Opinion on this question differed according to age, with older respondents more accepting of the idea of having children out of wedlock than their younger counterparts. 42% of 25 to 34 year olds viewed having kids before marriage as okay, compared to 39% of 18 to 24 year olds, and 25% of 15 to 17 year olds. In terms of gender, men were more likely than women to say they were okay with having children outside of marriage, with 44% of male respondents believing this was okay, compared to 31% of females.
It seems as though the Western Cape is the most conservative on the subject as regions differed in opinion. According to region, younger South Africans were most likely to be accepting of starting a family before marriage in Mpumalanga, where the majority of respondents (52%) held this opinion, and Limpopo, where 41% said this. In comparison, the Western Cape was most against this idea, with less than a third (30%) saying it was okay to have children out of wedlock.
There were no significant differences amongst race groups on this question.
Having children outside of marriage was seen as common practice by younger South Africans. The survey found a high degree of awareness of this phenomenon, with 95% of respondents saying they knew a woman who had a child outside of wedlock.
Marriage itself was found to still be important to the majority of younger people. About two thirds of respondents (66%) felt getting married was an important thing to do in life, compared to 29% who said it was not important to get married in modern society. Opinion on this question was consistent across demographic groups.
