Determinants of marriage dissolution in India and its association with age at marriage

This paper investigates determinants of marriage dissolution in India. District Level Household Survey-3 (2007-08) data have been used. This paper investigates the factors affecting the marriage dissolution in India by various geographical regions using multivariate hazard model. It is found that age at marriage is an important factor affecting the marriage dissolution after controlling for all other socioeconomic variables. Women marrying at their later ages, their risk of marriage dissolution are greater than those marrying at their early ages. Chances of getting divorce declines with the increasing level of education, it is found that at each unit increase of marital duration, women literate below high school the risk of failure increases 1.2 times as compare to others. Childless women are at greater risk for marriage dissolution. Results suggest that dissolution rates are quite higher in northeastern, western and southern regions.
Attempts have been also made to see the association between age at marriage and dissolution rates in various states of India by using census data (Census of India, 1971-2001). It is found in southern and northeastern region age at marriage and dissolution rate are high as compared to the northern, central, eastern and western region.