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The global trend suggests that people are delaying marriage for longer than the previous generations. The number of people that are committing to marriage is dropping. Marriage is the legal and formal union between two partners engaged in a personal relationship. The average age of marriage varies from one country to another. The decision to get married is affected by several factors such as family background, career, financial stability, and academic pursuit. The following are countries with the oldest average marrying age.

Countries With the Oldest Average Marrying Age

Sweden

The average marrying age in Sweden is 34.8 years. Men in the country marry at an average of 36 whereas women get married at an average of 33.5 years. In Sweden, more couples choose partnership over marriage because they feel comfortable being partners rather than being married. The idea of a partnership over marriage is not isolated to Sweden; it is a practice common in many of the Scandinavian countries. For those who decided to get married, education and career are given priority rather than starting a family. The Swedes also tend to prefer achieving personal dreams before settling down in a marriage.

Chile

The average age of marriage in Chile is 34 years. Men get married at 35.3 years while women get married at 32.6 years. Chile is the only country in South America that seems to defy the continental trend of getting marriage below the age of 30. The trend in Chile is attributed to the national culture where people have adopted the idea of getting married between the age of 33 and 35. It is also a culture that people have to date for about 3 to 5 years before getting married.

Iceland

The age of marriage in Iceland is 33.7 years, 34.6 for men and 33.7 for women. Iceland is a Scandinavian country just like Sweden, and partners prefer partnership rather than marriage. The population factor also contributes to the older age of marriage considering that the country鈥檚 population is about 350,000. More people are getting married to immigrants or leaving the country altogether to get married abroad.

Spain

The average age of marriage in Spain is 33.4 years: 34.5 for men and 32.3 for women. Spain is among the countries where the rate of marriages in society is dropping. The younger generation has shunned the idea of getting married early in life and instead opted to pursue personal achievements as well as careers. The "express divorce" law allows for faster divorce with little legal repercussions, and the number of divorces in the country is discouraging the younger generation from marriage.

The Relationship Between Marriage and the Economy

Trends across the globe show that there exists a correlation between the average age of marriage and the economy. People in larger economies who receive better per capita income are more likely to delay marriage compared to people in smaller economies. In Europe for example, the average age is about 30 years whereas in Africa it is about 22 years.