In 2022, the median age for the first wedding among women in the United States stood at 28.6 years. For men, the median age was 30.5 years. The median age of Americans at their first wedding has been steadily increasing for both men and women since 1998.

The average age at which Australians got married for the first time increased for both men and women between 1997 and 2021. As of 2021, males who married for the first time were on average 30.8 years old, while females were on average slightly younger at 29.4 years old.

first time marriage

Wedding bells chime

The most popular months to get married in 2017 were October and November, with many Australians opting to have their wedding in spring. In fact, over 20 percent of couples chose their wedding date based on a preference for a specific season.

In 2017, amendments to the Marriage Act meant that same-sex couples in Australia could also get legally married. This may change marriage figures in the years immediately following, with many long-term same-sex couples choosing to get married with this law change.

Happily ever after?

While the average age of first marriages has increased, the number of Australians tying the knot has decreased, with the crude marriage rate decreasing continuously across the country. The divorce rate has decreased over the years, largely related to the reduction in the number of marriages overall. In 2017, almost half of all divorces in Australia involved children; this share has not changed significantly over the past five years.

The average age when Hungarians got married for the first time decreased slightly for both men and women in 2024 compared to the previous year. In 2024, the mean age of men who got married for the first time totaled **** years, while women were on average **** years old.

As of 2023, the median age at the time of first marriage in Singapore was 31 years old for men and 29.5 years old for women. While this had remained relatively constant for men since 2014, the median age of marriage for women had been increasing, indicating a trend amongst Singaporean women in delaying marriage. More women delaying marriage and motherhood Women in Singapore are becoming more educated and are increasingly active in the workforce, resulting in many women delaying marriage and motherhood in favor of pursuing a career. This has resulted in a significant proportion of highly-educated and highly-qualified women remaining single for longer. Financial independence delayed marriage for many women Many women preferred to be financially stable before getting married, especially in light of the costs involved in holding a wedding and starting a home. The prospect of losing financial independence and sacrificing career success has also deterred many women from motherhood, leaving Singapore with one of the lowest fertility rates in the world.

Total first marriage rates and age-specific first marriage rates per 1,000 males, all marriages, by place of occurrence, 2000 to 2004.

Basic Demographic Indicators: Average age at First Marriage by province and by sex. Annual. Provinces.

Mean age and median age at divorce and at marriage, for persons who divorced in a given year, by sex or gender and place of occurrence, 1970 to most recent year.

Mean age of men and women when they get married for the first time.

Data on marriages and divorces at national level are transmitted by the National Statistics Institutes on voluntary basis in the context of the annual demographic data collections in the field of demography carried out by Eurostat.

The POPSTAT (population statistics) questionnaire collects annual mandatory and voluntary demographic data from the National Statistical Institutes. It is the most in-depth annual national and regional demographic and migration data collection. The data relate to populations, births, deaths, immigrants, emigrants, marriages and divorces, and is broken down into several categories (Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 and Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 862/2007).

The completeness of the demographic data collected on a voluntary basis depends on the availability and completeness of information provided by the National Statistical Institutes.

The following statistics on marriages and divorces are collected from the National Statistical Institutes:

• Marriages by previous legal union status of marrying persons;
• First-time marrying persons by age, year of birth and sex;
• Marriages by country of citizenship of marrying persons;
• Marriages by country of birth of marrying persons;
• Divorces by duration and year of the marriage;
• Divorces by country of citizenship of spouses;
• Divorces by country of birth of spouses.

Statistics on marriages and divorces: based on the different breakdowns of data on marriages and divorces received, Eurostat produces the following:

• Statistics available in the online table Marriage indicators (demo_nind):
  • Total number of marriages;
  • Crude marriage rate;
  • Mean age at first marriage – male;
  • Mean age at first marriage – female;
  • Total first marriage rate – male;
  • Total first marriage rate – female;
  • Proportion of first marriages – male;
  • Proportion of first marriages – female.
• Statistics available in the online table Divorce indicators (demo_ndivind):
  • Total number of divorces;
  • Crude divorce rate;
  • Divorces per 100 marriages.

Men and women in Japan are getting married increasingly later than previous generations. In 2024, the average age of women who married for the first time was about **** years, while men were on average **** years old when they first got married. Social integration of women The rising age at first marriage was partly explained by a common theory that holds the growing number of “parasite singles” accountable for the trend. The term refers to young working people aged between 28 and 40 years who decide to keep living comfortably in their parents' homes to save money. An alternative explanation is the more active participation of Japanese women in society. Increasingly more women in Japan obtain higher education degrees and focus on their career paths. With a rising income, they are financially less dependent, and marriage is no longer essential to afford the life they pursue. Delayed family planning The overall number of newly registered marriages has also declined in the past decade. The reported number of marriages was around ******* in 2024, representing the second consecutive year below *******. These developments concerning marriages have also impacted the mean age of childbearing, which has risen considerably since the *****.

Hong Kong Population - Table 115-01013 : Persons marrying for the first time by sex and age group

IntroductionAdolescents and young adults face unique sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges, with early sex and marriage linked to negative outcomes. Reported ages at first sex (AFS) and first marriage (AFM) are crucial indicators for SRH and HIV intervention programs. This study aimed to assess the consistency of AFS and AFM reports among adolescents and young adults with repeated responses across eight survey rounds (1994–2016) from the Magu Health and Demographic Surveillance System (Magu HDSS).MethodsA serial cross-sectional survey comprising 58,654 observations from 33,177 individuals in the Magu HDSS, conducted between 1994 and 2016, was analysed. Structured face-to-face interviews were used for data collection. A fixed-effects panel regression model was applied to assess within- and between-individual variability. Reported AFS and AFM were categorized as consistent or inconsistent across survey rounds. Variability and consistency were further analysed across different age groups, sexes, residence area, education, pregnancy and HIV status.ResultsThe study revealed significant within-individual variability, with nearly half of the variation due to individual-specific reporting changes over time. Among 2,637 individuals aged 15–24 who reported AFS more than once, 1,312 (49.8%) provided consistent values. For AFM, 621 out of 920 individuals (67.5%) reported same age values across multiple surveys. In other words, 49.8% of individuals provided the same AFS values each time, while 67.5% reported the same AFM values; the rest reported different values. Sub-analysis showed that age, sex, residence, HIV status, pregnancy, and education influenced variability and consistency. Females exhibited higher consistency in AFS (56.7%) and AFM (61.0%) compared to males (43.5% and 44.9%, respectively). Adolescents (15–19 years) reported more consistently with lower variability than young adults (20–24 years) and adults (25–49 years).ConclusionThis study assesses the extent of consistency in reported ages among young individuals and identifies the challenge of self-reported AFS and AFM data due to inherent variability and inconsistency. It highlights the need to scrutinize the consistency of these reported events each time these indicators are used to evaluate trends and progress in SRH and HIV programs. A systematic analytical approach is essential for improving data quality and obtaining accurate estimates.

In 2024, the average age at which South Korean women married for the first time was 31.55 years, while for men, it was 33.86 years. The average age of both men and women marrying for the first time in South Korea has steadily increased in recent years. Shifting attitudes towards marriage The number of marriages in South Korea has been consistently declining. While the overall decrease in population may play a role, the most significant factor is the societal shift in the perception of marriage. According to a survey, nearly half of South Koreans consider marriage an option rather than a necessity. Some of the main reasons South Koreans choose to remain unmarried include concerns about raising children, high wedding expenses, and worries about their careers. Demographic implications As more South Koreans choose to marry later in life or not at all, this trend significantly impacts the country's demographic landscape. The declining birth rate and increasing life expectancy present challenges for the country's future, particularly regarding economic productivity and growth.

Number of marriages that took place in England and Wales by age, sex, previous partnership status and civil or religious ceremony.

Annual population estimates by marital status or legal marital status, age and sex, Canada, provinces and territories.

The average age at which people in England and Wales get married has been rising since the 1970s, with the average age of men marrying women increasing from **** in 1972 to **** by 2019, with the average age for women marrying men going up from **** to **** in the same time period. Since 2014 and the legalization of same-sex marriage in England and Wales, the average age for men marrying men has fluctuated between **** and ****, while the average age for females marrying females has fluctuated between **** and ****. Strong support for same-sex marriage in UK Over ten years after same-sex marriage was legalized in most of the UK, polls have shown consistent support for the legislation. As of May 2025, ** percent of Britons supported same-sex marriage, compared with ** percent who opposed it, and ***** percent who did not know. England and Wales was the first jurisdiction to allow same-sex marriages, with the first marriages taking place in March 2014, followed by Scotland in December of that year. Legislation allowing same-sex marriage was not passed in Northern Ireland until 2019, with the first marriages not taking place in 2020. Most popular wedding dates In 2022, the most popular wedding date across the entire year in England and Wales was July 30, with ***** weddings taking place that day. The next most popular wedding date was August 20, which had ***** weddings, followed by May 28, at *****. All three of these dates were Saturday's, which, at over ** percent of all weddings, was by far the most popular day of the week for weddings to be held the week. As for the most popular month, August had the most weddings held in 2022, at ******, with ****** being held in July, and ****** in June, the second, and third-most popular months for weddings, respectively.

The Marriage Transitions in Malawi Project (MTM) consists of a longitudinal dataset on young women and men in central Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world, where marriage is nearly universal, and most women and men marry before the age of 20. The data are intended to support the study of the social and economic influences on the timing of key life events among young people, such as leaving school, engaging in sex for the first time, and marrying. These pivotal moments and experiences shape future life trajectories. The project also sought to identify whether and how socioeconomic conditions and gender might influence an individual’s chances of acquiring HIV. The rich MTM panel data can contribute to understanding the forces that drive young lives and inform policy interventions.

This data collection (one-in-one thousand person national sample), which contains individual-level data from the 1960 Census of Population and Housing, provides information on household and personal characteristics. Data on household characteristics include the structure of the house, housing quality, the head of the household, roomers, boarders or lodgers, the number of rooms, the number of persons per room, rent, the year moved into unit, tenure, commercial usage, farmland, the availability of telephones, television, bathtub or shower, flush toilet, heating equipment, sewage disposal, and the source of water. Demographic information includes sex, race, age, place of birth, education, employment, income, family unit membership, age at first marriage, number of times married, and veteran status. (Source: downloaded from ICPSR 7/13/10)

Please Note: This dataset is part of the historical CISER Data Archive Collection and is also available at ICPSR at https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR00054.v1. We highly recommend using the ICPSR version as they may make this dataset available in multiple data formats in the future.

The sexual conduct of women. Judgement on the social situation of women. Topics: 1. On the social situation (oral survey): preferred size of place of residence; psychological self-characterization; self-assessment of condition of health; use of medication; weight and height; smoking habits; drinking habits; attitude to political and social questions; leisure time budget and leisure behavior; employment of women (scale); characterization of child-raising style by parents; dominating parent in child-raising; most important socialization authority in parental home or foster home; father or mother as reference person; dominating parent in one´s family; television habits; attitude to fashion; length of marriage; judgement on the marriage in the course of time; judgement on one´s own marriage and number of marriages; importance of areas of life; size of circle of friends; satisfaction with size of circle of friends. 2. Sexual conduct (written survey): satisfaction with role as woman; most significant experiences in one´s memory; position in sibling sequence; conversation partner for sexual questions during developing years; judgement on one´s own sex education; openness of conversation in parental home; observing the sex life of parents; sex education authorities and age at the time; number, age and sex of one´s own extra-marital or pre-marital children; type of contraception practised currently; age at sexual maturity; irregularities in menstruation; number, age, status and time of getting to know first steady partner(s) with whom respondent had sexual intercourse; time interval between meeting and first sexual intercourse; significance of sexuality for respondent; personal age and age of partner at first sexual intercourse; age of second intimate partner; total number of intimate partners; length of first intimate relation; marriage with first intimate partner; characterization of first intimate partner; actual and desired frequency of sexual intercourse; situations that stimulate intimacy; initiator of intimacy; stimulating situations; type and extent of sexual practices; length of intimacy; secret sexual desires; experiencing orgasm; masturbation; petting; frequency of reading selected magazines; favorite name. Demography: age (classified); marital status; number of children; ages of children (classified); age and number of siblings; position in sibling sequence; religious denomination; religiousness; school education; occupational training; occupation; occupational position; employment; income; household income; household size; respondent is head of household; characteristics of head of household; local residency; city size; degree of urbanization; state; regional origins. Interviewer rating: day of interview. Das Sexualverhalten der Frau. Beurteilung der gesellschaftlichen Situation der Frau. Themen: 1.) Zur gesellschaftlichen Situation (mündliche Befragung): präferierte Wohnortgröße; psychologische Selbstcharakterisierung; Selbsteinschätzung des Gesundheitszustands; Medikamentenkonsum; Körpergewicht und Körpergröße; Rauchgewohnheiten; Trinkgewohnheiten; Einstellung zu politischen und gesellschaftlichen Fragen; Freizeitbudget und Freizeitverhalten; Berufstätigkeit von Frauen (Skala); Charakterisierung des Erziehungsstils durch die Eltern; dominierender Elternteil bei der Erziehung; wichtigste Sozialisationsinstanz im Elternhaus oder Heim; Vater oder Mutter als Bezugsperson; dominierender Elternteil in der Familie; Fernsehgewohnheiten; Einstellung zur Mode; Ehedauer; Beurteilung der Ehe im Zeitverlauf; Beurteilung der eigenen Ehe und Eheanzahl; Wichtigkeit der Lebensbereiche; Größe des Freundeskreises; Zufriedenheit mit der Größe des Bekanntenkreises. 2.) Sexualverhalten (schriftliche Befragung): Zufriedenheit mit der Rolle als Frau; bedeutendste Erlebnisse in der eigenen Erinnerung; Stellung in der Geschwisterreihe; Gesprächspartner für sexuelle Fragen während der Entwicklungsjahre; Beurteilung der eigenen Sexualerziehung; Gesprächsoffenheit im Elternhaus; Beobachtung des Sexuallebens der Eltern; sexuelle Aufklärungsinstanzen und damaliges Alter; Anzahl, Alter und Geschlecht der eigenen außerehelichen bzw. vorehelichen Kinder; Art der zur Zeit praktizierten Empfängnisverhütung; Alter bei Geschlechtsreife; Unregelmäßigkeiten bei der Menstruation; Anzahl, Alter, Status und Zeitpunkt des Kennenlernens des oder der ersten festen Partner(s), mit denen die Befragte Geschlechtsverkehr hat; Zeitraum zwischen Kennenlernen und erstem Geschlechtsverkehr; Bedeutung der Sexualität für die Befragte; eigenes Alter und Alter des Partners beim ersten Geschlechtsverkehr; Alter des zweiten Intimpartners; Gesamtzahl der Intimpartner; Dauer der ersten intimen Beziehung; Heirat des ersten Intimpartners; Charakterisierung des ersten Intimpartners; tatsächliche und gewünschte Häufigkeit von Geschlechtsverkehr; Situationen, die zum Intimverkehr anregten; Initiator zum Intimverkehr; Stimulierende Situationen; Art und Umfang sexueller Praktiken; Dauer des Intimverkehrs; geheime sexuelle Wünsche; Orgasmuserleben; Selbstbefriedigung; Petting; Lesehäufigkeit ausgewählter Zeitschriften; Lieblingsname. Demographie: Alter (klassiert); Familienstand; Kinderzahl; Alter der Kinder (klassiert); Alter und Anzahl der Geschwister; Stellung in der Geschwisterreihe; Konfession; Religiosität; Schulbildung; Berufsausbildung; Beruf; Berufliche Position; Berufstätigkeit; Einkommen; Haushaltseinkommen; Haushaltsgröße; Befragter ist Haushaltsvorstand; Charakteristika des Haushaltsvorstands; Ortsansässigkeit; Ortsgröße; Urbanisierungsgrad; Bundesland; Regionale Herkunft. Interviewerrating: Interviewtag.

This collection provides data on labor force activity for the week prior to the survey. Comprehensive data are available on the employment status, occupation, and industry of persons 14 years old and over. Also included are personal characteristics such as age, sex, race, marital status, veteran status, household relationship, educational background, and Spanish origin. In addition, data pertaining to marital history and fertility are included in the file. Men who were ever married (currently widowed, divorced, separated, or married) aged 15 and over were asked the number of times married and if the first marriage ended in widowhood or divorce. Ever married women aged 15 and over were asked the number of times married, date of marriage, date of widowhood or divorce, and if divorced the date of separation of the household for as many as three marriages. Questions on fertility were asked of ever married women 15 years and over and never married women 18 years and over. These questions included number of liveborn children, and date of birth, sex, and current residence for as many as five children. In addition, women between the ages of 18 and 39 were asked how many children they expect to have during their remaining childbearing years.