoy greater economic independence and occupations have the highest impact, with an
freedom compared to women in more rigidly odds ratio of 7.601. Compared to the poorest
patriarchal caste-based societies. This social wealth index, the log odds of being never-
structure may allow women to prioritize married for the poorer category are increased
autonomy and delay or forgo marriage. by 0.508. Different religious affiliations affect
By contrast, in SC, OBC and General the odds of being never-married. Muslims,
categories, societal norms regarding Christians and Buddhists have higher odds
marriage tend to be more rigidly defined, compared to Hindus. The odds are highest
and women may face greater pressure to for Buddhists (OR=3.189). Jain religion does
marry within specific age ranges due to both
not have a statistically significant impact on

Figure 6. Percentage of never-married women (30+) in India by caste

Source: Prepared from National Family Health Survey, 2019-21

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the odds of being never-married. The caste Manual) higher wealth index, and specific
variable shows mixed results. Scheduled religious affiliations (Muslim, Christian,
Tribe, Scheduled Caste and General Buddhist) are associated with higher odds of
categories do not have statistically significant being never married among women above
effects on the odds of being never-married. 30 ages. On the other hand, being in rural
Other Backward Classes have lower odds areas, having no education and belonging to
(OR=0.697) compared to Scheduled Caste, certain caste categories (OBC) are associated
indicating a decreased likelihood of being with lower odds of being never-married.
never-married. The binary logistic regression results
Urban residence, higher education, corroborate with the earlier findings,
certain occupations (Professional and indicating that urban residence, higher

Table 3. Results of binary logistic regression analysis

95% C.I.for
EXP(B)
Variables Categories B Sig. Exp(B) Lower Upper
Place of
Residence Rural ®
Urban 0.707 0.000 2.028 1.916 2.146
Education No Education® 0.000
Primary 1.710 0.000 5.529 5.103 5.991
Secondary 1.570 0.000 4.807 4.342 5.323
Higher 1.198 0.000 3.313 3.092 3.551
Occupation Not Working ® 0.000
Professional/technical/managerial 2.028 0.000 7.601 3.016 19.153
Clerical 0.818 0.091 2.265 0.878 5.848
Sales 0.937 0.098 2.553 0.841 7.753
Services/household and domestic 1.161 0.020 3.193 1.205 8.458
Agricultural 1.440 0.003 4.219 1.623 10.964
Skilled and Unskilled Manual 2.552 0.000 12.837 4.982 33.076
Others 1.726 0.000 5.616 2.175 14.502
Wealth Index Poorest ® 0.000
Poorer 0.508 0.000 1.661 1.512 1.826
Middle 0.394 0.000 1.483 1.358 1.620
Richer 0.330 0.000 1.391 1.278 1.513
Richest 0.142 0.000 1.153 1.065 1.248
Religion Hindu ® 0.000
Muslim 1.016 0.000 2.763 2.024 3.772
Christian 0.907 0.000 2.478 1.800 3.412
Sikh 0.095 0.573 1.100 0.790 1.531
Buddhists 1.160 0.000 3.189 2.159 4.710
Jain -0.143 0.448 0.867 0.599 1.255
Caste Scheduled Caste ® 0.000
Scheduled Tribe 0.177 0.277 1.194 0.867 1.643
Other Backward Classes -0.361 0.028 0.697 0.505 0.962
General 0.387 0.017 1.472 1.072 2.021

Source: Calculated from National Family Health Survey, 2019-21

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education, professional occupations and Marriage patterns are also influenced by

specific religious affiliations are associated economic position; a distinct wealth gradient
with higher odds of being never married. shows that women from wealthier families
These results align with the “Social Change are more likely to stay single than women
Theory”, which emphasizes how changing from weaker economic backgrounds. By
social and economic conditions impact contrast, no clear pattern is seen when it
individual behaviors and societal norms. comes to religious affiliations, with Hindus,
Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists,
and Jains having differing likelihood of
Conclusion staying unmarried. Regarding caste, there
Over the years 2005–2021, this study are differences in the relationships between
offers a thorough analysis of the socio- never-married and the scheduled caste and
demographic trend and factors influencing other backward class categories, but there
Indian women who are 30 years of age and are no meaningful connections between the
older but have never married. While the Scheduled Tribe and General categories.
national percentage of single women in this The results highlight the intricate
age group is very low, some states- namely and diverse characteristics of singlehood
Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram among Indian women over 30, which are
show a comparatively higher proportion of influenced by the interplay of urbanization,
unmarried women in their 30s. Furthermore, education, occupation and wealth (Visaria &
several areas in these states exhibit a notable Ved, 2016). The study advances knowledge
concentration of single women. of the changing societal variables that
There is a clear disparity between rural impact marriage decisions generally and
and urban communities, according to the data, among women from affluent urban areas
with urban women roughly twice as likely in particular. These understandings are
to remain single as their rural counterparts. essential for developing policy interventions
This implies that the phenomenon of that cater to the unique requirements and
never getting married is closely linked difficulties faced by single women in a range
to urbanization, but living in a rural area of socio-demographic settings. The results
seems to counteract this trend. One of the emphasize the need for more investigation
most important indicators of never getting to identify the institutional, sociological, and
married is educational attainment, with the cultural elements behind these trends, to
probability of staying single increasing with create focused interventions that encourage
an increasing level of education. Significant autonomy in marriage choices, and to
occupational inequalities are also identified enhance the well-being of single women in
by the study, with women working in India.
managerial, and technical, and women who
work in manual labor and agriculture also
have higher odds of not getting married. Declaration of Ownership
Significant occupational inequalities are
also identified by the study, with women This article is my original work.
working in managerial, technical, and
professional having a greater proportion of Conflict of Interest
never-married. On the other hand, women
who work in manual labor and agriculture There is no conflict of interest to declare in
also have higher odds of not getting married. this article.

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 ©2024 Simulacra 7(2), 153–172

Ethical Clearance The Annals of the American Academy of

Political and Social Science, 510, 145–154.
This study was approved by the institution.
Chintsanya, J. M. N. (2015). Understanding the
puzzle of high fertility and high contraceptive
use in Malawi [Master Thesis]. University
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