In the Indian community the marriageable age seems to getting further along the way than their older siblings or previous generation. They are waiting longer to walk down the aisle and some are forced to remain single. Arranged marriages are getting delayed and matrimonial ad now show singles well into their late 30s. The rise of singlehood, unmarried cohabitation and fear of commitment are undermining the promise of happily married forever!

What is the right age to get married? The median age for one’s first marriage has shifted from the early 20s in 1980 to 28 for men and 26 for women today. College, graduate school and professional education have kept young adults longer in school than previous generations. Then there is pressure to establish oneself in career, emotional maturity and lack of marital readiness keep them from getting married.

In  a recent Wall Street Journal article pointed out that some sociologists argue that “early marriage” is the No. 1 predictor of divorce. They encourage young adults to explore their identity, work, and love by delaying marriage and parenthood until their later 20s. They warn that those who fail to postpone these family transitions miss out on better career opportunities, make poorer choices on partners, and develop more marital problems.

But there are increased risks associated with delaying marriage to the end of your 20s or into your 30s. For instance, waiting to get married often leads to more premarital sex, premarital cohabitation, and premarital births, which are all associated with higher rates of marital instability. Waiting is good, but waiting too long is not!

It seems intuitive that age would bring maturity, stability, and better decisions, which would result in more lasting marriages. However, there are a number of risks that work against these later marriages and question the wisdom of this social trend to delay marriage into your 30s.

So, what is the best age to get married? One that works for you!