Overall Trend in Median Age at First Marriage

Men and women in the U.S. have experienced an increase in the median age at their first marriage from 1998 to 2022, with men's median age rising from 26.7 to 30.5 years and women's from 25.0 to 28.6 years. The data indicates a consistent upward trend in the age at which individuals enter into their first marriage, reflecting broader societal changes.

Rate of Increase in Median Age at First Marriage

The rate of increase in the median age at first marriage has been more pronounced for men than for women over the 24-year period. Men's median age at first marriage increased by 3.8 years, while women's increased by 3.6 years. This suggests a slight but consistent gender gap in the age at first marriage, widening over time.

Largest Yearly Increase for Men and Women

The largest single-year increase in median age at first marriage for both men and women occurred between 2015 and 2016, with men's median age jumping from 29.2 to 29.9 years and women's from 27.1 to 27.9 years. This year marks a significant point in the trend, indicating a possible acceleration in the age at which individuals marry.

Impact of 2020 on Median Age at First Marriage

In 2020, the median age at first marriage for men showed a slight decrease to 30.0 years from 30.3 years in 2019, while women's median age decreased to 28.2 years from 28.4 years. This represents a temporary reversal in the overall upward trend, possibly attributed to the global events of 2020 affecting marriage decisions.

Comparison of Initial and Final Years

Comparing the initial (1998) and final years (2022) in the dataset, the median age at first marriage has increased by approximately 14% for men and 14.4% for women. This nearly equal percentage increase underscores the parallel shifts in social norms and personal choices regarding marriage for both genders over the quarter-century.

Stability in Recent Years

The data from the most recent years, 2021 to 2022, shows a stabilization in the median age at first marriage, with both men and women having a median age of 30.6 and 28.6 years in 2021, respectively, and men slightly decreasing to 30.5 years in 2022 while women remained unchanged. This suggests a plateau in the trend, indicating that the median age at first marriage may be stabilizing after decades of increase.