Religion: Sharia-based Iranian law states that the legal age for marriage is 13 for girls and 15 for boys, but marriages can still be carried out at a younger age with the consent of fathers and permission from court judges.
It says 31,379 girls in that age bracket were married in 2020 compared to 28,373 cases the previous year. The legal age for marriage in Iran is 13 years for girls and 15 years for boys, though it is acceptable for children younger to be married with a father's permission.
Large age gaps are especially common in sub-Saharan Africa, including in Gambia (14.5 years between men and their wives or partners), Guinea (13.5) and Mali (12.9).
Traditionally, it is believed that there should be a gap of 3 to 4 years between a man and a woman and the man should be older than the woman. However, there have been marriages with age gaps of more than 5 to 10 years of gap and still have been successful.
For Iranians marriage is an event, which must be celebrated not quietly but with glory and distinction. It is the most conspicuous of all the occasions and is celebrated in the presence of a fairly large assembly. In the past the parents and older members of the family arranged almost all marriages.
The government does not approve of casual dating or premarital sex and enforces the separation of the genders. Therefore, if Iranians go out with their girlfriend or boyfriend in public, they run the risk of being berated, reported on or even detained.
Another thing that is worth mentioning is that Iran's law does not allow Iranian unmarried couples to live together or check into a hotel. It states people of the opposite sex are not allowed to be alone together unless they are family members or married.
In short, research seems to indicate that in many cultures, an age gap of 1 to 3 years is considered ideal — but some researchers suggest even a relationship with an age gap of less than 10 years will bring more satisfaction.
An age gap of 10 years or more is considered a big difference. When one person has a decade more life experience than their partner, the couple might be incompatible. You're likely to have different circles of friends, different interests, and different life goals.
When they have their life goals, ambitions and perspectives aligned together, a 10-year gap may not be threatening. However, for normal couples, it can be a bit stretchy. Sometimes, the younger partner may not stand up to the older partner's maturity level and that can create a lot of issues.
Islam also allows Muslims to abide by the rules of the land wherein they live, and most nations, including Muslim countries, specify 18 as the minimum legal marriage age, some with parental consent enabling marriage before this.
Similarly, in Equatorial Guinea and São Tomé and Principe, children can marry at the age of 14 with their parents' consent but have to wait until they are 18 otherwise. There are a considerably high number of countries that allow children to marry at the age of 15 and 16 as long as their legal guardians sign off on it.
One reason for this is that men and women have been delaying the age at which they first get married. The average age at first marriage is now 31, compared with a 20th century low of 23 in 1970.
This statistic shows the age structure of Iran inhabitants from 2011 to 2021. In 2021, about 23.81 percent of inhabitants were aged 0 to 14 years, while approximately 68.81 percent were aged 15 to 64, and 7.38 percent of Iran inhabitants were aged 65 or older.
The age distribution of the couples studied had a wide range: for husbands, it was between 20 and 63; for wives, between 18 and 48. The mean age of men was 40 years; for women, it was 32 years (Table 2). The duration of marriage ranged from 1 to 27 years; the average was about nine years.
The truth is, there is no ideal or appropriate age gap in a relationship. Whether it's a 20 year age gap relationship or a 5 year age gap relationship, there will be both challenges and benefits to your situation.
A relationship age gap bigger than 10 years often comes with its own set of issues. “While there are always exceptions to rules, a good rule to remember is that dating someone more than 10 years older will present challenges now or later that add to the preexisting challenges any relationship has,” he says.
Romantic couples with a large age gap often raise eyebrows. Studies have found partners with more than a 10-year gap in age experience social disapproval. But when it comes to our own relationships, both men and women prefer someone their own age, but are open to someone 10-15 years their junior or senior.
Research suggests that an age gap of 27 to 32 months may be associated with the best health outcomes for mother and child. In terms of sibling relationship, siblings who are closer in age tend to fight more but are also closer which may have positive benefits for social skills.
"Half-your-age-plus-seven" rule
According to this rule, a 28-year-old would date no one younger than 21 (half of 28, plus 7) and a 50-year-old would date no one younger than 32 (half of 50, plus 7).
Studies have found partners with more than a ten-year gap in age experience social disapproval. But when it comes to our own relationships, both men and women prefer someone their own age, but are open to someone 10-15 years their junior or senior.
Can a Foreigner Marry an Iranian? The answer to this question is yes! Marriage between an Iranian and someone with another passport and citizenship is possible.
Adultery (zina-e-mohsen) is punishable by 100 lashes for unmarried people and by death on the fourth offense. It is punishable by death by stoning (under moratorium since 2002, officially replaced in 2012, by an unspecified punishment) for married people and in all cases of incest.
Regardless of the condemnation or the denial of the Islamic Republic, what has emerged is the concept of “White Marriage,” where men and women voluntarily choose to cohabit without formal commitment or fear of social and religious stigma, or its political consequences.