The bar charts compare the proportions of men and women in the UK who got married in six different age groups in 1996 and 2008.
Overall, women were more likely than men to marry at younger ages, whereas men tended to marry later in life. In both years, the highest percentage of women married between the ages of 25 and 29, while the peak age for men was generally 30-34. Additionally, marriages among younger people became less common in 2008, suggesting a trend towards later marriage.
In 1996, the largest proportion of women who got married was in the 25-29 age group, at around 11%. This was followed by those aged 30-34 and 20-24, at approximately 7% and 6% respectively. By contrast, the figure for females aged 16-19 was negligible, at about 1%. For men, marriage was most common among those aged 25-29 and 30-34, both standing at roughly 9%, while the percentages rose gradually with age after 20-24.
A similar pattern can be seen in 2008. The proportion of women marrying at ages 25-29 remained the highest, at just over 11%, while the figure for the 30-34 group increased slightly to around 8%. However, the percentages for younger women, particularly those aged 16-19 and 20-24, declined noticeably. Among men, the share of marriages in the 30-34 age group climbed to approximately 11%, making it the most common age for marriage. Furthermore, the percentages for males aged 35-39 and 40-44 also increased, reaching about 9% and 6% respectively.