Title: Median Age of First Marriage by Gender (1890 to 2018)
Headings: Estimated Median Age of First Marriage by Gender: 1890 to 2018
Estimated Median Age of First Marriage by Gender: 1890 to 2018
Couples are waiting longer to get married every year
Impact of Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage
The State of Marriage

Content: While historically women married at an age that was three years younger than men, that gap has been slowly but steadily decreasing. Now they are only separated by two years, on average. Here are the statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau of the median age at first marriage and a graph of the data going back to 1890. Year
Men
Woman
2018
29.8
27.8
2017
29.5
27.4
2016
29.5
27.4
2015
29.2
27.1
2014
29.3
27.0
2013
29.0
26.6
2012
28.6
26.6
2011
28.7
26.5
2010
28.2
26.1
2009
28.1
25.9
2008
27.6
25.9
2007
17.5
25.6
2006
27.5
25.5
2005
27.1
25.3
2004
27.4
25.3
2003
27.1
25.3
2002
26.9
25.3
2001
26.9
25.1
2000
26.8
25.1
1999
26.9
25.1
1998
26.7
25.0
1997
26.8
25.0
1996
27.1
24.8
1995
26.9
24.5
1994
26.7
24.5
1993
26.5
24.5
1992
26.5
24.4
1991
26.3
24.1
1990
26.1
23.9
1989
26.2
23.8
1988
25.9
23.6
1987
25.8
23.6
1986
25.7
23.1
1985
25.5
23.3
1984
25.4
23.0
1983
25.4
22.8
1982
25.2
22.5
1981
24.8
22.3
1980
24.7
22.0
1979
24.4
22.1
1978
24.2
21.8
1977
24.0
21.6
1976
23.8
21.3
1975
23.5
21.1
1974
23.1
21.1
1973
23.2
21.0
1972
23.3
20.9
1971
23.1
20.9
1970
23.2
20.8
1969
23.2
20.8
1968
23.1
20.8
1967
23.1
20.6
1966
22.8
20.5
1965
22.8
20.6
1964
23.1
20.5
1963
22.8
20.5
1962
22.7
20.3
1961
22.8
20.3
1960
22.8
20.3
1959
22.5
20.2
1958
22.6
20.2
1957
22.6
20.3
1956
22.5
20.1
1955
22.6
20.2
1954
23.0
20.3
1953
22.8
20.2
1952
23.0
20.2
1951
22.9
20.4
1950
22.8
20.3
1949
22.7
20.3
1948
23.3
20.4
1947
23.7
20.4
1940
24.3
21.5
1930
24.3
21.3
1920
24.6
21.2
1910
25.1
21.6
1900
26.1
22.0
1890
26.1
22.0
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the figures reported for 1947 to 1999 are based on Current Population Survey data. The figures for years prior to 1947 are based on decennial censuses. A standard error of 0.1 years is appropriate to measure sampling variability for any of the above estimated median ages at first marriage based on Current Population Survey data. Impact of Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage
The legalization of same-sex marriage in mid-2015 may have resulted in raising the average age of first marriage in the years that followed. Long-committed couples were finally able to be legally wed. One survey in 2017 found that the average marrying age for male-male couples was 46 and for female-female couples was 36. However, the trend had been upwards for male-female couples for decades and there is no obvious change in that rate from looking at the graphs.