In recent years, the average age for first marriages has been steadily rising in China. This reflects broader global trends of people getting married later as attitudes about marriage evolve. However, there are still noticeable differences between marriage ages in urban and rural areas of China.
Legal Marriage Age in China
The legal age for marriage in China is 20 years old for women and 22 years old for men. These minimum ages were established in the 1950 Marriage Law following the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Prior to this law, it was common for marriages to be arranged at very young ages, particularly for girls.
The 1950 law helped delay marriages and promoted more free choice in spouse selection, aligning with Communist Party goals of gender equality. The majority of Chinese citizens now exercise their right to choose their own marriage partners. However, the legal minimum marriage ages remain and are still enforced in practice.
Average Marriage Age in China
Despite the legal minimum marriage ages, the average age that people first get married in China has climbed higher in recent decades:
- In 1990, the average age for first marriage was about 24 years old for Chinese women and 26 years old for men.
- By 2000, the average age rose to 25 years old for women and 27 years old for men.
- The most recent data from 2015 indicates the mean age for first marriage has now increased to 28 years old for Chinese women and 30 years old for men.
So within just 25 years, the average marriage age increased by about 4 years for both genders in China. This reflects global trends seen in many countries of people getting married later as cultural views on marriage shift.
Average Marriage Age in Cities vs Rural Areas
There remain significant discrepancies between the average marriage ages in urban centers compared to rural villages and towns in China:
| Area | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| Major Cities | 29 | 31 |
| Towns and Rural Areas | 25 | 27 |
The data shows women marry about 4 years later in big cities compared to rural regions. For men, the gap is even larger at about 6 years difference between cities and rural areas.
Several factors likely contribute to these urban-rural discrepancies in China:
- Better education and career opportunities exist in cities, leading both women and men to delay marriage.
- More traditional views that encourage early marriage persist in rural areas.
- The lingering influence of the one-child policy continues to put pressure on earlier marriage in rural regions.
Government policies reduced birth restrictions in 2016 to allow two children. This somewhat eased timelines for marriage and children, though the effects are uneven across China’s vast population. Big cities with greater education and career options for young people continue to see later average marriage ages close to 30 years old.
Education Level and Marriage Age
Higher education levels strongly correlate with older ages for first marriage in China. Data indicates:
- Women with a middle school education or less marry around age 23 on average.
- For male middle school graduates, the mean age of marriage is about 25 years old.
- Women with a high school education marry around 26 years old on average.
- Men with high school educations marry around age 28.
- Female college graduates typically marry around 29 years old.
- Male college graduates marry around age 31.
This demonstrates a very clear trend of later marriages for those pursuing higher education. The gender gap in marriage age also widens with more education. Women with a middle school education marry about 2 years later than their male peers, while women with college degrees marry around 4 years after their male counterparts.
Comparing Marriage Ages in China and the United States
It is interesting to compare the average marriage ages in China to the United States. While delayed marriage is an international phenomenon, there are some interesting cultural differences between the two countries:
| Country | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| China | 28 years old | 30 years old |
| United States | 27 years old | 29 years old |
American women marry about 1 year younger on average than their Chinese counterparts. For American men, the average age of first marriage is about 1 year younger than Chinese men.
However, China has seen a faster rate of increase in marriage ages over the past decades. From 1990 to 2015, the average marriage age rose 4 years in China versus only about 2 years in the United States. If these trends continue, marriage ages in China could surpass those in America in the future.
Trends Among Highly Educated Professionals
Highly educated young professionals in major Chinese cities are pushing the boundaries of societal norms by delaying marriages even further. For example, among college-educated Chinese born after 1980 in Beijing, Shanghai, and other big cities:
- Only 40% of women are married by age 30 (compared to over 90% two decades ago).
- Just 30% of highly educated men in major cities are married by age 30.
These urban millennials and younger generations are delaying marriage into their early 30s as they focus on education and career development. This reflects growing individualism in China’s advanced urban centers. Many young couples are also deterred by high costs of housing, weddings, and child-rearing.
With greater gender equality and more life options for educated women, the tradition of very early marriage for Chinese women has been drastically reformed. Highly educated urban couples marrying in their early 30s could become the new norm. However, earlier marriages still predominate in rural areas where traditional gender roles persist.
Conclusion
Over the past few decades, the average age of first marriage has steadily risen in China, with educated urban residents marrying the latest. The average age is now around 28 years old for Chinese women and 30 years old for men, up significantly from just 25 and 27 years old respectively in 1990.
Major factors driving delayed marriage include better education and career opportunities, high costs of living and marriage, and evolving cultural attitudes. Highly educated professionals in big cities are pushing normative boundaries further by marrying in their early 30s.
Earlier marriage ages persist in rural areas, leading to urban-rural discrepancies of 4-6 years difference. But overall, China reflects global shifts toward later marriages, especially for educated women seeking greater independence and personal fulfillment.