In Azerbaijan, the Number of Weddings Halved After Ban on Marriages Between Relatives
9/23/2025
In Azerbaijan, the number of marriages has dropped sharply — according to July data, it almost halved compared to the previous month. The main reason is the law that came into force on July 1, banning marriages between cousins. While in July of last year more than 4,500 couples got married, this year the number was only about 2,700.
Sociologist Uzeyir Shafiev notes that the law has significantly affected marriage statistics. He also links the decline to the decreasing interest of young people in the institution of family.
The ban on marriages between relatives was adopted by parliament last year. According to Hijran Huseynova, head of the parliamentary committee on family, women, and children, the law is aimed at protecting the national gene pool. She emphasized that such marriages can lead to genetic mutations and serious health issues in future generations.
Interestingly, other countries are also seeing their own wedding trends. For example, in France, tickets to attend weddings have started being sold, with prices reaching up to €400 per person.
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