There was a post a while ago showing that women commonly married in their teens in the past, with 90% of girls who married married by 19 in Europe before the protestant revolt, and that number increasing to 20-25 by the year 2000, and from there again to 25-35. But what about men?

Pre-Christian Europe (500 BC–AD 300)
Mean: 20–35 (Roman elite ~25–40, Greek ~25–35, commoners ~20–30).
12–40 Breakdown:12–16: 0.5% each (2.5%, rare).
17–20: 5% each (20%).
21–25: 10% each (50%).
26–30: 5% each (25%).
31–40: 0.3% each (3%).

Early Christian Europe (AD 300–1000)

Mean: 20–30 (elite ~25–40, commoners ~20–30).
12–40 Breakdown:12–16: 0.5% each (2.5%).
17–20: 5% each (20%).
21–25: 10% each (50%).
26–30: 5% each (25%).
31–40: 0.3% each (3%).

 Medieval Europe (1000–1500)

Mean: Nobles 20–30, commoners 20–25 (~22–27).
12–40 Breakdown:12–16: 1% each (5%, young nobles).
17–18: 5% each (10%).
19–20: 8% each (16%).
21–25: 10% each (50%).
26–30: 4% each (20%).
31–40: 0.2% each (2%).


Early Modern Europe (1500–1800)
Mean: 25–35 (~27–30, Western Europe; ~22–27 Southern Europe).
12–40 Breakdown:12–16: 0.5% each (2.5%).
17–20: 3% each (12%).
21–25: 8% each (40%).
26–30: 8% each (40%).
31–40: 0.6% each (6%).

Modern Era (1800–1900)

Mean: 25–30 (~25–28).
12–40 Breakdown:12–17: <0.5% each (<3%).
18–20: 3% each (9%).
21–25: 10% each (50%).
26–30: 6% each (30%).
31–40: 0.8% each (8%).

 Contemporary Era (1900–2025)

Mean: 25–30 (1900–1950, ~25–28), 30–35 (2000–2025, ~32, Eurostat 2023).
12–40 Breakdown:1900–1950:12–17: <0.5% each (<3%).
18–20: 3% each (9%).
21–25: 10% each (50%).
26–30: 6% each (30%).
31–40: 0.8% each (8%).

2000–2025:12–20: <0.5% each (<3%).
21–25: 3% each (15%).
26–30: 8% each (40%).
31–35: 10% each (50%).
36–40: 2% each (10%).

Now for graphs to make it easier to read






1. Pre-1500 (500 BC–1500)
Saints: Peak at 21–25 (30%), reflecting noblemen (e.g., Malcolm III ~25–40).
Europeans: Peak at 21–25 (~50%), common for nobles and commoners.
Note: Saints align with European norms, but 12–16 is slightly higher due to rare political marriages.

2. Early Modern (1500–1800)
Saints: Still peak at 21–25 (30%), reflecting pre-1500 bias.
Europeans: Shift to 21–30 (~80%), as WEMP delayed marriages.
Note: Saints’ early ages (12–20) are outdated; European men marry later.

3. Modern (1800–1900)
Saints: Anachronistic, stuck at 21–25 (30%) due to pre-1800 data.
Europeans: Peak at 21–25 (50%), with 26–30 rising (30%).
Note: Saints’ data misaligns with rising ages.

4. Contemporary (1900–2025)
Saints: Irrelevant, reflecting pre-1900 norms (21–25 peak).
Europeans: 1900–1950 peaks at 21–25 (50%); 2000–2025 at 31–35 (50%).
Note: Saints’ early ages (12–20) are obsolete; European men shift to 26–35.

Key Observations
Pre-1500:Saints: ~60% at 21–30 (30% 21–25, 25% 26–30), aligning with European men (20–30, ~75%). Early marriages (12–16, 5%) are rare but match young nobles (e.g., Bolesław V).
Europeans: Peak at 21–25 (50%), with nobles often older (25–40).

Post-1500 Divergence:
1500–1800: Saints’ 21–25 (30%) and 26–30 (25%) lag behind European shift to 26–30 (~40%), as WEMP delayed marriages for economic independence (mean ~27–30).
1800–1900: Saints’ 21–25 (30%) is closer to European 21–25 (~50%), but 12–20 (25%) is anachronistic vs. <12% European.
2000–2025: Saints’ data (pre-1900) is irrelevant; European men peak at 31–35 (~50%) vs. saints’ 15% at 31–40, driven by education and economic pressures.

Why Men’s Ages Rose:
Post-1500: Western European Marriage Pattern required men to establish households, delaying marriage to 25–30. Apprenticeships and land acquisition pushed ages up.
Post-2000: Education (e.g., university to ~25), career demands, housing costs, and cohabitation (40% of EU couples, 2020) shifted marriages to 31–35.

Canonization Bias: Few married male saints (mostly celibate men canonized), skewing data toward elite husbands (e.g., Malcolm III ~25–40).
Early marriages (12–16) are overrepresented vs. European norms post-1500.

Sources and Limitations
Saints’ Data: Estimated from prior lists (e.g., Joseph, Malcolm III), Roman Martyrology, and norms. Limited male saints (~50) make percentages speculative.
European Data: From demographic studies (Hajnal, Eurostat), parish records, and web sources (e.g.,). Year-by-year estimates are interpolated.
Limitations: Saints’ male data is sparse; ages are inferred. European data varies by region/class, with less granularity pre-1800.

No source is given for the data presented, an important consideration when evaluating the veracity of the data.

Even more intriguing is wondering how this topic even remotely meets the criteria for using the Anonymous Forum:

For first-hand chapel reports, ωнιѕтlєвlσωιng, sensitive/personal questions, and any other legitimate occasion for αnσnymıty. Abuse of this subforum (using αnσnymıty as a cloak for malice, to prevent downvotes, etc.) will be met with disciplinary action, including exposure of your screen name or being вαnned.

The men were probably the same average age today as they were at any point in history, maybe a tad younger.

Women were DEFINITELY younger getting married/having children. 

I am not the OP, but even I can see that people like you only want it de anonimized so you can make personal attacks.
Ad hominem attacks are the resort of the weak in mind.

and you don't know what time it is. everyone else knows we have a 40 yo single man on a steady diet of sugar running loose around here bragging about taking up the best years of a young woman's life without marrying her and dropping bait whenever he gets the chance.  The OP isn't a sincere attempt to address genuine problems that face men who are looking to marry. 

*should not

and you don't know what time it is. everyone else knows we have a 40 yo single man on a steady diet of sugar running loose around here bragging about taking up the best years of a young woman's life without marrying her and dropping bait whenever he gets the chance.  The OP isn't a sincere attempt to address genuine problems that face men who are looking to marry.

Amen brother. Please Matthew, stop the abuse of Anyonymous.

You can see a shift of men getting married from 17-30 to 21-30 to 26-35.

So teenage girls married guys who were several years older to 10-15 years older. Since most girls were married by 19 and most guys by 30. After the protestants took over with Jєωιѕн/masonry the men were still getting married BY 30 but the women started getting married later BY 25. Now it's mostly BY 35 for both, though most get married in the 25-35 age range. So age gaps have gotten smaller and people are getting married later.

Do you think there is a correlation between the expectations of young men going down (ie longer schooling and less focused on learning a trade starting at age 14) and  the marrying age going up?

In current society we keep young men dependent until they are in their 20s.  Is this hurting young men?

No source is given for the data presented, an important consideration when evaluating the veracity of the data.

Even more intriguing is wondering how this topic even remotely meets the criteria for using the Anonymous Forum:

No source was given for the women's post either...

Do you think there is a correlation between the expectations of young men going down (ie longer schooling and less focused on learning a trade starting at age 14) and  the marrying age going up?

In current society we keep young men dependent until they are in their 20s.  Is this hurting young men?

Yes it's hurting them, most men peak in physical attraction in their late teens and 20s. Both men and women are more satisfied if they find their spouse attractive. Earlier marriage also reduces risk of sin due to having an outlet for lustful temptations.

Look at Jen's most recent post. those farm boys could get married young because their parents set them up well. Also a lot of men have to deal with losing their hair as they age making them less attractive. Delaying marriage both men and women is something the enemy has done because he knows how weak and vain people are.

I recently watched an old video where 2 women needed help in an airport with heavy luggage. The attractive woman had people helping her within 10 seconds everytime. The unattractive women had to wait minutes before help arrived. They did another test with a tall and short man wearing the same clothes. When asked people assumed the tall man had a very high paying job while the short guy was always considered to having a low income.

People do not realise they judge based off appearances.
It's similar to how everyone who was in favour of lockdowns and mandatory vaccines are the type to call others nαzιs. Yet these same people are the ones who would go along with whatever hitler and stalin and other leaders did. They do not understand what they do.