Determinants of Age at First Marriage in Selected Countries of Asia & the Pacific Region; A Systematic Review

This paper aims to assess the pattern of determinants age at marriage in selected countries in Asia and the Pacific (Azerbaijan, Iran, Tajikistan, India, Japan, Thailand, China, Australia, News land), considering the variations in marriage age and its trend in those countries. This paper is based on a systematic review of 45 papers and research evidences available as published papers and reports about determinants of marital timing in these countries. From among 193 reports and papers, 45 papers have been selected using certain criteria. Determinants of age at first marriage identified in each study were extracted and their patterns were identified using thematic content analysis. This review indicated that determinates of marriage age differs by gender and rural/urban residence. Moreover, various macro-micro level determinants can be categorized into different groups. Macro-economic developmental factor, population policies, marriage market and squeeze, social norms related to premarital sex and partnership, environmental factors (social instability, domestic war), socio-economic status, women’s empowerments (education and employment), attitudinal factors, religion, social class, values and normative factors related to marriage and finally, family factors such as living with parents and number of children. In different societies, each factor operates differently in determining marital timing. Despite the homogenous developmental levels in some societies, cultural and normative factors about marriage has caused a unique resistance towards sharp and considerable increase in marriage age over the past decades in some countries and this fact made them distinct from other societies with sharper increase in marriage age.