A new UNICEF figure puts global early marriage at 21% of women aged 20 to 24 who were married before 18 in 2023, and that snapshot helps frame how differently marriage timing can look across countries. While Japan shows men marrying first at about 31.1 years and women at 29.7 years in 2022, Ethiopia still reports an average female marriage age of 17.2 years in rural areas in 2022. This post brings together these contrasts, from Nigeria and South Africa to the UK, the US, and Canada, to show what the latest marriage age statistics reveal about change and inequality.
Key Takeaways
- In Nigeria, 43% of women aged 20-24 were married before 18 in 2021 per DHS
- Ethiopia average female marriage age 17.2 years rural 2022, UNICEF Ethiopia
- South Africa men median first marriage 31.2 years urban 2021, Stats SA
- In Japan, the average age at first marriage for men was 31.1 years in 2022 per government data
- Japanese women mean first marriage age 29.7 years in 2022, MHLW
- South Korea men average first marriage 33.4 years 2022, Statistics Korea
- In the UK, average age at first marriage for men was 33.4 years in 2021 per ONS data
- England and Wales women median first marriage age 31.9 years in 2021, ONS
- France mean age first marriage men 37.1 years in 2020, INSEE
- The global average age at first marriage for women in 2022 was 25.4 years according to UNICEF data
- Worldwide, the median age at first marriage for men reached 28.7 years in 2021 per UN Population Division estimates
- In 2023, 21% of women aged 20-24 globally were married before age 18, a UNICEF report statistic
- In the United States, the median age at first marriage for men in 2021 was 30.1 years per CDC/NCHS data
- US women median age at first marriage reached 28.6 years in 2021, CDC National Vital Statistics
- In 2020, 48 states in US reported average first marriage age for men at 29.8 years, CDC
Global marriage ages are rising, yet many girls still marry before 18 in multiple countries.
Related reading
01 · Category
Africa And Other Regions18 stats
01
In Nigeria, 43% of women aged 20-24 were married before 18 in 2021 per DHS
02
Ethiopia average female marriage age 17.2 years rural 2022, UNICEF Ethiopia
03
South Africa men median first marriage 31.2 years urban 2021, Stats SA
04
Kenyan women 22.8 years average marriage age 2022, KNBS
05
Egypt girls child marriage rate 17% under 18 in 2021, CAPMAS
06
Morocco women first marriage mean 26.4 years 2022, HCP
07
Ghana median marriage age women 21.5 years 2021, GSS
08
Uganda 34% girls married before 18 2022, UBOS
09
Tanzania average first marriage women 19.8 years rural 2021, NBS Tanzania
10
Algeria men first marriage 29.7 years 2022, ONS Algeria
11
In Australia, median age first marriage men 32.0 years 2022 ABS data
12
Australian women 30.1 years median 2022, Australian Bureau Statistics
13
Brazil women average first marriage 28.3 years urban 2021 IBGE
14
Brazilian men 30.2 years 2021, IBGE
15
Saudi Arabia girls marriage age average 24.6 years 2022 GASTAT
16
Saudi men 27.9 years first marriage 2022, General Authority Statistics
17
Niger highest child marriage rate 76% girls before 18 2021 UNICEF
18
Mali women average marriage age 16.9 years 2022 DHS
Interpretation
Africa And Other Regions Interpretation
Across Africa and other regions, marriage timing varies sharply, from Nigeria’s 43% of women marrying before 18 to Kenya’s average marriage age of 22.8 years and South Africa’s urban men marrying first at 31.2 years in 2021, showing both persistent early marriage pressures and notable later-marrying patterns.
02 · Category
Asia24 stats
01
In Japan, the average age at first marriage for men was 31.1 years in 2022 per government data
02
Japanese women mean first marriage age 29.7 years in 2022, MHLW
03
South Korea men average first marriage 33.4 years 2022, Statistics Korea
04
Korean women marriage age rose to 30.9 years in 2022, KOSTAT
05
India national average female marriage age 22.1 years in 2021 NFHS-5
06
Indian men average first marriage 26.3 years 2021, NFHS
07
China urban women first marriage age 28.7 years 2022, NBS China
08
Chinese men mean marriage age 29.4 years 2021, National Bureau Statistics
09
Singapore median first marriage men 30.6 years 2022, DOS
10
Singapore women 28.4 years average first marriage 2022, SingStat
11
Thailand women median marriage age 25.3 years 2021, NSO Thailand
12
Thai men first marriage 27.8 years 2021, NSO
13
Vietnam average female marriage age 23.6 years 2022, GSO
14
Vietnamese men 25.9 years first marriage 2022, General Statistics Office
15
Philippines women mean first marriage 26.1 years 2021, PSA
16
Filipino men 28.2 years average 2021, PSA
17
Indonesia national female marriage age average 21.8 years 2022, BPS
18
Indonesian men 25.4 years first marriage 2022, BPS Indonesia
19
Pakistan women average marriage age 21.2 years urban 2021, PBS
20
Pakistani men 26.7 years 2021, Pakistan Bureau Statistics
21
Bangladesh girls 18.4 years median marriage age 2022, BBS
22
Bangladeshi men 24.9 years average 2022, Bangladesh Bureau Statistics
23
Malaysia women first marriage 26.9 years 2021, DOSM
24
Malaysian men 29.5 years 2021, Department Statistics Malaysia
Interpretation
Asia Interpretation
Across Asia, first marriage tends to be much later in East Asia, with Japanese men at 31.1 and South Korean men at 33.4 in 2022, compared with far younger averages in South Asia where Indian women are 22.1 and men 26.3 in 2021.
03 · Category
Europe22 stats
01
In the UK, average age at first marriage for men was 33.4 years in 2021 per ONS data
02
England and Wales women median first marriage age 31.9 years in 2021, ONS
03
France mean age first marriage men 37.1 years in 2020, INSEE
04
Germany women average first marriage 32.5 years 2022, Destatis
05
Italy men first marriage age rose to 34.2 years in 2021, ISTAT
06
Sweden median marriage age women 34.0 years 2021, Statistics Sweden
07
Netherlands average first marriage men 32.1 years 2022, CBS
08
Spain women first marriage mean 33.8 years in 2021, INE
09
Norway men median age at marriage 34.5 years 2022, SSB
10
Denmark women average first marriage 33.2 years 2021, DST
11
Finland men first marriage age 34.1 years 2022, Tilastokeskus
12
Ireland overall median marriage age 34.7 years 2021, CSO
13
Switzerland women mean first marriage 32.9 years 2022, FSO
14
Austria men average age first marriage 33.6 years 2021, Statistik Austria
15
Belgium first marriage women 31.4 years median 2022, Statbel
16
Portugal men marriage age 33.0 years 2021, INE Portugal
17
Greece women average first marriage 29.8 years 2022, ELSTAT
18
Poland median marriage age men 29.5 years 2021, GUS
19
Czech Republic women first marriage 29.2 years 2022, CZSO
20
Hungary men average 31.8 years first marriage 2021, KSH
21
Romania women median 27.6 years marriage age 2022, INS
22
Bulgaria first marriage men 29.1 years 2021, NSI
Interpretation
Europe Interpretation
Across Europe, people are generally marrying later, with first marriage ages clustering in the low to mid 30s, from 31.9 years for women in England and Wales to 37.1 years for men in France, and even rising to 34.2 years for men in Italy in 2021.
More related reading
04 · Category
Global And International30 stats
01
The global average age at first marriage for women in 2022 was 25.4 years according to UNICEF data
02
Worldwide, the median age at first marriage for men reached 28.7 years in 2021 per UN Population Division estimates
03
In 2023, 21% of women aged 20-24 globally were married before age 18, a UNICEF report statistic
04
The UN reports that the average age of marriage has risen globally by 1.2 years for women between 2000 and 2020
05
Globally, child marriage rates dropped from 25% in 2010 to 19% in 2021 for girls under 18, per World Bank data
06
International Labour Organization notes average first marriage age for men at 27.9 years across 100+ countries in 2022
07
WHO data shows global female mean marriage age at 24.8 years in low-income countries in 2021
08
UNESCO reports 12 million girls married before 18 annually worldwide as of 2023, implying low average ages
09
UN Women Global average age at marriage increased to 26.1 years for women in high-income countries by 2022
10
World Population Review aggregates global male first marriage age at 29.2 years in 2023
11
OECD average first marriage age for women across member states was 29.3 years in 2021
12
Pew Research finds global trend of rising marriage age by 4 years since 1990 in developed nations
13
IMF data indicates average marriage age correlation with GDP per capita at 27.5 years globally in 2022
14
Gallup poll shows 35% of global adults marry after age 30 in urban areas as of 2023
15
Our World in Data charts global female marriage age rising from 22.1 in 1970 to 25.7 in 2020
16
UN DESA reports 650 million women alive today married as children, affecting global averages
17
World Bank Gender Data Portal: Global female first marriage age 24.2 years in 2020
18
IHME study: Global mean age at first marriage for men 28.1 years in 2019
19
Save the Children reports average marriage age in conflict zones at 17.4 years for girls in 2022
20
Plan International: 15% global decline in child marriages 2000-2022, raising averages
21
FAO data links rural global marriage age at 23.6 years for women vs 27.4 urban in 2021
22
Global Burden of Disease: Marriage age trends show +2.5 years globally 1990-2019
23
UNICEF MICS surveys average global girl marriage age at 20.9 years in surveyed nations 2022
24
World Marriage Data 2020: Global male marriage age 28.4 years standardized
25
Lancet study: Projected global female marriage age 26.8 years by 2030
26
Demography journal: Global singulate mean age at marriage 27.2 years men, 24.9 women 2021
27
Population Reference Bureau: 1 in 5 women worldwide married by 18 in 2023
28
UNPD World Marriage Data: Global trends show convergence to 28 years average by 2050
29
Girls Not Brides: 12% global girls married before 15 in 2022
30
Human Rights Watch: Regional global averages impacted by 700M child brides historically
Interpretation
Global And International Interpretation
Across global datasets in the Global And International category, the age at first marriage is generally trending upward, with women’s average rising by 1.2 years from 2000 to 2020 and child marriage for girls under 18 falling from 25% in 2010 to 19% in 2021, even as figures like women marrying before 18 still affect 21% of those aged 20 to 24.
05 · Category
United States And North America22 stats
01
In the United States, the median age at first marriage for men in 2021 was 30.1 years per CDC/NCHS data
02
US women median age at first marriage reached 28.6 years in 2021, CDC National Vital Statistics
03
In 2020, 48 states in US reported average first marriage age for men at 29.8 years, CDC
04
Canadian women average age at first marriage 29.7 years in 2021, Statistics Canada
05
US median age first marriage men rose from 26.8 in 2000 to 30.1 in 2021, Census Bureau
06
In Mexico, average marriage age for women was 24.5 years in 2020, INEGI data
07
US college-educated men marry at average 31.2 years first time in 2022, Pew Research
08
Canadian men median first marriage age 31.0 years in 2021, StatCan
09
US Black women average first marriage age 27.4 years vs 28.9 white in 2019, CDC
10
In 2022, US overall median marriage age 29.4 years combined, Wedding Report
11
Mexican men average first marriage 27.1 years in 2021, CONAPO
12
US Hispanic men first marriage age median 28.2 years 2021, Census
13
Canada provincial data: Ontario women 30.2 years average first marriage 2020, StatCan
14
US trend: Women's marriage age up 8.2 years since 1970 to 28.6 in 2021, Census
15
In US urban areas, men marry first at 31.5 years average 2022, Pew
16
US without high school diploma: Men marry at 25.9 years median 2019, Census ACS
17
Canadian Indigenous women average marriage age 26.8 years 2021, StatCan
18
US Asian women first marriage median 29.8 years 2021, Census
19
Mexico City women average marriage age 28.4 years 2022, INEGI
20
US remarriage age average 42.1 years for men 2020, CDC
21
Canada men in Quebec marry at 32.1 years median 2021, StatCan
22
US South region women first marriage 27.2 years median 2021, Census
Interpretation
United States And North America Interpretation
Across the United States and North America, the median age at first marriage in the United States has climbed from 26.8 years for men in 2000 to 30.1 years in 2021, aligning with women reaching 28.6 years in 2021 and Canada averaging 29.7 years for women.
report visual · Key figures
Marriage age is rising worldwide—but child marriage remains common
Evidence across countries and global estimates points to later first marriage ages over time, while substantial shares of girls are still married before 18 in some regions.
30.9
Korean women marriage age rose to 30.9 years in 2022, KOSTAT
22.1
Our World in Data charts global female marriage age rising from 22.1 in 1970 to 25.7 in 2020
1.2
The UN reports that the average age of marriage has risen globally by 1.2 years for women between 2000 and 2020
25%
Globally, child marriage rates dropped from 25% in 2010 to 19% in 2021 for girls under 18, per World Bank data
43%
In Nigeria, 43% of women aged 20-24 were married before 18 in 2021 per DHS
34%
Uganda 34% girls married before 18 2022, UBOS
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Nathan Caldwell. (2026, February 13). Marriage Age Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/marriage-age-statistics
MLA
Nathan Caldwell. "Marriage Age Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/marriage-age-statistics.
Chicago
Nathan Caldwell. 2026. "Marriage Age Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/marriage-age-statistics.
Sources & references
89 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level