Question

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the age of first marriage for men (in 1960, 22.5 yrs.; in 2014, 29.7 yrs.) and women (in 1960, 20.1 yrs.; in 2014, 27 yrs.) have climbed. Why do you think the age of first marriage has been rising since 1960?

Answer 1

There are several reasons why the average age of first marriage can be increasing.

The most important is the increasing importance of education. More and more people, both males and females, are getting more number of years of education now. A lot of them go to college and higher studies which make it very difficult to get married at an early stage. Thus, as people intend to become financially more secure by gaining human capital which takes time, marriage is delayed.

Another important factor is the cultural shift. Societies change and with it their mindset about the prospects of marriage also changes. It is not uncommon for people to stay together despite not being married which could not have happened 50 years ago. If they had to stay together, they had to be married. People understand that marriage is going to change their lives completely and more and more want to explore their options before they get married.

The society is also not more open on children outside marriage. Earlier, this was not acceptable and as a result led to many unplanned marriages as well.