Marital Status

Persons with disabilities are generally more likely to be married, divorced or widowed than persons without disabilities, and therefore less likely to be single, defined for this purpose as never married (figure 9). For instance, in Jordan, the rates of singlehood among men and women with disabilities aged 15 years or above are 22.4 and 25.7 per cent, whereas the corresponding rates among women and men without disabilities are 30.1 and 39.3 per cent.

Figure 9: Rate of singlehood among the population aged 15 or above

Rate of singlehood among the population aged 15 or above: Iraq: women with disabilities 26.4%, women without disabilities 27.9%, men with disabilities 28.5%, men without disabilities 37.8%. Jordan: women with disabilities 22.4%, women without disabilities 30.1%, men with disabilities 25.7%, men without disabilities 39.3%. Mauritania: women with disabilities 27.6%, women without disabilities 25.5%, men with disabilities 35.4%, men without disabilities 44.9%. Morocco: women with disabilities 18.6%, women without disabilities 29.6%, men with disabilities 27.3%, men without disabilities 41.8%. Oman: women with disabilities 27.2%, women without disabilities 39.8%, men with disabilities 36.8%, men without disabilities 49.5%. Palestine: women with disabilities 29.0%, women without disabilities 32.2%, men with disabilities 29.8%, men without disabilities 42.0%. Saudi Arabia: women with disabilities 44.1%, women without disabilities 32.8%, men with disabilities 49.4%, men without disabilities 41.9%. Yemen: women with disabilities 19.1%, women without disabilities 29.0%, men with disabilities 27.3%, men without disabilities 39.4%.

Source: Calculated from Arab Disability Statistics in Numbers 2017, based on data compiled and verified from National Statistics Offices (NSOs) from the following censuses and surveys: Iraq Poverty and Maternal Mortality Survey (I-PMM) 2013, Jordan Census 2015, Mauritania Census 2013, Morocco Census 2014, Oman Census 2010, Palestine Census 2007, Saudi Arabia Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) 2016, Yemen Household Budget Survey (HBS) 2014.

Paradoxically, however, this does not mean that persons with disabilities are more likely than persons without disabilities to get married. The data on marital status must be seen in light of the age-disability nexus. Older persons, as noted, are much more likely to have disabilities. Naturally, they are also more likely to be or to have been married. Looking at the rate of singlehood within a specific age group gives a very different picture from the one presented above. For instance, persons with disabilities aged 35-39 are considerably more likely than persons without disabilities of the same age to be single (figure 10). Here, the singlehood rates for Jordan are 42.7 and 27.1 per cent among men and women with disabilities, but only 12.1 and 11.1 per cent among men and women without disabilities.

Figure 10: Rate of singlehood among the population aged 35-39

Rate of singlehood among the population aged 35-39: Iraq: women with disabilities 54.5%, women without disabilities 10.8%, men with disabilities 34.1%, men without disabilities 6.8%. Jordan: women with disabilities 42.7%, women without disabilities 12.1%, men with disabilities 27.1%, men without disabilities 11.1%. Mauritania: women with disabilities 29.7%, women without disabilities 8.6%, men with disabilities 39.5%, men without disabilities 14.9%. Morocco: women with disabilities 50.1%, women without disabilities 17.9%, men with disabilities 52.3%, men without disabilities 19.8%. Oman: women with disabilities 54.3%, women without disabilities 7.9%, men with disabilities 50.0%, men without disabilities 8.5%. Palestine: women with disabilities 56.2%, women without disabilities 9.2%, men with disabilities 18.9%, men without disabilities 2.9%. Saudi Arabia: women with disabilities 61.3%, women without disabilities 12.5%, men with disabilities 48.6%, men without disabilities 12.7%. Yemen: women with disabilities 46.1%, women without disabilities 5.7%, men with disabilities 25.5%, men without disabilities 6.0%.

Source: Calculated from Arab Disability Statistics in Numbers 2017, based on data compiled and verified from National Statistics Offices (NSOs) from the following censuses and surveys: Iraq Poverty and Maternal Mortality Survey (I-PMM) 2013, Jordan Census 2015, Mauritania Census 2013, Morocco Census 2014, Oman Census 2010, Palestine Census 2007, Saudi Arabia Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) 2016, Yemen Household Budget Survey (HBS) 2014.