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Mean age at first marriage of women and men in the EU

Topic: Population and health

Women in Spain and Sweden are 35.2 years old on average at their first marriage, against 28.4 years in Romania.

In 2024, 20 of the 27 EU countries had a figure for the mean age at first marriage. The figure is an average of the ages, weighted by that year's first-marriage rates at each age.

Figures for:
2024.
Covers:
the whole year.
New data:
once a year.
Dataset updated:
30 April 2026.

Published 12 November 2026

20 / 27 EU countries ranked

The ranking

In 2024, the mean age of women at their first marriage was lowest in Romania, at 28.4 years, and highest in Spain and Sweden, at 35.2 years.

Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland and Malta have no value for this period.

Mean age of women at their first marriage, years

2024
2830323436years
Rank 1: Spain, 35.2 years
Rank 1: Sweden, 35.2 years
Rank 3: Italy, 34.2 years
Rank 4: Portugal, 33.3 years
Rank 5: Netherlands, 33.0 years
Rank 6: Austria, 32.8 years
Rank 7: Luxembourg, 32.7 years
Rank 8: Finland, 32.5 years
Rank 9: Slovenia, 31.9 years
Rank 10: Greece, 31.4 years
Rank 11: Estonia, 30.8 years
Rank 12: Latvia, 30.6 years
Rank 13: Czechia, 30.4 years
Rank 14: Hungary, 29.8 years
Rank 15: Slovakia, 29.7 years
Rank 16: Bulgaria, 29.3 years
Rank 16: Croatia, 29.3 years
Rank 16: Lithuania, 29.3 years
Rank 19: Poland, 28.9 years
Rank 20: Romania, 28.4 years
How to read: one row per country, ranked from highest to lowest. The dot is the country's value. The axis fits the values instead of starting at zero.The value for Poland is provisional.The values for Poland and Romania are estimates.Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland and Malta are not shown (no data).Source: Eurostat, Marriage indicators (demo_nind).Chart: Civitascope (civitascope.eu) · CC BY 4.0 · Download image · Download data ·

Over time

Between 2004 and 2024, the mean age of women at their first marriage rose in all 20 countries.

Mean age of women at their first marriage, years

2004 and 2024 · ranked by 2024
200420242024 − 2004Difference
25.027.530.032.535.0years
Rank 1: Spain, 2004: 29.2 years, 2024: 35.2 years, 2024 − 2004: +6.0 years
Rank 1: Sweden, 2004: 31.3 years, 2024: 35.2 years, 2024 − 2004: +3.9 years
Rank 3: Italy, 2004: 28.8 years, 2024: 34.2 years, 2024 − 2004: +5.4 years
Rank 4: Portugal, 2004: 26.0 years, 2024: 33.3 years, 2024 − 2004: +7.3 years
Rank 5: Netherlands, 2004: 29.0 years, 2024: 33.0 years, 2024 − 2004: +4.0 years
Rank 6: Austria, 2004: 28.2 years, 2024: 32.8 years, 2024 − 2004: +4.6 years
Rank 7: Luxembourg, 2004: 28.5 years, 2024: 32.7 years, 2024 − 2004: +4.2 years
Rank 8: Finland, 2004: 29.5 years, 2024: 32.5 years, 2024 − 2004: +3.0 years
Rank 9: Slovenia, 2004: 28.1 years, 2024: 31.9 years, 2024 − 2004: +3.8 years
Rank 10: Greece, 2004: 28.0 years, 2024: 31.4 years, 2024 − 2004: +3.4 years
Rank 11: Estonia, 2004: 26.2 years, 2024: 30.8 years, 2024 − 2004: +4.6 years
Rank 12: Latvia, 2004: 25.3 years, 2024: 30.6 years, 2024 − 2004: +5.3 years
Rank 13: Czechia, 2004: 26.1 years, 2024: 30.4 years, 2024 − 2004: +4.3 years
Rank 14: Hungary, 2004: 26.4 years, 2024: 29.8 years, 2024 − 2004: +3.4 years
Rank 15: Slovakia, 2004: 25.4 years, 2024: 29.7 years, 2024 − 2004: +4.3 years
Rank 16: Bulgaria, 2004: 25.3 years, 2024: 29.3 years, 2024 − 2004: +4.0 years
Rank 16: Croatia, 2004: 26.0 years, 2024: 29.3 years, 2024 − 2004: +3.3 years
Rank 16: Lithuania, 2004: 24.8 years, 2024: 29.3 years, 2024 − 2004: +4.5 years
Rank 19: Poland, 2004: 25.1 years, 2024: 28.9 years, 2024 − 2004: +3.8 years
Rank 20: Romania, 2004: 25.0 years, 2024: 28.4 years, 2024 − 2004: +3.4 years
Eurostat marks a break in the series between 2004 and 2024 for Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary and Poland. Their two values are not fully comparable.How to read: each arrow goes from 2004 (outlined dot) to 2024 (filled dot). A leftward arrow means the mean age of women at their first marriage fell. Each value is beside its dot. The column on the right is their difference, 2024 − 2004. Countries are ranked by 2024.The value for Poland (2024) is provisional.The values for Poland and Romania (2024) are estimates.Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany and Malta are not shown (no data for 2024).Ireland is not shown (no data).Source: Eurostat, Marriage indicators (demo_nind).Chart: Civitascope (civitascope.eu) · CC BY 4.0 · Download image · Download data ·

First marriage and first child

In 2024, among the same countries, the mean age of women at the birth of their first child was highest in Italy, at 31.9 years, and lowest in Bulgaria, at 26.9 years. The two ages are averages of two events of that year, and the women who married are not the same women as those who had a first child.

Mean age of women at the birth of their first child and at their first marriage, years

2024
At the birth of the first childAt the first marriageRank (at the birth of the first child)Rank
years28303234
Rank 1: Spain, At the birth of the first child: 31.5 years, At the first marriage: 35.2 years, Rank (at the birth of the first child): 3
Rank 1: Sweden, At the birth of the first child: 30.2 years, At the first marriage: 35.2 years, Rank (at the birth of the first child): 7
Rank 3: Italy, At the birth of the first child: 31.9 years, At the first marriage: 34.2 years, Rank (at the birth of the first child): 1
Rank 4: Portugal, At the birth of the first child: 30.3 years, At the first marriage: 33.3 years, Rank (at the birth of the first child): 6
Rank 5: Netherlands, At the birth of the first child: 30.5 years, At the first marriage: 33.0 years, Rank (at the birth of the first child): 5
Rank 6: Austria, At the birth of the first child: 30.0 years, At the first marriage: 32.8 years, Rank (at the birth of the first child): 8
Rank 7: Luxembourg, At the birth of the first child: 31.6 years, At the first marriage: 32.7 years, Rank (at the birth of the first child): 2
Rank 8: Finland, At the birth of the first child: 30.0 years, At the first marriage: 32.5 years, Rank (at the birth of the first child): 8
Rank 9: Slovenia, At the birth of the first child: 29.1 years, At the first marriage: 31.9 years, Rank (at the birth of the first child): 11
Rank 10: Greece, At the birth of the first child: 31.2 years, At the first marriage: 31.4 years, Rank (at the birth of the first child): 4
Rank 11: Estonia, At the birth of the first child: 28.9 years, At the first marriage: 30.8 years, Rank (at the birth of the first child): 14
Rank 12: Latvia, At the birth of the first child: 28.1 years, At the first marriage: 30.6 years, Rank (at the birth of the first child): 17
Rank 13: Czechia, At the birth of the first child: 29.0 years, At the first marriage: 30.4 years, Rank (at the birth of the first child): 12
Rank 14: Hungary, At the birth of the first child: 29.0 years, At the first marriage: 29.8 years, Rank (at the birth of the first child): 12
Rank 15: Slovakia, At the birth of the first child: 27.4 years, At the first marriage: 29.7 years, Rank (at the birth of the first child): 18
Rank 16: Bulgaria, At the birth of the first child: 26.9 years, At the first marriage: 29.3 years, Rank (at the birth of the first child): 20
Rank 16: Croatia, At the first marriage: 29.3 years, At the birth of the first child: 29.5 years, Rank (at the birth of the first child): 10
Rank 16: Lithuania, At the birth of the first child: 28.7 years, At the first marriage: 29.3 years, Rank (at the birth of the first child): 15
Rank 19: Poland, At the birth of the first child: 28.7 years, At the first marriage: 28.9 years, Rank (at the birth of the first child): 15
Rank 20: Romania, At the birth of the first child: 27.2 years, At the first marriage: 28.4 years, Rank (at the birth of the first child): 19
How to read: the filled dot (at the first marriage) and the outlined dot (at the birth of the first child) each have their value beside them. The column on the right is each country's rank by the outlined dot (at the birth of the first child). Countries are ranked by the filled dot.The value for Poland is provisional.The values for Poland and Romania are estimates.Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland and Malta are not shown (no data).Source: Eurostat, Marriage indicators (demo_nind) and Fertility indicators (demo_find).Chart: Civitascope (civitascope.eu) · CC BY 4.0 · Download image · Download data ·
At the birth of the first childAt the first marriage
Lowest26.9 yearsBulgaria28.4 yearsRomania
Highest31.9 yearsItaly35.2 yearsSpain and Sweden
Highest − lowest5.0 years6.8 years

At the birth of the first child

Lowest: 26.9 years (Bulgaria)Highest: 31.9 years (Italy)Highest − lowest: 5.0 years

At the first marriage

Lowest: 28.4 years (Romania)Highest: 35.2 years (Spain and Sweden)Highest − lowest: 6.8 years

Women and men

In 2024, the mean age of men at their first marriage was highest in Sweden, at 37.4 years, and lowest in Romania, at 31.5 years.

Mean age at first marriage of women and men, years

2024
Rank 1: Spain, women: 35.2 years, men: 37.3 years.
Rank 1: Sweden, women: 35.2 years, men: 37.4 years.
Rank 3: Italy, women: 34.2 years, men: 36.7 years.
Rank 4: Portugal, women: 33.3 years, men: 35.1 years.
Rank 5: Netherlands, women: 33.0 years, men: 35.3 years.
Rank 6: Austria, women: 32.8 years, men: 35.4 years.
Rank 7: Luxembourg, women: 32.7 years, men: 34.8 years.
Rank 8: Finland, women: 32.5 years, men: 34.5 years.
Rank 9: Slovenia, women: 31.9 years, men: 34.4 years.
Rank 10: Greece, women: 31.4 years, men: 34.2 years.
Rank 11: Estonia, women: 30.8 years, men: 33.1 years.
Rank 12: Latvia, women: 30.6 years, men: 33.1 years.
Rank 13: Czechia, women: 30.4 years, men: 33.1 years.
Rank 14: Hungary, women: 29.8 years, men: 32.5 years.
Rank 15: Slovakia, women: 29.7 years, men: 32.3 years.
Rank 16: Bulgaria, women: 29.3 years, men: 32.1 years.
Rank 16: Croatia, women: 29.3 years, men: 31.7 years.
Rank 16: Lithuania, women: 29.3 years, men: 31.6 years.
Rank 19: Poland, women: 28.9 years, men: 31.6 years.
Rank 20: Romania, women: 28.4 years, men: 31.5 years.
How to read: one row per country, one dot per group, and a line from the lowest to the highest. The axis fits the values instead of starting at zero. Each value is in the columns on the right. Countries are ranked by the “women” column.Eurostat publishes no EU figure for the mean age at first marriage.The value for Poland is provisional.The values for Poland and Romania are estimates.Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland and Malta are not shown (no data).Source: Eurostat, Marriage indicators (demo_nind).Chart: Civitascope (civitascope.eu) · CC BY 4.0 · Download image · Download data ·

About the data

The mean age at which women, or men, marry for the first time in a year, computed from the first-marriage rates at each age.

Eurostat: “Mean age at first marriage : the mean age of men and women when they get married for the first time. The indicator is calculated as weighted average of the ages, where weights are the age specific first marriage rates (rate-based mean age), separately for men and women.” (source)

Marriages recorded by the national authorities and reported by the national statistical institutes to Eurostat, on a voluntary basis. Eurostat computes the indicators.

How to read these numbers

How it is measured

Seven EU countries have no mean age at first marriage for 2024. The latest year is 2023 for Belgium, 2022 for France, 2021 for Denmark, 2017 for Germany, 2016 for Ireland, 2011 for Malta and 2006 for Cyprus. Countries report marriages to Eurostat voluntarily. There is no EU figure.

The mean age is computed from the first marriages of a single year, weighted by the first-marriage rates at each age. It describes that year's marriages, not the age at which people born in a given year marry.

Marriages are counted by each country's own law on civil status. Legal alternatives to marriage, such as registered partnerships, have become more widespread.

The mean age is computed from the births of a single year, weighted by the fertility rates at each age. It describes that year's first births, not the age at which women born in a given year have their first child. Only live births count.

Breaks in the series

A break in the series (flag b) means that a value is not fully comparable with the periods before it. This concerns Bulgaria (2022), Croatia (2021–2022), Hungary (2022) and Poland (2009, 2022).

Provisional figures

A provisional value (flag p) may still be revised. This concerns Poland (2024).

Estimates

A value with flag e is an estimate, not measured or counted in full. This concerns Poland (2024) and Romania (2024).

Sources and data

Eurostat, Marriage indicators (demo_nind). Data updated 30 April 2026, retrieved 12 November 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

Eurostat metadata · Eurostat methodology

The exact Eurostat API query

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/api/dissemination/statistics/1.0/data/demo_nind?format=JSON&lang=en&freq=A&geo=AT&geo=BE&geo=BG&geo=CY&geo=CZ&geo=DE&geo=DK&geo=EE&geo=EL&geo=ES&geo=EU27_2020&geo=FI&geo=FR&geo=HR&geo=HU&geo=IE&geo=IT&geo=LT&geo=LU&geo=LV&geo=MT&geo=NL&geo=PL&geo=PT&geo=RO&geo=SE&geo=SI&geo=SK&indic_de=FAGEMAR1

Eurostat, Fertility indicators (demo_find). Data updated 30 September 2026, retrieved 12 November 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

The exact Eurostat API query

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/api/dissemination/statistics/1.0/data/demo_find?format=JSON&lang=en&freq=A&geo=AT&geo=BE&geo=BG&geo=CY&geo=CZ&geo=DE&geo=DK&geo=EE&geo=EL&geo=ES&geo=EU27_2020&geo=FI&geo=FR&geo=HR&geo=HU&geo=IE&geo=IT&geo=LT&geo=LU&geo=LV&geo=MT&geo=NL&geo=PL&geo=PT&geo=RO&geo=SE&geo=SI&geo=SK&indic_de=AGEMOTH1

How every number in this story was computed

Report an error: contact [at] civitascope.eu

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