Both men and women in Taiwan are waiting longer to get married for the first time. At the same time, more divorced men and divorced women seem keen to tie the knot again and second or third marriages are becoming more common.
Statistics published by the Ministry of the Interior on Thursday showed that the average age of men entering their first marriage was 33.4. That compares with 32.9 in 2001. For women, the average age was 27.9 last year, compared to 27.4 in 2001.
As for the number of people marrying again in 2002, there were 30,996 men and 19,810 women who tied the knot again. That's up from 2001, when 27,982 men and 17,101 women got married again.
According to the survey, men in Hualien county and Taipei Citywait the longest to get married, at an average age of 36.7 and 35.4 respectively.
Keelung's men get married at an average age of 35.1, making them them third in the standings.
At the other end of the scale, the men on the island of Matsu, get married the earliest -- at an average age of 30.5.
First-time brides, while getting married later than they used to, are still younger than their grooms. Taipei's women get married the latest -- at an average age of 30.1, followed by Hualien county's women who get hitched at an average age of 29.8.
Keelung, besides having the third-oldest grooms in the country,also has the third-oldest brides, who get hitched at an average age of 28.8.
Changhwa county can boast the youngest brides, who have an average age of 25.9.
"The rising number of re-married couples is a reflection of a continuing economic recession," said Josephine Ho (
"As the level of income decreases due to the slumping economy, it is getting harder for people to afford their living expenses. As result, individuals either move back with their parents to save costs, or they simply get married to split costs," Ho said.
Peng Shu-Chun (
"The social trend of getting married later in life is caused by the increased level in education among men and women," Peng said.
"Furthermore, in the past, people tended to get married before establishing a career, but now, the trend is changing as people want to be stable financially first before starting a family," Peng said.
Getting married and staying married for romantic reasons is no longer considered valid in today's society. Therefore, people are not afraid to get out of a marriage and enter a new one, Peng said.
"People don't treat marriages as their only source of happiness anymore. They ask for better-quality marriages than people in the past did. And once a marriage does turn sour, couples are not afraid to get a divorce," Peng said.
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