Age at First Marriage in Recent Years Vietnam

Abstract

In recent years, many studies in Asian countries have shown increased age at first marriage partly due to
modernization (Minh, 2007; Xenos and Gultiano, 1992). Researchers have provided experimental evidences, at both macro and
micro levels, to assert that individuals who possess more modern features (higher education level, more modern professions,
and living in urbanized environments) are more likely to get married later than others with less modern features (Smith, 1980;
Hirschman, 1985; Smith and Karim, 1980; UNS, 1986). Besides, some other factors can also have a strong impact on the
change in marriage age in Asia such as parents’ interference into children’s marriage or national policies (Minh, 2007). Is it true
in present day Vietnam? Based on the results of 2009 Vietnam population and housing census and other surveys, we can affirm
that Vietnamese’s mean age of marriage, especially men’s is rising; for women, this trend has been likely to be stable compared
with previous decades. Vietnamese men’s mean age at first marriage is higher than women’s in all the periods and regions.
Urban young people get married later than rural ones because of the pressure of jobs, income, urban busy life; marriage is not
regarded as important as other things. Kinh ethnic group - an ethnic majority in Vietnam, is considered to have more
opportunities to get access to modern life, to know more about national policies so they have a trend to get married later than
ethnic minorities. People working in public sector are more likely to get married later than people working in private sector or
households because they suffer pressure from jobs they are in charge of in public sector, as well as seriously obey national
policies related to marriage and family. People at low level of education and doing jobs concerning agriculture before getting
married will often get married at younger age.