Brian Jeffrey
According to the latest data, there were 688,000 marriages in Vietnam in 2023, with 83 percent of them being first marriages.
Recent statistics reveal a rising trend in Vietnam’s singulate mean age at marriage (SMAM). In 2023, the SMAM was 27.2 years, compared to 26.9 in 2022 and 26.2 in 2021.
The average age for Vietnamese males to marry was 29.3 years, while for females, it was 25.1 years. Urban individuals tended to marry later at around 28.6 years, whereas rural dwellers married at 26.3 years on average.
The southeast region showed the highest SMAM, exceeding 29 years. Notably, HCM City recorded 30.4, Ba Ria – Vung Tau 29.3, and Khanh Hoa 29.1.
In 2023, Hanoi had the highest SMAM in the Red River Delta at 27.9. Other localities such as Quang Ninh, Hai Duong, and Hai Phong had an average SMAM of 27.4.
Conversely, people in the northern midlands and mountainous areas tended to marry earlier, with an average age of 24.6. Lai Chau had the lowest mean age at just over 22, followed by Ha Giang at 22.8 and Son La at 22.9.
Nguyen Thi Minh Phuong from Hospital 354 observed that regions with strong socio-economic development usually witness later marriages, a trend also seen in other countries.
Youth today have more career and life choices but also face added challenges and pressures, leading many young women to prioritize building a career and independent living over early marriage and childbearing.
Delaying marriage often corresponds to postponing childbearing, with the ideal age for women to give birth traditionally considered between 20-25 years old.
Many believe that waiting until over 30 to have children allows for better financial stability to provide a higher quality of life for offspring.
Surveys indicate that a significant number of women opt for pregnancy between 30-35 years, although higher risks are associated with pregnancies in women over 35.
