Average Age Increase at Marriage
From 2013 to 2023, the
average age of men at
marriage in Denmark has increased by
1.2 years, from
38.6 to
39.8. For women, this increase is slightly lower at
1.6 years, moving from
35.8 to
37.4. This indicates a gradual societal shift towards older marriage ages over the past decade.
Gender Age Gap at Marriage
Throughout the observed decade, men have consistently married at an older age than women. The age gap between men and women has remained relatively stable, fluctuating slightly but maintaining an average of approximately
2.4 years. This gap was the smallest in 2013 and 2014 at
2.8 years and the largest in 2023 at
2.4 years.
Stability in Recent Years
Since 2016, the average marriage age for both genders has shown signs of stabilizing. Specifically, from 2016 to 2017, there was no change in the average marriage age, which stood firm at
38.8 years for men and
36.0 years for women. This period of stability suggests a plateau in the societal changes affecting marriage age.
Rapid Increase for Women
While both men and women have seen increases in their average ages at marriage, women experienced a slightly more rapid increase relative to their starting point. Their average age at marriage increased by
1.6 years over the decade, as opposed to men's
1.2-year increase. This suggests a changing dynamic in
gender roles and societal expectations around marriage.
Peak and Rebound in Men's Marriage Age
Men's average age at marriage peaked in 2020 at
39.1 years before slightly decreasing to
38.9 years in 2021, and then rising again to
39.8 years by 2023. This fluctuation suggests that external factors, potentially economic or social, may have temporarily influenced the decision to marry at older ages.
Comparison with Historical Norms
The trend towards older marriage ages represents a significant shift from historical norms, where earlier marriage was more common. The data indicates a broader societal trend towards longer periods of education, career establishment, and personal development before marriage.