If you’re wondering what the average age is to get married, the answer is that it depends on where you live. Most couples get married when they’re older in developed countries, while the opposite is true in developing nations.
This article takes a look at this in-depth, and even discusses some statistics as well as how marriage has changed over time.
What is the Average Age to Get Married?
As mentioned, the answer depends on the specific country you live in. When it comes to the United States, couples usually get married at around 27 to 29 years of age. These statistics are not a surprise as most Americans finish college and start their careers in their early 20s, so they are comfortably able to settle down by the time that they are 30.
You usually find couples getting married when they are “older” in developed countries, while you see the opposite in developing nations. For instance, in Mozambique, Nepal, India and Colombia, men marry at around 23, 24, 26 and 26.5 years of age, with women marrying at around 19, 20, 21 and 23 respectively.
In European nations like Estonia, Slovenia and Italy, you will find men and women getting married at 33, 34, 32 and 36, 35 and 35.5 years of age respectively. There is a younger average age in developing countries as the main goal for men and women there is to tie the knot and have offspring, which is the case in more regressive cultures.
Has Marriage Changed Over Time?
Yes, marriage has changed over time. The age to get married has gradually increased. In the 1930s it was around 24 for men and 21 for women, but in 1990 it became around 26 for men and 24 for women, and in 2020 it was 31 for men and 28 for women.
This probably has to do with how technologically advanced the world has become, and how drastically society has changed – people have realized that getting married and having children is not everything in life anymore.
Also, people realize that they should be financially stable before they tie the knot. So, a lot of the time, they wait until they can afford to support a family.
What is the Average Age Difference of Couples?
I thought about answering this question too. The average age difference of couples in the United States is around 3 years. Of course, the answer differs depending on where you live. In some countries like China, the average age difference is around 6 years – they believe that any older is bad luck.
Am I Too Old to Get Married?
I touched on the average age to get married above. In case you are wondering whether you are too old to get married, the answer is no.
Wondering whether you are too old is an unfair societal standard, especially for women – you don’t have to be ashamed that you are starting a family at a later age.
If you still think that you are too old, remember that many people get married twice or even thrice these days. They do not do this when they are young.
Am I Too Young to Get Married?
Although you do not have to worry about being too old to get married, you should worry about being too young. You should only get married if you are of the legal age. If you are below it, there is no way you should think about tying the knot.
In my opinion, you are too young if you are below the age of 25. You won’t be financially stable enough to support a family at this age. Plus, you may not be mature enough to make such a lifelong commitment. However, if you are above the legal age and are dead set on getting married, caring about whether you are too young doesn’t matter. It is your life after all.
How Do You Know You’re Ready for Marriage?
With the above in mind, I decided to discuss some points that will help you decide whether you’re ready for marriage.
Let’s get to it.
1. You are Grown
Even if you have found the love of your life, it may not be a good idea to get married if you are not mature enough to settle down. If you are dead set on marrying your partner but are afraid that you’re not mature enough, then you can propose to them and be engaged for a couple of years until you are ready to tie the knot.
2. Financially Ready
Not only do you have to be mature enough to get married but you also need to be financially ready. You would be starting a life together which requires money and job stability. If you speak to your partner, they will understand putting things on hold until you are financially ready to pop the question.
3. Start A Future
If you have been seeing someone for a while and are ready to start your future, this is a good case to get married. This is true if you are certain they are the love of your life.
4. Been Together for a While
Of course, you know you are ready for marriage if you and your partner have been seeing each other for a while. She probably wants to settle down and has been waiting for you to pop the question.
If you speak to her close friends and family, you might realize this. They may tell you that she’s been waiting.
5. Share the Same Values
She would especially be a good partner to start a future if the two of you share the same values and trust each other. You would also know that the two of you would be perfect together if you can have healthy disagreements.
6. You’re Not Being Pushed
Even if the above points check out, you are definitely not ready to tie the knot if you are being pushed into it. At the end of the day, getting married is something that you need to be ready for and want.
7. You’re Committed
If you are sure that you are the type of person to stick around and not walk away, you may consider starting a family. It can get very serious at times, so you need to be sure that you won’t flake out.
How Do You Know If Your Partner is Ready to Get Married?
It’s pretty easy to tell if your partner is ready to get married. if the two of you have been together for a while, they most likely have brought it up during conversations.
In case they have not directly brought it up, they might have been hinting at starting a future together during conversations.
If you want some help, you can ask friends and family about anything that your partner may have said. They may divulge that your partner has been wanting to tie the knot for a while.
Of course, you will know they are ready if you have been seeing each other for a while and you are completely a part of each other’s families – you are invited to everything that they do.
You would also know that they are ready if you are always a part of their decision-making process.
How Many Marriages End Up in Divorce?
Once again, the answer depends on the specific country that you are looking at. But in general, the divorce rate has gone up and down throughout the years. The fact that it has gone up is not hard to imagine if you take a look at society.
Most people used to be religious but this is not the case anymore. So, they do not care about divorce being against their religion, like in Catholicism. Also, divorced people were shunned, which is not the case as society has progressed.
The divorce rate in the 1950s was 2.5 percent per 1,000, 3.5 percent per 1000 in 1970, and around 5 percent by 1980. However, it dropped to 4 percent per 1,000 in 2000 and moved to 2.7 percent in 2019.
With this in mind, you can say that there is a divorce every 42 seconds.
When Should You Get Married?
In my opinion, you should get married when you are financially stable enough. I touched on all the points to consider to know whether you are ready, but there is no point in getting married just to divorce because you did not have the cash to support your family.
You would likely only be financially stable enough in your mid to late 20s, or even early 30s. So, I think that this is the ideal time to tie the knot.
How Do You Know if You’re Compatible with Your Partner?
Although you and your spouse may have been together for a while, the two of you may not be that compatible. If so, starting a life together would not be a good idea.
This section runs through all the points that will help you decide whether your partner is in fact the right one for you.
Let’s get to it.
1. No Heated Disagreements
It’s perfectly natural for couples to argue. However, you need to consider how often you and your partner disagree on things. If it is quite often then there definitely is something to mend in your relationship. If your arguments get heated, this is a major red flag to consider.
As mentioned earlier, marriages are major commitments. Being stuck in such a big one with someone who you regularly have heated arguments with is definitely not what you want.
You should also keep in mind who is constantly causing the disagreements. If you pay attention, you might realize that it’s always your significant other that’s causing the fights.
2. Different Life Views
If you don’t share the same life views and values, you probably are not that suited for each other. This can cause many problems in your relationship, and you especially won’t be able to see eye to eye when it comes to raising a child.
3. No Trust
There is no way that your partner and you are compatible if there is no trust. This would result in a toxic marriage that is full of jealousy.
There may be a lot of manipulation that takes place if there is in fact no trust. You will find them accusing you of cheating and doing other things that you did not do.
4. Abusive Relationship
Although you may think that your partner is the one you want to spend your future with, things may not end well if the two of you are abusive towards each other. This does not have to be physically abusive, as even emotionally and mentally abusive counts.
You need to stay away from anyone who is manipulative as you can end up being gaslit and feeling bad about things that were not your fault.
5. There is No Shared Commitment
At the end of the day, you probably should not tie the knot with someone who only cares about themselves and not how they affect you. This can mean a lot of things, but they basically may want to pursue their dreams and not help you pursue yours.
Final Thoughts
As you saw from all of the points that were discussed, the average age to get married is in your late twenties. But you don’t have to let statistics rule your life. You can get married at any age that you want – all that matters is that you are spending your future with the love of your life.
This guide not only took a look at your question in-depth, but a bunch of additional information too, like whether it would be a good time to get married, and how to know if you’re ready to tie the knot.
Hopefully you found all of the points discussed useful.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Average Age to Get Married
When deciding on the ideal average age to get married there are several factors that you should take into consideration.
One important factor is financial stability.
It is essential to be in a secure financial position before embarking on marriage as this will contribute to a happier and more stable union.
Additionally emotional maturity is crucial.
Being emotionally mature allows you to handle challenges and conflicts in a healthy and constructive way which is essential for a successful marriage.
Finally timing is important.
Make sure that you and your partner are both ready for a lifelong commitment and have similar life goals and values.
It is important to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to the average age to get married as it ultimately depends on your unique circumstances and readiness.
