Age at first marriage

This week we take a look at the average and median age at first marriage in the United States and parts of the UK. 

Let's start off with England and Wales. The average age at first marriage has changed considerably over time. As the 19th century was coming to an end, the average age for newlyweds was about 25 for men and shy of 24 for women, with an upwards trend. That trend was interrupted during World War II, with a sudden deep, when young couples rushed to marry before the men were sent into battle. That also led to a divorce boom shortly after the war. 

After the war ended the rising age trend of the pre-war years was inverted and reached its lowest point during the late sixties to early seventies. Since then, the average age at marriage is only rising. In less than 50 years' time, the average age at first marriage has increased by a staggering 10 years and it has surpassed 30 for both males and females. 

As for the United States, the median age at first marriage has followed a similar pattern, albeit less extreme. In 1890, the median age of marriage was 26 for men and 22 for women. It reached its nadir in the 1950s and it trended upwards from then on. As is obvious, it follows a similar trend to the average age of first-time mothers. 

Source: Office for National Statistics, US Census Bureau