PETALING JAYA: Financial insecurity, rising living costs and changing expectations of marriage are putting couples under growing pressure, with marital breakdown increasingly shaped by wider social and economic forces rather than a failure of love or commitment alone, said an academic.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia senior lecturer in anthropology and sociology Dr Velan Kunjuraman said marriage was a social institution influenced by economic conditions, education, family expectations, gender relations and cultural norms.

Younger couples increasingly expected marriage to offer financial security alongside emotional support, companionship, mutual respect and a more equal sharing of household responsibilities.