The objective of this study is to understand the marital composition of the population of Saudi Arabia, present its spatial variations, and attempt to explain such variations. As a result, some important facts are explored, and the patterns of spatial variations are presented. Married persons were found to be in the majority in general, and especially in the East-West corridor (Eastern Province, Riyadh, and Makkah), in addition to Tabouk. The percent of widowed is higher, however, in Makkah, Baha, Assir, and Hail. The study also shows differences in marital status by age, sex, and nationality. For instance, most men stayed married all of their lives, whereas most older women live outside marriage. This study also determined crude rates of marriage and divorce, and describes substantial spatial variation of both marriage and divorce rates. It was not possible, howerver, to fully explain such variations. In general, internal and international migrations are thought to affect marital composition and its geographical variations. It is apparent that more in-depth studies are needed in order to understand the complex spatial pattern of marital characteristics and indicators.
Keywords: marriage, divorce, marital composition, population of Saudi Arabia, rates of marriage.