Spain tops global ranking for latest first marriages as Niger and Liberia marry youngest
People in Spain marry for the first time at nearly 40 on average, while those in Niger and Liberia do so at 21, according to World Population Review's 2026 ranking, highlighting a wide gap in marriage patterns worldwide.
Main points
- Spain records the highest average first-marriage age at 39.8 years.
- Niger and Liberia share the lowest average at 21 years.
- The gap between Spain and Niger reaches nearly 19 years.
People in Spain marry for the first time at nearly 40 on average, while those in Niger and Liberia do so at 21, according to World Population Review's 2026 ranking, highlighting a wide gap in marriage patterns worldwide.
Spain has the highest reported average age at first marriage at 39.8 years, followed by Chile at 38.6 and the Netherlands at 38.4. Argentina and Norway complete the top five, with averages of 37.8 and 37.6 years, respectively.
Brazil, Ireland, Uruguay, Saint Lucia and Sweden also feature among the 10 countries with the latest first marriages. In each, the reported average exceeds 35 years.
At the other end of the ranking, Niger and Liberia share the lowest average at 21 years. Tanzania follows at 21.4, São Tomé and Príncipe at 21.6, while Nepal, Laos and Kiribati each record 21.9 years.
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Nigeria and the Central African Republic both have averages of 22 years, with Chad completing the 10 countries where people marry earliest at 22.2 years.
The figures reveal an 18.8-year difference between Spain and Niger, reflecting how the timing of marriage varies across regions.
According to World Population Review, later marriages are often associated with longer periods in education, career priorities and changing family patterns. Earlier marriages remain more common in parts of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where social traditions and economic circumstances can influence when people marry.
However, the ranking does not represent marriages recorded in 2026 alone. World Population Review draws on data collected in different years, meaning some figures may not reflect the latest national trends.
For example, Eurostat's 2026 demographic report shows that in 2024, women in Spain married for the first time at an average age of 35.2 years. This illustrates why the ranking should be treated as a broad international comparison rather than a uniform snapshot of current marriage ages.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
