{"id":19946,"date":"2026-09-28T09:58:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T07:58:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.statssa.gov.za\/?p=19946"},"modified":"2026-09-28T09:58:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T07:58:11","slug":"the-evolution-of-age-at-first-marriage-among-south-africans-census-1996","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.statssa.gov.za\/?p=19946","title":{"rendered":"The evolution of age at first marriage among South Africans, Census 1996 –"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

2022<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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While South Africa observes Heritage Month, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) celebrates three decades of conducting censuses. We examine trends in first marriages over four census periods, focusing on how their timing has shifted. Marriage is central to numerous heritage traditions, including ilobolo negotiations, customary celebrations, and religious or civil ceremonies. Data from the census reveal that South Africans are getting married later than they did 30 years ago, with significant differences in marriage age based on sex, ethnicity, education level, and religious beliefs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A complex blend of diverse ethnic traditions, religious practices, modern influences, and socio-economic factors shape the cultural dynamics of marriage in South Africa. Over time, marriage in the country has evolved, blending traditional practices with modern influences and adapting to the changing notions of equality, individual rights, and societal expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The census cannot tell us why people marry when they do, but it can show where patterns are shifting and which groups are most affected. Below, we examine age at first marriage nationally and by sex, population group, educational attainment, and religious affiliation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Singulate Mean Age at Marriage (SMAM) <\/a>indicator<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Singulate Mean Age at Marriage (SMAM) is an indirect demographic indicator that represents the mean age at first marriage for a hypothetical cohort that will eventually marry by age 50 (Hajnal, 1953, cited in Faust, 2004). SMAM is derived from the average age at marriage calculated from age-specific marital status distributions of a population, rather than from direct questioning of individuals (UN, 2013). The estimated average age at marriage provides valuable information about societal trends and cultural and religious behaviours related to marriage (Anukriti & Dasgupta, 2017). The SMAM methodology is also used in South Africa to estimate average age at first marriage from census and population data, enabling the analysis of marriage patterns and trends across different population groups, regions, and religious affiliations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When looking at average age at first marriage, a steady and slight increase was seen from 1996 (29,1 years), 2001 (29,5 years) and 2011 (29,6 years) before a significant jump was recorded in 2022 at 32,3 years. Overall, there has been a three-year increase in the age at which South Africans get into their first marriage since 1996, indicating that people are choosing to stay unmarried for longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Age at first marriage for males vs. females, 1996\u20142022<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The data show that males consistently enter their first marriage later than females. Females\u2019 age at first marriage rose from 27,9 years in 1996 to 30,7 years in 2022, an increase of almost three years. Males rose from 30,3 to 33,8 years, an increase of 3,5 years. As a result, the gap between males and females widened from 2,4 years in 1996 to 3,2 years in 2011 and remained at about three years in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Age at first marriage by population group, 1996\u20142022<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Age at first marriage increased for all four population groups between 1996 and 2022, but the groups differ markedly. Black Africans consistently recorded the highest age at first marriage, rising from 29,8 years in 1996 to 32,3 years in 2022, followed by coloureds (27,6 to 31,0 years). Indians\/Asians recorded the lowest age at first marriage in 1996 (25,1 years) but the largest increase over the period (4,6 years), reaching 29,7 years in 2022. Whites recorded the lowest age at first marriage in 2011 and 2022, at 27,9 years in the most recent census.<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Over the period 1996-2022, black Africans and coloureds<\/strong> consistently recorded the highest ages at first marriage whilst <\/strong>whites recorded the lowest age at first marriage in Censuses 2011 and 2022<\/strong>. It is noted that among black Africans, age at first marriage rose from around 30 years<\/strong> in 1996 to 32 years in 2022<\/strong>. Indians\/Asians, on the other hand, married earlier than black Africans and coloureds, but later than whites.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Education and age at first marriage<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Censuses 1996 – 2022 provide insights on age at Marriage and educational attainment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Between 1996 and 2022, the mean age at first marriage increased across all educational levels for both men and women, with a larger increase among men (3,7 years) than women (2,9 years). However, the relationship between education and the timing of marriage is not a simple one:<\/p>\n\n\n\n