While marriage rates are declining globally and the age of tying the knot is rising steadily, a closer look reveals a complex and surprising picture of modern unions, from economic benefits to stark regional disparities.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the US crude marriage rate was 6.2 marriages per 1,000 total population, marking a slight increase from 2021
- Globally, approximately 44% of adults aged 25-49 were married in 2021, down from 50% in 2000
- In the European Union, the average crude marriage rate in 2021 was 4.2 per 1,000 inhabitants, varying from 1.9 in Italy to 6.5 in Romania
- In 2022, the US crude divorce rate was 2.4 per 1,000 population
- Globally, about 45% of first marriages end in divorce within 20 years
- In the EU, the crude divorce rate averaged 1.7 per 1,000 in 2021, highest in Lithuania at 3.1
- In 2022, the average age at first marriage for US men was 30.2 years, up from 23 in 1970
- For US women, median age at first marriage in 2022 was 28.6 years
- In the EU, average age at first marriage for men was 33.5 years in 2021, women 31.2
- In the US, 35% of adults aged 25-54 with a bachelor's degree are married, vs 48% with high school diploma
- Black Americans have lowest marriage rate at 17.3% for ages 25-54 in 2021
- In US, Asian adults most likely married (61%) ages 25+
- Married US men earn 10-40% more than single men with same education
- US married couples median household income $106,000 vs singles $51,000 in 2022
- Globally, married individuals have 20% lower mortality risk
Marriage rates and ages are falling globally while divorce remains common.
Age and Timing of Marriage
- In 2022, the average age at first marriage for US men was 30.2 years, up from 23 in 1970
- For US women, median age at first marriage in 2022 was 28.6 years
- In the EU, average age at first marriage for men was 33.5 years in 2021, women 31.2
- Japan's average age for men at first marriage hit 31.1 years in 2022, women 29.7
- In India, average age at marriage for women is 22.1 years, men 26.1 as of 2021 NFHS-5
- South Korea men marry first at 33.4 years, women 31.0 in 2022
- Canada men first marriage age 30.7 years, women 29.0 in 2021
- Australia groom's average age 32.0, bride 29.6 in 2021
- UK men first marry at 33.4 years, women 31.9 in 2021
- Brazil average first marriage age men 29.5, women 27.2 in 2022
- China men 28.7, women 27.0 at first marriage in 2022
- France men 37.1, women 34.8 average at marriage in 2022
- Germany men 34.0, women 32.0 at first marriage 2022
- Mexico women first marriage 26.1 years, men 28.4 in 2021
- Sweden men 34.5, women 32.8 at first marriage 2022
- Russia men 28.2, women 25.8 first marriage 2022
- Italy men 34.3, women 31.8 average 2022
- South Africa women 27.3, men 30.2 first marriage
- New Zealand men 31.8, women 29.9 in 2022
- Turkey men 27.5, women 24.8 first marriage 2022
- Spain men 35.1, women 32.7 average 2022
- Indonesia women 21.9, men 25.7 first marriage
- Poland men 29.7, women 27.5 first marriage 2022
- Netherlands men 33.2, women 30.9 2022
- Thailand men 28.5, women 25.9 average marriage age
Age and Timing of Marriage Interpretation
The modern globe seems to have collectively decided that finding oneself is now a prerequisite to finding a spouse, pushing the average age at first marriage into a steady, international climb that reflects more life before 'I do'.
Demographic Variations in Marriage
- In the US, 35% of adults aged 25-54 with a bachelor's degree are married, vs 48% with high school diploma
- Black Americans have lowest marriage rate at 17.3% for ages 25-54 in 2021
- In US, Asian adults most likely married (61%) ages 25+
- US Hispanic marriage rate 42% for ages 25-54
- College-educated US women aged 25-54 married at 65%, non-college 52%
- In EU, urban areas have 5% lower marriage rates than rural
- Japan marriage rates lower in Tokyo (3.8/1000) vs national 4.1 in 2022
- In India, urban women marriage age higher (23.3) than rural (21.8)
- South Korea Seoul divorce rate 2.1/1000 vs national 1.7
- Canada Indigenous peoples have 20% lower marriage rates
- Australia Indigenous marriage rate 3.1/1000 vs non-Indigenous 4.6
- UK marriage rates higher among South Asians (55%) vs Whites (48%)
- Brazil Northeast region marriage rate 2.8/1000 vs South 3.9
- China urban marriage rate 5.2/1000, rural 6.8 in 2022
- France overseas departments divorce 15% higher than mainland
- Germany East vs West marriage rates 4.2 vs 3.8/1000
- US same-sex marriages 2% of total, but growing 12% yearly
- Mexico indigenous groups marriage age lower by 2 years
- Sweden immigrant divorce rate 50% higher than natives
- Russia Muslim regions higher marriage rates 7.2/1000 vs average 5.2
- Italy Southern regions marriage rate 3.5 vs North 2.6/1000
- South Africa urban divorce 0.4/1000 vs rural 0.2
- New Zealand Maori marriage rate 3.5/1000 vs European 4.4
- Turkey Kurdish areas marriage rate 8.1/1000 vs West 5.5
- Spain Catalonia divorce 1.6/1000 vs Andalusia 1.2
- Indonesia Java marriage age higher (24y women) vs Outer Islands (22y)
- Poland rural marriage 5.0/1000 vs urban 4.1
- Netherlands higher educated divorce 20% lower
- Thailand Bangkok marriage rate 2.8/1000 vs Northeast 4.0
Demographic Variations in Marriage Interpretation
This sprawling global map of matrimony reveals a story where education, ethnicity, geography, and tradition conspire to choreograph a dizzying dance of vows, where the only universal truth is that the very idea of marriage is being quietly, persistently, and unevenly rewritten in the ledger books of every culture.
Divorce and Dissolution Rates
- In 2022, the US crude divorce rate was 2.4 per 1,000 population
- Globally, about 45% of first marriages end in divorce within 20 years
- In the EU, the crude divorce rate averaged 1.7 per 1,000 in 2021, highest in Lithuania at 3.1
- Japan's divorce rate reached 1.9 per 1,000 in 2022
- US divorce rate for first marriages is 41%, for second 60%, third 73%
- South Korea's divorce rate fell to 1.7 per 1,000 in 2022
- In Canada, 2022 divorce rate was 1.9 per 1,000, with 45,043 divorces granted
- Australia's divorce rate stable at 2.2 per 1,000 in 2021
- UK divorce rate was 6.6 per 1,000 married women in 2022
- Brazil's divorce rate rose to 2.6 per 1,000 in 2022
- In the US, 689,308 divorces were granted in 2021
- China's divorce rate dropped 10.9% in 2022 to 2.0 per 1,000
- France recorded 124 divorces per 1,000 marriages in 2022
- Germany's divorce rate was 1.7 per 1,000 in 2022
- Mexico's divorce rate increased to 1.3 per 1,000 in 2021
- Sweden's divorce rate was 2.3 per 1,000 in 2022
- Russia's divorce rate was 4.7 per 1,000 in 2022, highest in Europe
- Italy's divorce rate was 1.5 per 1,000 in 2022
- In the US, median duration of marriages ending in divorce was 8 years in 2021
- New Zealand divorce rate 1.8 per 1,000 in 2022
- Turkey's divorce rate rose to 2.0 per 1,000 in 2022
- Spain divorce rate 1.4 per 1,000 in 2022
- In South Africa, divorces totaled 20,076 in 2022, rate 0.3 per 1,000
- Poland divorce rate 1.5 per 1,000 in 2022
- Netherlands divorce rate 1.6 per 1,000 in 2022
- Thailand divorce rate 1.1 per 1,000 in 2022
Divorce and Dissolution Rates Interpretation
While the global march toward 'happily ever after' seems perpetually delayed, the data suggests that marital success, much like a good joke, relies heavily on timing, delivery, and knowing when to exit before the punchline grows stale.
Economic and Social Impacts of Marriage
- Married US men earn 10-40% more than single men with same education
- US married couples median household income $106,000 vs singles $51,000 in 2022
- Globally, married individuals have 20% lower mortality risk
- In US, marriage penalty affects 45% of couples under tax code
- EU married women workforce participation 72% vs 65% unmarried
- Japan married men poverty rate 8% vs 25% unmarried
- India married women 30% less likely to be in labor force
- South Korea married households wealth 2.5x single
- Canada married seniors 15% less likely poverty
- Australia marriage linked to 12% higher lifetime earnings
- UK married couples 70% own homes vs 40% singles
- Brazil favelas marriage correlates with 18% higher income
- China married rural migrants remit 25% more home
- France married dual-earner households 55% vs 35% unmarried
- Germany marriage wage premium 4% for women, 15% men
- Mexico married men employment rate 85% vs 70% single
- Sweden social benefits usage 40% lower for married
- Russia married pensioners 22% higher disposable income
- US married parents child poverty 6% vs 30% single parents
- Italy Southern married unemployment 12% vs 18% unmarried
- South Africa married Black households income 1.5x unmarried
- New Zealand marriage associated with 10% mental health improvement
- Turkey married women labor participation 35% vs 50% unmarried
- Spain married immigrants integration 25% faster economically
- Indonesia married farmers productivity 15% higher
- Poland married youth homeownership 45% vs 20%
- Netherlands health costs 18% lower for married elderly
- Thailand married couples savings rate 22% vs 12% singles
Economic and Social Impacts of Marriage Interpretation
Marriage appears to be the world's most heavily debated economic stimulus package, consistently boosting bank accounts and life expectancy across continents while still managing to annoy nearly half of American couples at tax time.
Marriage Rates and Prevalence
- In 2022, the US crude marriage rate was 6.2 marriages per 1,000 total population, marking a slight increase from 2021
- Globally, approximately 44% of adults aged 25-49 were married in 2021, down from 50% in 2000
- In the European Union, the average crude marriage rate in 2021 was 4.2 per 1,000 inhabitants, varying from 1.9 in Italy to 6.5 in Romania
- Japan's marriage rate dropped to 4.1 per 1,000 people in 2022, the lowest since records began in 1973
- In India, there were about 8.4 million marriages registered in 2021, with a rate of 6.0 per 1,000 population
- South Korea's crude marriage rate fell to 2.5 per 1,000 in 2022, continuing a decade-long decline
- In Canada, 2022 saw 146,994 marriages, a rate of 3.8 per 1,000 population, up 13.5% from 2021
- Australia's marriage rate in 2021 was 4.5 per 1,000, with 113,815 marriages registered
- In the UK, marriages totaled 254,960 in 2022, a rate of 3.7 per 1,000, recovering post-COVID
- Brazil recorded 711,000 marriages in 2022, with a rate of 3.4 per 1,000 inhabitants
- In 2021, 62% of US adults aged 25 and older were married, compared to 72% in 1960
- China's marriage registrations fell 14.5% in 2022 to 6.83 million pairs
- In France, the marriage rate was 3.5 per 1,000 in 2022, with 228,000 marriages
- Germany's crude marriage rate stood at 3.9 per 1,000 in 2022
- Mexico's marriage rate was 3.2 per 1,000 in 2021, totaling 378,000 marriages
- In 2022, Sweden had a marriage rate of 4.8 per 1,000, one of the higher in Scandinavia
- Russia's marriage rate was 5.2 per 1,000 in 2022
- In South Africa, 2022 marriages numbered 112,340, rate approximately 1.9 per 1,000
- Italy's marriage rate hit a record low of 3.0 per 1,000 in 2022
- In the US, heterosexual marriages accounted for 98% of all marriages in 2021
- New Zealand's 2022 marriage rate was 4.2 per 1,000, with 18,858 ceremonies
- Turkey registered 565,435 marriages in 2022, rate 6.5 per 1,000
- In Spain, marriages totaled 87,300 in 2022, rate 1.9 per 1,000
- Indonesia's marriage rate was 5.8 per 1,000 in 2022
- In 2021, 49% of US women aged 18-29 had never been married, up from 30% in 1990
- Poland's marriage rate rose to 4.5 per 1,000 in 2022
- Argentina had 104,000 marriages in 2022, rate 2.3 per 1,000
- In the US, the marriage rate for Black adults is 30.5 per 1,000, lower than 50.4 for White adults in 2021
- Netherlands marriage rate was 3.8 per 1,000 in 2022
- In 2022, Thailand's marriages declined 15% to 235,000, rate 3.3 per 1,000
Marriage Rates and Prevalence Interpretation
The institution of marriage is engaged in a complex, global game of musical chairs: while some nations are tentatively returning to their seats with a post-pandemic sigh, others, like Japan and South Korea, are walking away from the table altogether, leaving sociologists wondering if the music might be slowing down for good.
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