Is there a right time in life to settle down, tie the knot and start a family? While everyone has their own timeline, the Pew Research Center recently asked adults in 18 mostly middle-income countries what they think the best age is to reach these life milestones and more.
- Respondents were in these countries: Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tunisia and Turkey, as well as the U.S.
- The median age of those surveyed is 31.2 years old.
Surprisingly, a lot of people around the world agree about the timeframes. The survey finds:
- On average in all the countries surveyed, people say the best time to get married and have a first child is around 26 years old.
- Americans say the ideal age to get married is 26.5, on average, and the best time to have a child is at 27.3 years old.
- Respondents worldwide say the best age to buy a home is just under 30, on average, while Americans say it’s 28.8.
- Average ideal ages for buying a home vary more from country to country, ranging from 24.9 in Brazil to 36.3 in Ghana.
- When it comes to the best age for retirement, the average among the countries surveyed is around age 58.
- It’s much lower for Colombians, who say 52.1 is the best age to retire, while Nigerians say it’s 62.7, on average.
- That’s closer to what Americans think, they say the ideal age for retiring is 61.8.
Source: Pew Research Center