Korea and Japan · Marriage over time
When do people first marry?
Does marriage happen later now? Start with the ages of people marrying for the first time.
Mean age at first marriage in Korea, 2025
Men
33.9years
From 27.8 in 1990
+6.1 years since 1990
Women
31.6years
From 24.8 in 1990
+6.8 years since 1990
Data checked 2026-10-18
01 / First marriage age in Korea
The changing age of a first marriage
The mean age of men and women who first married in each year. Remarriages are excluded.
Korea measures completed age at marriage registration. The mean is neither the most common age nor a prediction for people who have not married.
View the numbers
| Year | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 33.9 | 31.6 |
| 2024 | 33.9 | 31.6 |
| 2023 | 34.0 | 31.5 |
| 2022 | 33.7 | 31.3 |
| 2021 | 33.4 | 31.1 |
| 2020 | 33.2 | 30.8 |
| 2019 | 33.4 | 30.6 |
| 2018 | 33.2 | 30.4 |
| 2017 | 32.9 | 30.2 |
| 2016 | 32.8 | 30.1 |
| 2015 | 32.6 | 30.0 |
| 2014 | 32.4 | 29.8 |
| 2013 | 32.2 | 29.6 |
| 2012 | 32.1 | 29.4 |
| 2011 | 31.9 | 29.1 |
| 2010 | 31.8 | 28.9 |
| 2009 | 31.6 | 28.7 |
| 2008 | 31.4 | 28.3 |
| 2007 | 31.1 | 28.1 |
| 2006 | 31.0 | 27.8 |
| 2005 | 30.9 | 27.7 |
| 2004 | 30.5 | 27.5 |
| 2003 | 30.1 | 27.3 |
| 2002 | 29.8 | 27.0 |
| 2001 | 29.6 | 26.8 |
| 2000 | 29.3 | 26.5 |
| 1999 | 29.1 | 26.3 |
| 1998 | 28.8 | 26.0 |
| 1997 | 28.6 | 25.7 |
| 1996 | 28.4 | 25.5 |
| 1995 | 28.4 | 25.3 |
| 1994 | 28.2 | 25.1 |
| 1993 | 28.1 | 25.0 |
| 1992 | 28.0 | 24.9 |
| 1991 | 27.9 | 24.8 |
| 1990 | 27.8 | 24.8 |
A dash means data is unavailable.
02 / The people behind the average
At what age do people first marry?
Each bar shows the share of first marriages in an age group. Choose two years to see how the distribution has shifted.
Share aged 35 or over · Men
1990 · 2.4% 2025 · 32.2%The denominator is all first marriages for each sex, including unknown ages. Each person’s first marriage status is counted independently, so totals for men and women may differ.
View the numbers
| Age group | Men · 1990 | Men · 2025 | Women · 1990 | Women · 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 15–19 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 4.8 | 0.7 |
| 20–24 | 15.8 | 1.7 | 51.5 | 4.3 |
| 25–29 | 63.2 | 20.0 | 38.2 | 32.8 |
| 30–34 | 17.8 | 46.1 | 4.2 | 44.2 |
| 35–39 | 1.7 | 20.9 | 0.8 | 13.0 |
| 40–44 | 0.4 | 7.1 | 0.3 | 3.5 |
| 45–49 | 0.1 | 2.4 | 0.1 | 0.9 |
| 50–54 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| 55–59 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| 60–64 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| 65–69 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 70–74 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 75+ | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Unknown | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
03 / A neighboring country
Has Japan followed the same path?
Compare first marriage age by country, separately for men and women. Both charts use the same age scale.
Men
Women
View the numbers
| Year | Korea Men | Korea Women | Japan Men | Japan Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 33.9 | 31.6 | 31.0 | 29.7 |
| 2024 | 33.9 | 31.6 | 31.1 | 29.8 |
| 2023 | 34.0 | 31.5 | 31.1 | 29.7 |
| 2022 | 33.7 | 31.3 | 31.1 | 29.7 |
| 2021 | 33.4 | 31.1 | 31.0 | 29.5 |
| 2020 | 33.2 | 30.8 | 31.0 | 29.4 |
| 2019 | 33.4 | 30.6 | 31.2 | 29.6 |
| 2018 | 33.2 | 30.4 | 31.1 | 29.4 |
| 2017 | 32.9 | 30.2 | 31.1 | 29.4 |
| 2016 | 32.8 | 30.1 | 31.1 | 29.4 |
| 2015 | 32.6 | 30.0 | 31.1 | 29.4 |
| 2014 | 32.4 | 29.8 | 31.1 | 29.4 |
| 2013 | 32.2 | 29.6 | 30.9 | 29.3 |
| 2012 | 32.1 | 29.4 | 30.8 | 29.2 |
| 2011 | 31.9 | 29.1 | 30.7 | 29.0 |
| 2010 | 31.8 | 28.9 | 30.5 | 28.8 |
| 2009 | 31.6 | 28.7 | 30.4 | 28.6 |
| 2008 | 31.4 | 28.3 | 30.2 | 28.5 |
| 2007 | 31.1 | 28.1 | 30.1 | 28.3 |
| 2006 | 31.0 | 27.8 | 30.0 | 28.2 |
| 2005 | 30.9 | 27.7 | 29.8 | 28.0 |
| 2004 | 30.5 | 27.5 | 29.6 | 27.8 |
| 2003 | 30.1 | 27.3 | 29.4 | 27.6 |
| 2002 | 29.8 | 27.0 | 29.1 | 27.4 |
| 2001 | 29.6 | 26.8 | 29.0 | 27.2 |
| 2000 | 29.3 | 26.5 | 28.8 | 27.0 |
| 1999 | 29.1 | 26.3 | 28.7 | 26.8 |
| 1998 | 28.8 | 26.0 | 28.6 | 26.7 |
| 1997 | 28.6 | 25.7 | 28.5 | 26.6 |
| 1996 | 28.4 | 25.5 | 28.5 | 26.4 |
| 1995 | 28.4 | 25.3 | 28.5 | 26.3 |
| 1994 | 28.2 | 25.1 | 28.5 | 26.2 |
| 1993 | 28.1 | 25.0 | 28.4 | 26.1 |
| 1992 | 28.0 | 24.9 | 28.4 | 26.0 |
| 1991 | 27.9 | 24.8 | 28.4 | 25.9 |
| 1990 | 27.8 | 24.8 | 28.4 | 25.9 |
A dash means data is unavailable.
04 / Between Korea and Japan
How have Korean–Japanese marriages changed?
Marriages recorded in Korea’s marriage registration statistics. The two pairings tell different stories.
Korean husband · Japanese wife
1,483marriages
2025Japanese husband · Korean wife
190marriages
2025Counts include both first marriages and remarriages recorded in Korean statistics. They are not a worldwide count of Korean–Japanese couples. Japan’s combined ‘Korea and Chosen’ category is not added to these figures.
View the numbers
| Year | Korean husband · Japanese wife | Japanese husband · Korean wife |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,483 | 190 |
| 2024 | 1,176 | 147 |
| 2023 | 840 | 143 |
| 2022 | 599 | 125 |
| 2021 | 723 | 140 |
| 2020 | 758 | 135 |
| 2019 | 903 | 265 |
| 2018 | 987 | 313 |
| 2017 | 843 | 311 |
| 2016 | 838 | 381 |
| 2015 | 1,030 | 808 |
| 2014 | 1,345 | 1,176 |
| 2013 | 1,218 | 1,366 |
| 2012 | 1,309 | 1,582 |
| 2011 | 1,124 | 1,709 |
| 2010 | 1,193 | 2,090 |
| 2009 | 1,140 | 2,422 |
| 2008 | 1,162 | 2,743 |
| 2007 | 1,206 | 3,349 |
| 2006 | 1,045 | 3,412 |
| 2005 | 883 | 3,423 |
| 2004 | 809 | 3,118 |
| 2003 | 844 | 2,250 |
| 2002 | 690 | 2,032 |
| 2001 | 701 | 2,664 |
| 2000 | 819 | 2,630 |
| 1999 | 912 | 2,365 |
| 1998 | 747 | 1,544 |
| 1997 | 1,078 | 1,679 |
| 1996 | 2,370 | 1,789 |
| 1995 | 1,412 | 1,751 |
| 1994 | 561 | 1,978 |
| 1993 | 826 | 1,818 |
A dash means data is unavailable.
How to read the numbers
First marriage is measured per person
A person marrying for the first time is included regardless of their partner’s previous marriage history. This differs from statistics restricted to couples where both spouses are marrying for the first time.
Read the mean alongside the distribution
Mean first marriage age covers people marrying for the first time in that year. People who remain unmarried are excluded. It does not mean everyone marries at that age.
The countries measure age differently
Korea uses completed age at registration. Since 1968, Japan has used age at the earlier of the wedding or the start of living together, covering marriages that began and were registered in the same year.
International marriages use Korean records
Counts are classified by the spouse’s nationality and include remarriages. Korean and Japanese sources differ in coverage and nationality categories, so they should not simply be added together.
Official sources and data
Download all source data as CSV- KOSIS · Mean first marriage age2026-03-12
Vital Statistics. National mean age at first marriage by sex.
- KOSIS · First marriages by age2026-03-12
Vital Statistics. National first marriage counts by sex and age group.
- KOSIS · Marriages to foreign wives2026-03-12
Korean husbands and Japanese wives. Includes remarriages.
- KOSIS · Marriages to foreign husbands2026-03-15
Korean wives and Japanese husbands. Includes remarriages.
- Japan MHLW · Mean first marriage age2026-09-30
Final Vital Statistics, table 9-11. Mean ages and age differences for all marriages and first marriages.