In eight EAG states of India Mean Age at first marriage is increasing

The mean age at first marriage among women and men based on marriages taken place during 2007-09 have been listed for EAG States of India from the data collected during Annual Health Survey, 2010.  This is one of the important indicators having bearing on birth rates, fertility of women and also on her health profile.  Any advancement in this women’ marriage age, does effect the population dynamics of the region/states and hence on its development. Here below for the eight least developed EAG states, on which the Government of India has the focus so that their development would actually lead in the advancement of India as a whole as the same is dependent significantly on these states, the movement of the said indicator has been discussed.

1.    Rajasthan

The median age at first marriage among women age 20-49 in Rajasthan was 15 years as per NFHS. But the mean age for females is around 20 years as per recent held Annual Health survey (AHS).  Men average age at marriage is just two years later.  In urban Rajasthan the respective mean ages for women and men are 21.4 years and 24.2 years respectively.

 

2.    Uttarakhand

The median age at first marriage among women age 20-49 in Uttarakhand was 15 years as per NFHS. But the mean age for females is around 22 years as per recent held Annual Health survey (AHS).  Men average age at marriage is four years later.  In urban Uttarakhand the respective mean ages for women and men are 21.4 years and 25.3 years respectively. 

3.    Uttar Pradesh

As per NFHS -3, the median age at first marriage is 16.2 years among women age 20-49 and 20.1 years among men age 25-49. On average, men get married four years later than women.

But the mean age at marriage for females is 21 years as per recent held Annual Health survey (AHS).  Men average age at marriage is just three years later.  In urban Uttar Pradesh the respective mean ages for women and men are 22.4 years and 25.7 years respectively.

 

4.    Odisha

The median age at first marriage is 17.9 years among women age 20-49 in Odisha and 23.6 years among men age 25-49 as per NFHS. But the mean age for females is around 22 years as per recent held Annual Health survey (AHS).  Men average age at marriage is just five years later.  In urban Odisha the respective mean ages for women and men are 22.9 years and 28.6 years respectively. 

5.    Madhya Pradesh

The median age at first marriage is 15.9 years among women age 20-49 in Madhya Pradesh and 19.9 years among men age 25-49 as per NFHS. On average, men get married four years later than women. But the mean age for females is 20.6 years as per recent held Annual Health survey (AHS).  Men average age at marriage is just three years later.  In urban Madhya Pradesh the respective mean ages for women and men are 22.1 years and 25.8 years respectively. 

6.    Chhattisgarh 

As per NFHS -3, the median age at first marriage is 16.4 years among women age 20-49 years and 20.4 among men age 25-49. On average men marry four years later than women. But the mean age at marriage for females is 20.9 years as per recent held Annual Health survey (AHS).  Men average age at marriage is 24.3 years.  In urban Chhattisgarh the respective mean ages for women and men are 21.6 years and 26.5 years respectively.

 

7.    Bihar

As per NFHS -3, the median age at first marriage is 15 years among women age 20-49 years and 20 years among men age 25-49. On average men marry four years later than women. But the mean age at marriage for female is 19.7 years and for male as 23.4 years as per recent held Annual Health survey (AHS). In urban Bihar the respective mean ages for women and men are 21.1 years and 25.6 years respectively.

8.    Jharkhand

As per NFHS -3, the median age at first marriage is 16.2 years among women age 20-49 years and 20.8 among men age 25-49. On average men marry four years later than women. But the mean age at marriage for female (married during 2007-09) is 20.2 years and for male as 24.5 years as per recent held Annual Health survey (AHS). In urban Jharkhand the respective mean ages for women and men are 21.6 years and 26.5 years respectively.

The following table has compared the mean age at marriage for both the males and females for all the EAG States:

S. No.	State	Mean Age at  Marriage for Females	Mean Age at  Marriage for Males	Gap in Mean Age at Marriage
1	Rajasthan	19.7	22.2	2.5
2	Odisha	21.7	26.9	5.2
3	Bihar	19.7	23.4	3.7
4	Jharkhand	20.2	24.5	4.3
5	Madhya Pradesh	20.6	23.8	3.2
6	Chhattisgarh	20.9	24.3	3.4
7	Uttar Pradesh	21.0	23.7	2.7
8	Uttarakhand	22.0	25.8	3.8

It can be inferred that most of the females of Rajasthan, Bihar and Jharkhand are marring around their late nineties or early twenties.  Most of the females of MP, Chhattisgarh and UP are marrying in their late twenties, whereas in Odisha and Uttarakhand the age of girls marrying is around 22.  In most of these 8 states, men are marrying the girls with less their age and the gap is around 2.5 to 3.5 years, except for Odisha (over 5 years), Jharkhand (over 4 years), Uttarakhand and Bihar 3.8 and 3.7 years respectively.  The gaps should be least possible as it has been seen that females live longer than males on the average.

Over the years, the mean age at marriage has been advancing in both rural as well in urban areas, if one compares the presented two data sets. It has been also observed that Urban areas are witnessing late marriages than their rural counter parts of all these states and gap is comparatively more, except for Uttarakhand where the urban areas are marrying early and the gap is relatively less.