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View all search resultsBeyond ‘when will you marry?’: Indonesia’s new demographic challenge
As Indonesia approaches a demographic crossroads, the decision to delay marriage and parenthood is less a private preference and more a rational response to a society that has yet to build a support system for the modern family.
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Loaded wheels: A family of four rides a motorcycle on June 4 on a road in Hanoi. (AFP/Nhac Nguyễn)
I
n Indonesia, the question “When will you get married?” is still treated as a common social ritual. It appears at family gatherings, religious holidays, weddings and casual conversations with relatives.
For many young Indonesians, the question is familiar, repetitive and sometimes exhausting. But today, delayed marriage and postponed childbirth are no longer merely private choices; they are signals of a deeper structural shift. They tell us something vital about the economy, the labor market, gender relations, housing, care work and the changing meaning of adulthood in Indonesia.
Recent findings from the 2025 Intercensal Population Survey (SUPAS 2025) provide a timely window into this shift. One of the clearest messages is that young Indonesians are entering marriage and parenthood later than previous generations. The average age at first marriage among women increased from 23.1 years in 2015 to 25.1 years in 2025. Similarly, the average age of childbearing rose from 28.3 years to 28.8 years over the same period.
Births among young women have also declined sharply. The fertility rate among women aged 15–19 fell from approximately 40 births per 1,000 women in 2015 to roughly 17 in 2025. Among women aged 20–24, it declined from 110 to 86 births per 1,000 women. In simple terms, fewer women are having children at a very young age.
These numbers should not be read as evidence that young people are rejecting family life; rather, they are better understood as evidence that forming a family is becoming more difficult, more deliberate, and more conditional.
For previous generations, marriage and childbearing were often seen as inevitable stages of adulthood. Today, they are increasingly weighed against pressing questions: "Is my job stable? Can I afford housing? Can I raise a child without sacrificing my career? Do I have enough emotional and financial support? What kind of future can I offer my child?" This is not simply a cultural shift; it is a rational response to a changing society.
Young Indonesians are more educated than ever before. Women, in particular, have made major gains in education and labor market participation. Evidence shows that the average years of schooling among women aged 15 and over increased from 6.89 years in 2010 to 8.79 years in 2025. Furthermore, the share of young women aged 20–29 who are working has steadily increased over the past 15 years.
