UNFPA Reveals Why Many Nigerian Youths are Delaying Marriage

Economic hardship, unemployment and rising housing costs are preventing many young Nigerians from entering relationships, getting married and starting families, the United Nations Population Fund has said.

UNFPA’s Resident Representative in Nigeria, Muriel Mafico, said young people had not abandoned marriage or parenthood but were increasingly uncertain about whether they could afford the responsibilities that come with them.

She spoke during Nigeria’s commemoration of the 2026 World Population Day, which focused on the aspirations of young people and the conditions they need to shape their futures. According to Mafico, young Nigerians face several barriers, including unemployment and underemployment, rising living and housing costs, insecurity and unequal access to quality education and healthcare, including sexual and reproductive health services.

She said these pressures were limiting young people’s choices and making it difficult for them to plan confidently for marriage, children and other long-term goals.“It is easy for us to assume that younger generations have given up on marriage and children altogether, but our survey tells a different story,” she said.

Mafico explained that most respondents considered marriage their ideal form of relationship. However, many of those who wanted partners remained single, with economic and housing constraints among the most frequently cited obstacles.

The findings are consistent with UNFPA’s 2026 Demographic Futures Survey, which found that many young people still aspire to partnership and parenthood but fear they may lack the financial stability and secure housing required to achieve those goals. Across many regions, two children emerged as the most common preferred family size.

“In short, it is uncertainty, not unwillingness, that has young people questioning whether they can start the families they want,” Mafico said.

She urged governments to avoid population policies that pressure people into marriage or childbirth without addressing the economic and social difficulties influencing their decisions.

According to her, young people need stable employment, affordable housing, accessible healthcare, parental leave, childcare support and the freedom to make decisions about their bodies and lives. Mafico added that Nigeria could benefit greatly by creating an environment in which its young population could innovate, build resilience and contribute meaningfully to national development.

Chairman of the National Population Commission, Aminu Yusuf, said about 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population was below the age of 30, presenting enormous opportunities for productivity, entrepreneurship, technological advancement and economic growth.

He, however, warned that a large youth population would not automatically produce a demographic dividend unless the country invested in education, healthcare, employment and other conditions needed to make young people productive.

What to Know:

The UNFPA findings expose a deeper national failure: young Nigerians are not necessarily rejecting marriage or parenthood; they are responding rationally to an economy that has made stable jobs, decent housing, healthcare and childcare increasingly unaffordable. While Nigeria often celebrates its youthful population as a demographic advantage, that potential will remain largely theoretical unless government policies translate population growth into productive employment and social security. Encouraging marriage or higher birth rates without tackling inflation, insecurity, unemployment and the housing deficit would merely transfer the cost of policy failure to already struggling households. The real solution is not to pressure young people into starting families, but to create the economic stability that allows them to do so freely and confidently.