Chapter 133 Question 120

Why is the age of first marriage delayed for men and women? (Justin Grimm) In the 1960s, the age of first marriage for American men was twenty-two.Eight years old, female is twenty.three years old.But by 2004, the age of first marriage for men was raised to 27.At the age of four, women increase to twenty-five.eight years old.Similar increases were seen in other countries.In 2001, the age of first marriage for Australian men was 28.Seven years old, female is twenty-six.Nine years old, and in the 1970s, men were twenty-three.Four years old, female is 21.one year old.Why is the age of marriage delayed now?

One reason is that as incomes rise, people become more educated, and thus the amount of education a person needs to get a job increases.For example, a century ago, a job as a bank teller was a safe bet for someone with a high school degree, but today most bank jobs are filled by college graduates.And, as the labor market becomes more competitive, grades and other school performance have an increasing influence on career success. For both men and women, the opportunity cost of early marriage increases.For example, it is difficult for people who marry early to get a college degree, and it is even more difficult for young parents who have children.In addition, the information needed to predict success in terms of people wanting to marry successful people is not as readily available as it used to be.

Traditionally, one of the great benefits of getting married early is finding an attractive mate before the good ones are all snatched away.But people don't seem to worry as much about falling behind as they once did.With higher incomes, higher levels of education, and greater flexibility in relocation, people can always meet potential marriage partners.So the opportunity cost of missing out on an attractive mate at a young age is not as high as it used to be. Another advantage of marrying young is that you can give birth to children in time when you are healthy and strong and able to meet the needs of raising the next generation.But that benefit has diminished as health standards and longevity have generally improved.

In short, the costs of early marriage have increased and the benefits have decreased.This helps explain why people's age at first marriage is increasing.