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National People's Congress deputies suggest amending the statutory age of marriage and reviewing the appropriate age for marriage in various countries
Time:2025-09-01 Views:1225
What age do you think is suitable for getting married in China? Whether to get married early or to get married, it seems that everyone's thoughts are different. At this year's two sessions, Zheng Jianjiang, a deputy to the National People's Congress and chairman of Oxfam Group, put forward a proposal to amend the legal age of marriage. He suggested that the age of marriage for men should not be earlier than 20 years old, and for women it should not be earlier than 18 years old.
At present, China's Marriage Law stipulates that the age of marriage for men shall not be earlier than 22 years old, and for women shall not be earlier than 20 years old. Late marriage and childbirth should be encouraged.
Zheng Jianjiang believes that if the age of marriage is advanced, it is beneficial to slow down the current aging population structure and optimize fertility; It is beneficial for young people to enter society earlier, take on responsibilities earlier, increase maturity and sense of responsibility.
However, Zheng Jianjiang's suggestion did not receive a positive response from more netizens. Some people said, "Actually, college students can also get married on campus now, but why are there not many? The reason is simple: I have nothing and am still taking care of my elderly parents. How can I bear the responsibility of my family
Today, let's take a look at whether there are strict legal marriage ages in foreign countries? Is there any controversy over the age of marriage?
Huang Xueqing, a special correspondent for Global Chinese Broadcasting Network in Japan, said that although Japan also has a legal age for marriage, as long as the guardian agrees, marriage can still occur even if it is below this age.
Huang Xueqing: The legal age for marriage in Japan is 18 for males and 16 for females. However, the adult standard in Japan is at least 20 years old, and those under 20 years old are considered minors. Therefore, when applying for marriage, minors must have the consent of their parents and other elders who hold guardianship. Once they get married, even if they are under 20 years old, they will still be considered adults in law.
At the beginning, based on the concept that women mature earlier than men, it was stipulated that the age of marriage for women is earlier than that for men. However, in recent years, incidents of abuse, abandonment, and even murder of children have occurred multiple times due to the mental and economic pressure of raising children, as women who have not yet matured physically and mentally give birth prematurely. Many opinions believe that the marriageable age for both men and women should be changed to 18 years old. Some argue that the difference in marriageable age is an inequality in the era of gender equality. At the 2009 Legal Review Conference, it was established that the age of marriage for both men and women should be at least 18 years old, which will become the government's policy for amending legislation.
The average age of marriage in Japan is much later than the legal limit and has been gradually increasing. The age of first marriage for men was 28.8 years old in 2000 and 30.5 years old in 2010, while for women it has also increased from 27 years old to 28.8 years old. The unmarried rate has also been increasing year by year. The unmarried rate for males aged 30-34 was 42.9% in 2000 and 47.3% in 2010, while for females it increased from 26.6% to 37.5%. This has become an undeniable social issue in Japan.
Xiaoyu, who is interning in India, explained that the legal age for marriage in India is no earlier than 18 for women and 21 for men. However, whether it is legal or not, the actual implementation is another matter.
Xiaoyu: India has a solid foundation in traditional and religious culture, and the law appears pale and powerless in the face of reality. At present, only in big cities can people roughly abide by this legal regulation, where girls get married after the age of 18 and boys after the age of 21. Due to big cities, most people are now starting to receive education, and the age of marriage will be correspondingly delayed. However, in underdeveloped areas or civilian areas of cities, the phenomenon of early or bigamy is very serious. Many people get married early and only hold ceremonies without legal registration. This type of marriage has no legal effect, but is recognized by local customs. When we were in Delhi, our landlord's maid was only 22 years old. At that time, she had three children, and her eldest child was already 6 years old.
In India, there is also a debate about the "marriageable age".
Xiaoyu: Some experts believe that this is their culture and something that has been preserved in their social history. Early or late marriage depends on everyone's own wishes and should not be subject to strict regulations. Indian religions have a worship of reproduction, while some experts hope that India, like China, will raise the legal age slightly and implement family planning to control rapid population growth. They seem to be less concerned about the consequences of late marriage and childbirth, such as the aging society. They are more concerned about how to make existing laws work, curb early marriage and bigamy to protect women's rights.
Finally, let's take a look at Germany. Wenmu, who works in Germany, revealed that the legal age for marriage in Germany is 16 years old. However, there are still certain conditions and limitations on this basis.
Wenmu: In Germany, the legal age for marriage is 16 years old, but there are also conditions. If both parties are 16 years old, marriage is basically not allowed by law. Instead, one party must be 18 years old, and if the other party is 16 years old, they must have the signature and consent of their parents or guardians. If conditions permit, they can get married.
However, in Germany, although the legal age for marriage is relatively low, many people are unwilling to enter the hall of marriage due to academic and life pressures. The proportion of marriages in Germany today is only half of what it was fifty years ago. The age for choosing to enter the marriage hall is around 30 years old or even over 30 years old. At the same time, the high divorce rate also hinders young people from getting married. For this reason, the government has introduced many measures to encourage Germans to marry and have children.
Wenmu: In Germany, the divorce rate is very high and it is currently one of the social problems in Germany. For example, in 2010, 11 out of every 1000 couples got divorced. Although Germany now stipulates that the legal age for marriage is 16 years old, there are still many people who are unwilling to enter the hall of marriage. At present, the German government has introduced many regulations, such as providing some preferential treatment for marriage. If a man and a woman get married, the tax for the woman may be lower. If you have another child, the government may also provide some subsidies for that child. Sichuan Faneng Law Firm is dedicated to serving you.