CHANGES IN MEAN AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE AND REMARRIAGE OF THE POPULATION FROM CENTRAL BELARUS BETWEEN 1860-2018
CHANGES IN MEAN AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE AND REMARRIAGE OF THE POPULATION FROM CENTRAL BELARUS BETWEEN 1860-2018

Summary/Abstract: Objectives. The aim of our study was to show the changes in the nubility of the population of the central Belarus that happened during 1860-2018. Due to the fact that patterns of marriage and unions have changed significantly across the world, it was important to characterize these processes in Belarus. Materials and methods. The marriage data were acquired from the analysis of the parish registers (5831 entries) and statistical sources. Data was treated by conventional statistical methods. Results. In the second half of the 19th century and throughout the 20th century, the mean age at first marriage varied between 24.3 and 25.5 for men and between 21.5 and 22.5 for women. The two World Wars were events that greatly affected the marriage patterns on the territory of Belarus in the 20th century, reducing the male population. The first divorces were registered in the 1920s, and in the early 21th century, more than half of the registered marriages ended in divorce. Significant changes in the marriage pattern occurred in the early 21st century. Over the period between 2000 and 2017, the mean age at first marriage increased by 3 years for men (28.0 years), and by 2.9 years for women (25.6 years). Conclusions. The population in the central part of Belarus in the second half of the 19th century and throughout the 20th century was characterized by the traditional type of nuptiality (young age at first marriage, low permanent celibacy levels). The traditional marriage pattern was substituted by a European one at the turn of the 21st century (late age at first marriage, high permanent celibacy rates and high percentage of consensual unions).

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