Findings by Salam Watandar from interviews with 15 couples on the verge of marriage in Afghanistan show that 11 couples have postponed their wedding ceremonies due to the unprecedented rise in gold prices. In some cases, this crisis has also led to separations and serious family tensions.
Between late 2025 and early 2026, global gold prices nearly doubled, becoming one of the main obstacles to marriage for youths in Afghanistan. Among those interviewed, at least six couples were forced to take on heavy loans, and several serious family disputes arose over the amount and type of gold.
In one of the cases, a disagreement over purchasing just 10 grams of gold led to the cancellation of an engagement. Khoroshan, a 22-year-old from Kunduz, says,
“My in-laws came and said we would have the wedding after Ramadan, on the third day of Eid. Let’s go and purchase for the wedding. When we went shopping, they said let’s buy gold first. When we got there, they said we would only buy 10 grams of gold—just a ring and earrings. Neither my family nor I accepted it. We came home, and the tension started there. Gold is a woman’s adornment; it belongs to women. Because they did not want to buy proper gold for me, our engagement was broken off and we separated. They hadn’t even bought me gold during the engagement ceremony; they said they would do it at the wedding. Then disputes started again, and we separated.”
In addition, family pressure to fully meet the gold list (which is often set as a condition for marriage), even amid economic hardship, has been a major factor intensifying tensions among couples who are on the verge of marriage and causing delays in marriage.
Parwiz, a 22-year-old from Jawzjan, who has been forced to postpone his wedding due to poverty, says that gold and its rising price are the main obstacles,
“We were supposed to get married last month, but we couldn’t hold the wedding ceremony because of the rise in gold prices. Gold is 100% necessary—we have to take loans, because we cannot cover the wedding expenses with this amount of money. The only reason is gold. The bride’s family insists that the gold must be provided as written in the list.”
Kamran, a 25-year-old from Herat, also says, “With the increase in gold prices—almost 3,000 Afghanis per gram—I really faced serious difficulties in providing it. It became the biggest obstacle to my wedding. I work part-time in photography and don’t have much capital. I had to borrow money from some friends and take advances from work. Now I am in debt, and our wedding has been postponed. We have been engaged for six months, and every day people ask about the wedding date.”
Findings also show that some couples have turned to options such as buying lower-karat gold or even fake gold to manage costs, actions that have created further tensions between families.
Ghulam Haidar, a 35-year-old from Herat, is another youth who says that costly and unfavorable traditions have kept him from marriage for years, and with rising gold prices, it now seems impossible. He says,
“Yes, people see gold as the main issue in a relationship. I have been engaged for nine years, but because of my fiancee’s high expectations, we still haven’t married. Whenever I manage to save for wedding expenses, the issue of gold comes up again, and I step back—because of unemployment and not having money to purchase gold, my wedding has been delayed. My fiancee is not willing to lower her expectations, to stop insisting on buying the gold, or to accept less gold. She stands by what she says.”
However, even couples who have succeeded in getting married have not been spared the economic consequences of rising gold prices. Mohammaduddin, a 27-year-old from Jawzjan, says,
“We faced many problems because gold was necessary—it had to be bought. We went deeply into debt because of buying gold. However, we couldn’t buy the exact gold they requested; instead, we bought Iranian gold. But these costs and expenses caused delays, and although they insisted on specific gold that was requested, arguments arose and our previous affection did not remain.”
Government officials also confirm the existence of certain unfavorable customs in wedding ceremonies. They emphasize that if couples file complaints, authorities can address the issue and even refer the accused party to court.
Saif-ul-Islam Khyber, spokesperson for the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, told Salam Watandar that the ministry’s Muhtasibeen (employees) are actively involved in raising public awareness in the field of mutual understanding and discouraging unfavorable customs.
“In fact, in some places there are unfavorable customs that contradict Islamic values and culture and create obstacles in legitimate affairs like marriage expenses, that taken away youths’ legitimate rights,” and he adds,
“The Ministry is actively working and has a complaint section; first the ministry proceeds by advising the person against whom the complaint has been made, and if the matter is serious, it is referred to the courts. If there are such cases, they should be reported to our ministry.”
Sociologists also emphasize that excessive wedding costs during wedding ceremonies can lead to long-term financial hardship for couples, deep family tensions, and a lack of financial independence. Zia Nikzad, a sociologist, says,
“This situation causes couples to be unable to achieve financial independence. At the same time, it creates disagreements between families and, in some cases, destroys relationships. These kinds of patterns prevent couples from developing a proper way of living. Their mutual understanding can pave the ground for strengthening their lives and make their relationships more stable.”
In late 2025 and early 2026, Afghanistan’s gold market, in line with global trends, experienced a sharp increase in prices. In recent months, the price of 24-carat gold, previously traded at 5,000 to 5,500 Afghanis per gram, rose to 9,000 to 10,000 Afghanis. Similarly, 22-carat gold increased from 4,000 to 4,500 Afghanis to nearly 9,000 Afghanis per gram, and 18-carat gold rose from around 4,000 to 4,300 Afghanis to over 8,000 Afghanis per gram.
This nearly twofold increase across different karats has not only significantly reduced families’ purchasing power but has also transformed gold from a traditional and essential element of wedding ceremonies into one of the biggest economic barriers to marriage for youths.
