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.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his