Silver Rings and Frozen Dreams
WANA (Jan 02) – In the heart of Tehran’s Goldsmiths’ Bazaar—where the sound of hammers on gold once blended with the clamor of grooms competing to buy the heaviest jewelry sets for their brides—a heavy silence now prevails. “Saeed,” a newlywed, is staring at the gold shop storefront with his family, watching their shrunken dreams.
“There was a time,” he says, “when grooms went to formal proposals with large bouquets and kilos of gold. But today? My own friend was looking for a silver ring that looked like gold.”
With the price of gold reaching nearly $100 (14 million Tomans) per gram and coins hitting the $1,050 (147 million Tomans) mark—at a time when the average monthly salary in Iran is below $143 (calculated at the approximate free-market rate of 140,000 Tomans per USD) — gold is no longer a symbol of love; it is a symbol of a dead end.
This is just one slice of life in modern Iran—a country now facing a “tsunami of loneliness” with 17 million single young people of marriageable age.
Exploring Iranian Wedding Traditions
WANA (July 27) – Weddings in any society are rich with diverse customs and traditions, often intertwined with the community’s culture, religion, and beliefs. Like other countries, Iran’s various ethnicities and cities have their own unique ways of celebrating weddings, which have evolved over time. The typical stages of an Iranian wedding include Khastegari […]
When the Coronavirus Came to the Aid of Love!
It may seem strange, but statistics show that during the coronavirus era, Iran experienced a “peak in marriages.” The reason was not medical science, but the “economy.”
Health protocols led to the dismantling of lavish halls and expensive gatherings, allowing young people to start their lives with minimal costs.
But with the end of COVID-19 and the return of costly customs, everything stalled again. Now, even by voluntarily skipping traditions, young people still cannot meet the basic costs of starting a life.
Why are Iranians Reluctant to Rent a House?
In the West, renting is a lifestyle choice; however, in Iran—due to the lack of proper wage adjustment, chronic inflation, and sanctions—being a tenant means a “yearly downfall.” This is why Iranian families place a vital emphasis on “home ownership.”
Pursuing the Dream of Homeownership in Iran
WANA (Jan 21) – In many European and Western countries, “homeownership” predominantly belongs to the affluent class due to high taxes, while other segments of society are forced to turn to rent—provided they can even find a property to rent. However, in Iran, historically, not only the wealthy but also many individuals from lower-income […]
The head of Iran’s parliamentary women’s caucus believes that if the government simply solves the housing problem, the population crisis would be resolved, because without having a permanent roof over their heads, couples will never take the risk of marriage—or even childbearing.
From Sevenfold Singleness to Loneliness in Villages
Statistics indicate a shocking change in the social fabric:
Definitive singleness: In 1986 (year 1365 in the Iranian calendar), only 1.1% of women remained unmarried until the age of 50. In 2023 (year 1402), this figure has risen to 7.7%—a sevenfold increase in the rate of definitive singleness.
Statistics in villages: Widespread migration to cities has left rural girls alone. Contrary to common belief, the rate of unmarried rural girls is now even higher than that of urban women.
Lonely in Tehran: Why It’s Time to Reconnect
WANA (Dec 22) – When Sara moved to Tehran for a new job, she expected the excitement of city life: crowded streets, endless opportunities, and new friendships. Instead, she found herself spending most evenings alone in her small apartment, scrolling endlessly through social media. Despite being surrounded by millions of people, Sara felt lonelier […]
The welfare paradox: Interestingly, in the wealthy neighborhoods of northern Tehran, the fertility rate is lower than in lower-income areas. This indicates that even in prosperous provinces, “hope for the future” regarding the upbringing of a new child has drastically declined.
Incentives That Do Not Reach the Destination
The Iranian government, to get out of this situation, has implemented programs such as “marriage loans,” “car allocation for mothers,” and “monthly deposits to new mothers’ cards until the child turns two.” But the reality is:
Long queues: More than 800,000 people are waiting for loans, whose value becomes increasingly worthless every day against instant inflation.
Car lottery: The program of allocating cars to mothers is more like a lottery than real support; a path full of bureaucracy that rarely reaches the actual consumer.
Why Many Women in Iran Say No to Motherhood
WANA (Jun 07) – From the streets of Tehran to the late-night café conversations in Shiraz, and even in remote villages of Khorasan, a quiet question echoes among a new generation of Iranian women: “Do I have to become a mother?” But this seemingly simple question reveals a profound duality—not just about childbearing, but about […]
The Widening Gap: The gap between marriage and the first child has reached 4.5 years, and the gap between the first and second child has reached 6 years. The average age of first-time mothers in Tehran is now 30 years.
A cold solution: Fertility specialists in Iran, seeing that the roots of economic problems do not dry up easily, advise women to “freeze” their ova so that they may have the possibility of childbearing in the future. This means entrusting dreams to laboratory freezers, hoping for a day when the economy might stabilize.
According to sociologists and statistical data, the decline in Iran’s fertility rate is extremely severe (a decrease of 0.1% every year). The Secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution warns that if this trend continues, in 30 years, Iran will transform into an aging country with a population of only 30 million; a nation that, due to the lack of a youthful workforce, will be easily vulnerable to disintegration and harm.
Ultimately, without a genuine transformation in the economy and housing, “silver rings” and “laboratory freezers” cannot fill the void of warm Iranian families. Iran is currently fighting its greatest external enemy, which has a direct link to domestic problems: sanctions. It remains to be seen what solutions Iranian officials will adopt to resolve this social crisis before it is too late.
An Iranian couple views the showcase of a jewellery store in Tehran Bazaar, in Tehran, Iran, January 25, 2023. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)
