What’s the best age to get married?

The age you get married could be a predictor of whether or not your marriage will last, according to an analysis by Nicholas Wolfinger, sociologist at the University of Utah who reviewed the National Survey of Family Growth survey administered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The divorce rate is highest for those who get married in their teens and it steadily declined for those tying the knot in their 20s. Those married between 25 and 29 years old have a 15 percent chance of divorce compared to a 32 percent chance of divorce for those married before the age of 20. Those between the ages of 30 and 34 are likely to get divorced just 14 percent of the time, but after the age of 32, the divorce rate begins to increase by 5 percent each year.

Getting married at a young age or waiting until later on in life does not mean your marriage is destined to fail, experts caution.

“The perfect age to get married is the age you are comfortable with, and this is different for everyone,” says Donna Parris, registered nurse and case manager at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, Ill. “Our grandparents got married in their early teens, and many of them lasted forever.  Others marry later in life, and that can also be lasting. Forgiveness, hard work and love are key elements to a good marriage.”