Study: Global Muslim consumers to spend US$2.8 trillion by 2025, marriageable Muslims key

With love just a swipe away, it is no wonder that Muslim singles are increasingly harnessing the power of technology in their search for love with close to 77.8% leveraging on matchmaking platforms to find their special someone. Topping the list of commonly used Muslim dating and matchmaking apps among 25 to 34-year-olds are Muzz, Salams and BaitulJannah.

These were the results of the Match to Marriage report by Halal Wave, the Muslim insights unit under creative agency TBWA\ Asia that analysed 158,586 social media conversations and conducted 16 interviews. Halal Wave’s results span across Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

The report aims to shed light on the experiences of Muslims in their journey towards marriage after the height of the pandemic while equipping businesses with data to better serve an influential and diverse audience.

Among those who plan to marry, the report found three distinct personas that encapsulate the clarity, willingness to act and seriousness of intent towards marriage. The first of which is Someday, Inshallah, which describes individuals who have an open timeline to seek a deeper and more practical understanding of marriage

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Seekers who are actively planning for their future while aiming for growth, stability and reliability in their plans to build a family were identified as the One Day, InshaAllah persona. At the extreme end of the spectrum is the Today, InshAllah persona which describes individuals who prioritise blessings and look for cost-effective solutions in their unwavering certainty towards marriage.

“Household management, financial planning, and cost-effective wedding planning are amongst the many services that businesses can offer for all three different segments of the marriage personas,” said Nazirah Ashari, head of 65dB Kuala Lumpur and strategy director at Halal Wave.

With close to 1.9 billion global Muslim consumers worldwide, this demographic spent US$2 trillion in 2021 across various categories, according to growth strategy research and execution management firm DinarStandard. This segment of consumers is also projected to spend US$2.8 trillion by 2025, highlighting a strong demand for products and services that cater to the Islamic way of life.

However, the realm of online dating for Muslims is not without its challenges. In fact, conversations concerning interfaith marriage are a significant topic of interest with 62.3% concerned about marriage regulations and conversion to Islam for interfaith marriages.

Similarly, 20.6% cite lack of guidance as the second largest barrier as they are unsure whether their approach to forming an acquaintance is aligned with Islamic teachings.

The analysis of social media conversations has also found eight key areas that Muslims are looking toward with regard to marriage preparation that businesses and marketers alike can leverage. The areas are spirituality, character, family consent and blessings, communication, financial and security, health, future home, and finally, the Nikkah/Wedding.

“Undeniably, there is a growing need for businesses to empower and support marriage-minded Muslims throughout their journey towards matrimony,” added Ashari. “Faith-friendly offerings customised to different life stages will certainly do well in this day and era.”

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