Amid all Iran’s storms, the strength of the family has remained.  

Nearly every Iranian grows up surrounded by many relatives. Iranians are renowned for their exuberant hospitality, and families and friends spend much time enjoying each other’s company at large parties or at picnics in the park.  

But there are worrying trends tearing at the fabric of families. Divorce is on the increase and now sits at around 40%. Some attribute the rising divorce rate partly to the increasing number of girls forced into early marriages, particularly in rural, poverty-stricken areas. Meanwhile, mothers may choose to stay in difficult marriages to raise their children, because Islamic divorce law means children usually end up in the father’s custody.  

With low wages, high unemployment, and inflation, families live under severe financial pressure. Fathers are often absent from home, as many must hold two or three jobs to make ends meet. Millions of young Iranians are not getting married because they simply cannot afford to do so. This stress also leads many to seek a better life abroad, and so families are separated from each other.  

There are official reports of a dramatic increase in promiscuity, which leaves behind a miserable trail of abortions and broken hearts. Most Iranians frown on polygamy, but the Shia faith allows men four wives and also “temporary marriages.”