title: Economic analysis of age at first marriage.
abstract: A subject of great interest to demographers is to relate the timing of demographic events to individual characteristics and environmental variables.  Static models of marriage tend to give corner solutions, the choice of marriage, or remaining single.  This article develops an economic model of marriage which gives interior solutions to the optimum age at 1st marriage and which does not include an explicit argument about the age at marriage in the utility function.  In theoretical analysis, the life cycle model is modified to capture different aspects of the decision of when to get married.  Results from empirical analysis support implications derived from the theoretical analysis.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsushita
mesh_terms: D000569:Americas; D003710:Demography; D019049:Developed Countries; D004467:Economics; D004522:Educational Status; D005190:Family; D005191:Family Characteristics; D007182:Income; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D008393:Marriage; D018803:Models, Economic; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009656:North America; D011153:Population; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012106:Research; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States
keywords: Americas; Demographic Factors; Developed Countries; Economic Factors; Economic Model; Educational Status; Family And Household; Family Research; Income; Life Cycle; Marriage; Marriage Age; Marriage Patterns; Models, Theoretical; North America; Northern America; Nuptiality; Population; Population Dynamics; Research Methodology; Socioeconomic Factors; Socioeconomic Status; Time Factors; United States