legal age to get married
By aprilsong
@aprilsong (1884)
China
January 18, 2011 1:33am CST
Hi, friends, we all know every nation has its own legal age to get married. In china, male needs to be 22 years old and female needs to be 20 years old to get married.
But the situations vary very much in different areas. Generally speaking, in rural areas and underdeveloped areas, people tend to get married much earlier than their counterparts in other areas. And the more education people get, the later they get married. This maybe because receiving education takes too much of their time and energy. Actually in cities, there are more and more people stay single even they are almost 30 years old. And it is more common now to choose not have kids or have kid when they got solid foundation both emotionally and financially.
How is the situations in your country, my friends? There most people get married at what age?
12 responses
@agrim94 (3805)
• India
18 Jan 11
Hi aprilsong,
I am from India and though child marriage is still little bit prevalent in some remote areas of Rajasthan and Bihar states, now a days it is not common. Legal age for boys in India is 21 years and for girls it is 18 years. Yes out here too most do not marry till they are studying and that way doctors are most poor because their study can go on and on even after 30 years of age.
2 people like this
@aprilsong (1884)
• China
18 Jan 11
Sounds the trend of getting married later and later is a phenomenon all over the world.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
18 Jan 11
Hello aprilsong,
Until 2005, legal age was 15 years for girls and 18 for boys in France. Since 2005, it is 18 years for both boys and girls. "Normal" people getting married are older, almost at 30, like in your country. I believe that the younger age to get married in Europe is in Italy : I think it is 13 years only for girls, but I am waiting to an Italian member to confirm 
.
.2 people like this
@aprilsong (1884)
• China
18 Jan 11
Well, i think to get married is bad not only for the family,but also for the society as a whole. Because maybe we are mature physically, but in our mind still not mature. Furthermore, i don't think getting married while still being studying is good.
1 person likes this
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
18 Jan 11
Here in the U.S. it depends on what state you live in. There is no federal standard or law regarding marriage so it is up to each state to set it's own laws and standards. The average age seems to vary between 14 to 15 with parental consent and from 16- 18 with out parental consent. Some states have different age limits for boys and for girls too.
1 person likes this
@marinarovi (1318)
• Argentina
18 Jan 11
In Argentina it's 16 with parental consent I think. But it's definitely 18 without it.
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
18 Jan 11
The legal age to get married in my country is 18 years old and that should be with parental consent otherwise it would be nullified. From 19 to 25, i think we need parental advice.
Nowadays the marrying age has become older for those who are financially aware of the crisis. But for the rural areas, they get married very early. The most common case in my country is teenage pregnancy which results to an early marriage.
@shattered (1728)
• Philippines
18 Jan 11
Toni you're from the Philippines right? It's actually 18-21 parental consent, 21-25 parental advice. There seems to be an overlap but 21 years to the day, consent 21 years and 1 day advice only.
Yeah children born outside of wedlock is also common nowadays, but its not only in the Philippines, its everywhere I guess.
In urban areas and for working women the age of marriage is usually around 30 nowadays but in the provinces and rural areas, especially in depressed areas in even in cities, women marry at an early age or have children without the benefit of marriage.
@graxcrix (19)
•
18 Jan 11
several months ago, my boyfriend's sister got married but during their preparation they find it hard to pursue it cause the registrar needs the parents consent of the bride(which is 23 yrs. old then)..they said that the legal age for a lady to get married is 25 yrs old..so as for me, i will not marry til i reach that age & im also not in a hurry to be tied in a lifetime commitment. i just want to enjoy more of being a single yet having fun of our happy relationship.
1 person likes this
@aprilsong (1884)
• China
18 Jan 11
Hi, i think 25 is a little old for females. As you said, if a female get married till she was 25 years old. Then to have a healthy baby, she will have no time to enjoy "two person world".
1 person likes this
@aprilsong (1884)
• China
19 Jan 11
You know, topffer, in ancient time of china, the parents maybe point the future husband or wife for their kids before they are born. You may can't understand, but there were lots of these kind of marriage. Their parents were good friends, then they made a promise that one family got a girl, while the other family got a boy, then the girl and the boy will be husband and wife when they grown up.
@topffer (42156)
• France
18 Jan 11
I don't know where you are living graxcrix : you needed also the consent of your parents to get married before 25 in France in 19th c. But at 21, you could send them a "respectful demand" saying : "I want to get married. Please give me your consent now. If you don't, I will get married without your consent."
@boomboompow (98)
• Paraguay
18 Jan 11
legal age to marry here is 18 both male and female.. but mostly many teenagers nowadays get pregnant even if they are only 13 or 14 yrs old, so they don't have the choice but to live in together and wait for their right age to get married.
@aprilsong (1884)
• China
19 Jan 11
As a parent, we should try to teach our kids the way to protect themselves. Such decrease the number of teenage mothers.
@marinarovi (1318)
• Argentina
18 Jan 11
Where are you from, boomboompow? Just curious what "here" means for you...
@marinarovi (1318)
• Argentina
18 Jan 11
Hi aprilsong,
Here in Argentina the legal age for marriage is 18 years old, but the law was modified last year. Before that, it used to be 21 years old.
Anyway, most people nowadays get married around their thirties. I'm 31 and most of friends my age (and myself) are still single.
@aprilsong (1884)
• China
19 Jan 11
Hi, as i said, it is common now getting married above 30. But i do think females should be married a little earlier, you know, it is for the sake of a healthy baby.
@carrine (2743)
• Philippines
18 Jan 11
same here in my country. the legal age for a guy is 22 and for the girls it should be 19 years old. but there are some who are very young who got pregnant and their living together already even if the girl is only 15 or so, and the guy is at the same age. but for me the ideal marrying age is 25 for the girl and 30 for the guy.
@aprilsong (1884)
• China
19 Jan 11
I strongly oppose cohabitation before marriage, especially teenages. It may do little harm to males, but it certainly do big harms to females.
@blue_servant (205)
• Philippines
21 Jan 11
In the Philippines, legally it should 25 without consent from the parents. But nowadays, visibly, a lot are living in together even at the early age of 15.One of the main reasons why early marriages occur is due also to lack of basic awareness on reproductive health.Many tend to believe that getting married is really that easy. But hey, it's not. I've never been married, but I'll make sure that when I do, everything is settled, my finances, the house, the insurances and of course the future to be bride..
@androbot (89)
• India
18 Jan 11
In India, the female needs to have completed 18 years of age and the male needs to have completed 22 years of age to be married legally.
But in rural parts, we do see people much younger being given and/or taken in marriage. I personally consider 25 years to be a good age for both males and females to think about marriage.
@aprilsong (1884)
• China
19 Jan 11
I do think to be married above 20 is good. As for those go to college, 25 year old is a nice age to get married. Because at this time, you may find your job, so you can find your another important part in life in the same city of yours. I think it is important because here in china, most couples in college have to break up after graduation because they will work in different parts of the country. Living in different parts of place will certainly bring some troubles for the marriage. Of course, i mean in such a big country as china.
@iamjacqui (1)
•
18 Jan 11
Hi!
Legally speaking, 18 is the allowed age to get married here in the Philippines.
But i have observed that a lot of couples from all sectors of society act as if they are married without thinking of commitment.
