Love in numbers: How wealth, culture, and seasons shape marriage trends

The chart reveals an interesting connection between economic wealth and the average age when women tie the knot - wealthier nations tend to have older brides. For example, Swedish women marry at 34 years old on average. Compare that to lower income countries such as Burkina Faso, where the average age is 20. Marriages are happening at significantly different life stages across countries.

Why does this happen? Economic wealth is often associated with higher education rates among women, greater career ambitions, financial independence, and changing attitudes towards marriage. Marriage becomes less of a pressing priority as women will generally have greater economic security and fewer social expectations placed upon them.

Taking a closer look at Sweden, the second chart highlights an intriguing seasonal trend: marriages consistently peak in the summer months. The warm weather makes wedding planning significantly easier and also allows for outdoor receptions (and photo opportunities!). Notably, the chart also highlights a dip in wedding numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic when restrictions were placed on large social gatherings.