I guess the responses I will get will be "not trad for me" "they wished they married younger girls!" "I dont believe this stats" "youre feminist " but:
Medieval Europe (c. 500–1500)
Nobility and Gentry
Marriage Age: Women often married in their mid-teens, while men typically married in their late teens to early twenties.
Age Gap: Approximately 2–5 years, with men usually older.
Context: Marriages were strategic, aiming to forge alliances and consolidate wealth. Betrothals could occur as early as age 12 for girls and 14 for boys, with the actual wedding taking place a few years later. The Church's canon law set the minimum marriageable age at 12 for women and 14 for men. historytools.org
Peasants and Laborers
Marriage Age: Both men and women typically married in their mid to late twenties.
Age Gap: Generally 2–3 years, with women often a bit younger.
Context: Marriage was delayed until individuals could establish financial independence, often through apprenticeships or service roles. This period of "life-cycle service" was common in both rural and urban settings.
Early Modern Period (1500–1800)
Nobility and Gentry
Marriage Age: Women married in their late teens to early twenties; men in their early to mid-twenties.
Age Gap: Approximately 3–5 years.
Context: Marriages continued to be arranged for political and economic reasons. In regions like England, the average age at first marriage was around 22 for women and 24 for men.
Urban and Rural Commoners
Marriage Age: Women married in their mid to late twenties; men in their late twenties to early thirties.
Age Gap: Approximately 3–5 years.
Context: Economic factors, such as the need to save for a dowry or establish a trade, influenced the timing of marriage. In urban areas, individuals often worked as apprentices or servants before marrying. encyclopedia.com
19th Century
Upper Classes
Marriage Age: Women married in their early twenties; men in their mid to late twenties.
Age Gap: Approximately 3–5 years.
Context: Marriages were still often arranged, focusing on maintaining or enhancing social status and wealth. However, personal choice began to play a more significant role.
Middle and Lower ClassesMarriage Age: Women married in their mid to late twenties; men in their late twenties to early thirties.
Age Gap: Approximately 3–5 years.
Context: Economic stability was crucial before marriage, leading to delayed unions. In rural areas, agricultural cycles and the need for labor influenced marriage timing.
Good luck courting teens, buy them lolipop, ice cream and new iPhone so that they can film tiktok dance with justin bieber song and "thank you daddy "