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Parent Category: Advanced News Lessons

Category: Relationships Lessons

Written by Chris Cotter

Around the world, young people have postponed marriage, preferring to wait to tie the knot. There are many reasons for this trend, such as the pursuit of careers and personal goals, a fear of divorce, and the realization that marriage is no longer the first step of adulthood but rather the last. Some see this shift as a positive. Of course, others are dismayed by the change.

Advocates of late marriage believe couples should wait until their late 20s and early 30s, as the average quality of marital life is improved. Couples are more likely to do things together, and are less likely to fret that their marriage is in jeopardy, let alone to even consider divorce. In part, greater personal experience affects their outlook. A better understanding of oneself allows each person to better choose a life partner. Financial stability, a completed education, and the beginnings of a career also greatly contribute to the success of the marriage. However, many people who wait too long may simply never marry.

But a significant number of people favor the opposite view, and believe that marriage at a younger age is better. An early marriage means that the couple matures together, as well as discovers the joys and pains of adulthood as a team. They rely on one another when faced with hardships. New research also suggests that couples married by their early 20s were slightly happier than those who waited until their late 20s. In addition, those who waited until their 30s or older to marry were far less satisfied with their relationships.

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be an ideal age, no full proof guarantees of a happy and fulfilling life for those married at 28 instead of 23. Worldwide trends point to later marriages, but the jury remains undecided as to whether this is a good thing.