The Marriage Age U-Shape

Pavel Jelnov

No 12356, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: In this paper, I address the U-shaped dynamics (a decrease followed by an increase) in the age at first marriage during the twentieth century. First, I show that the U-shaped dynamics have been steeper in Western that in other countries. Second, I find that these dynamics in Western Europe are strongly related to the post-WWII economic development. By contrast, in the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth centuries age of marriage was much less correlated across Western countries. I propose a simple model where age of marriage is a function of search frictions and a structural change of the economy. Both factors put together generate U-shaped dynamics as a result of an industrial boom that mimics the post-WWII economic development, especially in Western countries.

Keywords: twentieth century demography; economic development; age of marriage (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J12 N32 N34 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 37 pages
Date: 2019-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

Published - published in: Journal of Demographic Economics, 2023, 89 (2), 211-252

Downloads: (external link)
https://docs.iza.org/dp12356.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: The marriage age U-shape (2023)
Journal Article: The marriage age U-shape (2023)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:iza:izadps:dp12356

Ordering information: This working paper can be ordered from
IZA, Margard Ody, P.O. Box 7240, D-53072 Bonn, Germany

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) IZA, P.O. Box 7240, D-53072 Bonn, Germany. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Holger Hinte ().