Marriage patterns and change in Zambia

Abstract

The World Population Plan of Action recognized the faintly as the basic unit of society and emphasized its importance in two resolutions which among other things recommended that the family be protected by appropriate legislation and that marriage be entered into only with the free and full consent of intending spouses. Marital status has loner been recognized as a most important factor in population dynamics as it affects fertility tremendously and mortality and migration to a lesser extent. Marital status is a demographic characteristic Involving biological characteristics related to social economic, legal and in many cases religious aspects o Its effects on other social and economic characteristics such as school attendance and labour force participation are very important in late adolescence and young adult age groups.