Age at first marriage, female by country

Mean age at marriage, female shows the average length of single life expressed in years among those females who marry before age 50. It is a synthetic indicator calculated from marital status categories of men and women aged 15 to 54 at the census or survey date.

Countries reporting

166

Highest

Slovenia

Lowest

Barbados

Median

23.4

Years covered

1960–2019

Data points

1,932

What the numbers show

Age at first marriage, female is currently reported for 166 countries. The highest value is 34 in Slovenia; the lowest is 17 in Barbados.

The median across all reporting countries is 23.4, and the mean is 24.92.

The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 2.

Over the past decade 103 countries rose and 51 fell. The largest increase was in Sudan (up 46.0%), and the largest decrease in Belize (down 28.3%).

Age at first marriage, female: full country ranking

#	Country	Latest	Year	10-year change	Trend
1	Slovenia	34	2018	up 4.6%	rising
2	Estonia	33.6	2018	up 30.7%	rising
3	Greenland	32.9	2018	up 6.5%	rising
3	Hungary	32.9	2018	up 8.9%	rising
5	New Caledonia	32.8	2014	up 2.8%	rising
6	Lithuania	32.7	2018	up 20.7%	rising
7	Bulgaria	32.6	2018	up 24.4%	rising
8	Czechia	32.4	2018	up 10.6%	rising
8	Ireland	32.4	2016	up 3.2%	rising
8	Iceland	32.4	2018	up 17.4%	rising
8	Netherlands	32.4	2018	up 3.8%	rising
12	Italy	32.2	2018	up 13.0%	rising
13	Norway	32.1	2018	up 0.6%	rising
14	France	32	2013	up 3.2%	rising
15	Bermuda	31.9	2016	up 4.2%	rising
15	Denmark	31.9	2018	up 3.6%	rising
17	Germany	31.7	2018	up 2.3%	rising
18	South Korea	31.5	2015	up 9.4%	rising
19	San Marino	31.3	2018	up 8.7%	rising
20	Faroe Islands	31	2018	up 1.0%	rising
20	Slovakia	31	2018	up 9.5%	rising
20	Sweden	31	2018	down 2.5%	rising
23	Switzerland	30.9	2017	up 3.3%	rising
24	Finland	30.7	2018	up 1.0%	rising
24	Luxembourg	30.7	2018	up 10.0%	rising
26	New Zealand	30.5	2006	up 20.1%	rising
27	Latvia	30.4	2018	up 5.6%	rising
28	Macao	30.3	2011	up 8.6%	rising
28	Namibia	30.3	2016	up 7.1%	rising
30	Portugal	30.1	2011	up 17.6%	rising
31	Australia	29.9	2016	up 0.7%	rising
31	Hong Kong	29.9	2016	down 1.3%	rising
31	Liechtenstein	29.9	2018	up 1.7%	rising
34	Suriname	29.3	2012	up 40.9%	rising
35	Japan	29.2	2015	down 0.7%	rising
35	Puerto Rico	29.2	2010	up 29.2%	rising
35	Trinidad and Tobago	29.2	2011	up 3.9%	rising
38	Gibraltar	29.1	2012	up 8.6%	rising
39	Algeria	28.2	2012	down 4.4%	rising
39	Tunisia	28.2	2014	down 1.7%	rising
41	Malta	28	2011	—	rising
42	Bahamas	27.9	2010	up 1.8%	rising
42	Singapore	27.9	2010	up 5.3%	rising
44	Spain	27.7	2011	down 5.5%	rising
45	United States	27.5	2010	up 16.0%	rising
46	Chile	27.4	2011	up 11.4%	rising
47	Canada	27.2	2016	up 2.3%	rising
47	South Africa	27.2	2016	down 2.9%	rising
49	Austria	27.1	2011	up 1.9%	rising
50	United Kingdom	27	2011	up 2.7%	rising
51	Bahrain	26.9	2010	up 2.3%	flat
52	Poland	26.6	2011	up 5.1%	rising
52	Saudi Arabia	26.6	2017	up 6.8%	rising
52	Serbia	26.6	2014	up 2.7%	flat
55	Eswatini	26.5	2014	unchanged	flat
56	Costa Rica	26.4	2018	up 9.5%	rising
56	Cyprus	26.4	2011	up 4.8%	rising
58	Belgium	26.3	2011	down 7.4%	rising
59	Israel	26.2	2016	up 1.6%	rising
60	Brunei	26.1	2011	—	rising
61	Romania	25.9	2011	up 2.8%	rising
62	Kuwait	25.7	2011	down 6.5%	rising
63	China	25.4	2016	up 8.1%	rising
63	Syria	25.4	2006	unchanged	rising
65	Jamaica	25.3	2011	up 0.4%	falling
65	Tonga	25.3	2016	down 1.2%	flat
67	Seychelles	25.2	2002	up 1.6%	flat
68	Moldova	25	2014	up 5.5%	rising
69	Haiti	24.9	2016	up 12.2%	rising
70	Jordan	24.6	2018	down 4.7%	rising
71	Morocco	24.4	2018	down 7.2%	rising
72	Rwanda	24.3	2015	up 2.5%	rising
73	Albania	24.2	2018	down 1.6%	rising
73	Armenia	24.2	2015	up 5.2%	rising
73	Azerbaijan	24.2	2018	down 0.8%	flat
76	Guinea-Bissau	24.1	2014	up 11.1%	rising
77	Bolivia	24	2016	up 5.7%	rising
78	Brazil	23.9	2010	up 3.5%	flat
78	Sri Lanka	23.9	2016	up 1.3%	flat
78	Mauritius	23.9	2011	up 5.8%	rising
81	Samoa	23.8	2016	down 2.1%	rising
82	Ghana	23.7	2017	up 3.9%	rising
83	Philippines	23.4	2017	up 0.4%	flat
83	Turkey	23.4	2013	unchanged	rising
85	Peru	23.3	2016	down 4.5%	flat
86	Mexico	23.2	2019	down 4.1%	rising
86	Pakistan	23.2	2017	up 0.4%	rising
88	Iran	23.1	2016	down 1.7%	rising
88	Sierra Leone	23.1	2017	up 12.7%	rising
90	Cote d'Ivoire	23	2016	up 16.8%	rising
90	Mongolia	23	2013	up 3.1%	rising
90	East Timor	23	2016	up 0.9%	rising
90	Ukraine	23	2012	up 0.9%	rising
90	Uruguay	23	2013	—	flat
95	Botswana	22.9	2017	down 7.7%	flat
95	Myanmar	22.9	2016	down 12.3%	rising
95	Venezuela	22.9	2011	up 0.9%	rising
98	Burundi	22.8	2016	up 5.6%	rising
98	Cape Verde	22.8	2005	down 4.2%	flat
98	Georgia	22.8	2014	down 4.6%	flat
98	Vietnam	22.8	2015	down 1.7%	flat
98	Yemen	22.8	2013	up 2.7%	rising
103	Colombia	22.7	2015	down 1.3%	flat
103	Guatemala	22.7	2018	up 3.2%	rising
103	Iraq	22.7	2012	down 10.3%	rising
106	Comoros	22.6	2012	up 8.7%	rising
106	Liberia	22.6	2013	up 2.3%	rising
106	El Salvador	22.6	2014	up 2.7%	rising
109	Belarus	22.5	2012	down 1.3%	rising
109	Maldives	22.5	2017	up 0.4%	rising
109	Thailand	22.5	2012	down 6.6%	rising
109	Uzbekistan	22.5	2006	up 9.2%	rising
109	Vanuatu	22.5	2009	down 2.2%	flat
114	Indonesia	22.4	2017	up 0.4%	rising
114	Kazakhstan	22.4	2015	down 3.9%	rising
114	Solomon Islands	22.4	2015	up 7.2%	flat
117	Egypt	22.3	2017	down 1.8%	flat
118	Cameroon	22.2	2014	up 10.4%	rising
118	Lesotho	22.2	2014	down 1.3%	rising
118	Senegal	22.2	2017	up 4.7%	rising
121	Cuba	22.1	2014	up 4.7%	rising
121	Palestine	22.1	2017	down 0.5%	flat
123	Congo	21.9	2015	unchanged	flat
123	Kenya	21.9	2014	up 2.3%	rising
123	Paraguay	21.9	2016	down 3.1%	flat
123	Sudan	21.9	2014	up 46.0%	flat
127	Ecuador	21.8	2010	down 2.2%	flat
127	Mauritania	21.8	2015	down 0.9%	rising
127	Zambia	21.8	2014	up 6.3%	rising
130	Cambodia	21.6	2014	down 5.3%	flat
130	Kiribati	21.6	2010	down 0.5%	flat
132	Afghanistan	21.5	2015	unchanged	rising
132	Dominican Republic	21.5	2014	down 1.8%	flat
134	India	21.4	2016	up 5.9%	rising
134	Papua New Guinea	21.4	2016	unchanged	rising
136	Ethiopia	21.3	2016	up 1.9%	rising
136	Togo	21.3	2017	down 2.3%	rising
138	Honduras	21.2	2012	up 0.5%	rising
138	Kyrgyzstan	21.2	2014	down 5.8%	flat
138	Nigeria	21.2	2013	up 1.4%	rising
138	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	21.2	2012	unchanged	falling
142	Nicaragua	21.1	2012	up 3.4%	flat
142	Zimbabwe	21.1	2017	up 1.4%	flat
144	Panama	21	2013	down 4.1%	flat
144	Sao Tome and Principe	21	2014	up 18.6%	rising
144	Tanzania	21	2016	up 5.0%	rising
147	Democratic Republic of Congo	20.9	2014	down 0.5%	flat
148	Benin	20.7	2018	up 1.0%	rising
148	Laos	20.7	2017	down 4.6%	flat
148	Tajikistan	20.7	2017	down 9.6%	flat
148	Uganda	20.7	2016	up 1.5%	rising
152	Belize	20.5	2016	down 28.3%	flat
153	Malawi	20.4	2018	up 3.0%	rising
154	Nepal	20.1	2016	up 3.6%	rising
155	Burkina Faso	20	2017	up 1.0%	rising
156	Guinea	19.8	2014	up 2.6%	rising
157	Guyana	19.2	2014	down 15.4%	falling
158	Madagascar	19	2009	down 4.0%	falling
159	Bangladesh	18.8	2014	up 0.5%	rising
159	Mali	18.8	2018	down 5.5%	rising
159	Chad	18.8	2015	up 2.2%	flat
162	Mozambique	18.7	2017	down 1.1%	flat
163	South Sudan	18.4	2010	—	flat
164	Central African Republic	17.3	2010	down 3.4%	falling
165	Niger	17.2	2015	down 2.8%	flat
166	Barbados	17	2012	—	falling

About this data

Indicator: Age at first marriage, female
Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Marriage Data 2019
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 166 places, 1,932 data points, 1960–2019
Last refreshed: 06 August 2026