When is the right time in life to get married or have a child? What is the best age to buy a home? Is there an ideal age for retirement? We asked adults in 18 mostly middle-income countries what they think is the best age to reach these life milestones. Overall, there is a lot of agreement around the world.

A chart showing The ideal ages for major life events, according to people in 18 nations
On average across the countries surveyed, people say it is best to get married and have a first child around 26 years old. They place the best age for buying a home at just under 30 and the ideal age for retirement at around 58.

And for each of these milestones, the average ages suggested by country are generally no more than a decade apart. For example, country averages for the ideal retirement age range from early 50s to early 60s – that is, 52.1 in Colombia to 62.7 in Nigeria. These averages give us a broad view of differences between countries, but we’re also able to take a closer look within each country at the much wider range of responses people provide.

Countries included in this analysis
We asked these questions about the ideal timing of life events in 18 countries where we conduct our surveys face-to-face: Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tunisia and Turkey.

In-person interviewing generally allows for greater rapport between the interviewer and respondent, and people are often more comfortable taking longer surveys in this setting.

The countries where we survey face-to-face are generally less wealthy than other nations. The World Bank classifies all countries included in this report (except Chile) as middle-income countries, while the United Nations classifies all 18 as developing economies. The middle-income nations we survey also tend to have younger populations than high-income nations, with a lower median age and life expectancy. Across the 18 countries in this analysis, the median age is 31.2 years, with a median life expectancy of 74.8 years.

Best age to retire
People across the countries surveyed generally say the ideal age for retirement is in one’s late 50s. Still, views vary somewhat: Colombians say 52.1 is the best age to retire, while Nigerians say it is 62.7, on average.

There are also a wide range of responses within countries. Around 20% of adults in Turkey and Colombia think the best age to retire is under 50, while similar shares in Kenya and Nigeria think the best age is 70 or older.

In most countries, the average ideal age for retirement is younger than the age at which people can start receiving age-based retirement benefits. For example, many people in Mexico may qualify for a pension at age 65, according to data from the International Social Security Association. But Mexican adults say the ideal age to retire is 56.6.

Of course, retirement may not look the same or even be possible for everyone. Many older adults may work informally – such as in agriculture, child care or part-time employment – or may not retire for various reasons. And differences in the labor force across countries may also affect retirement ages and rates.

For instance, Nigerians can start receiving retirement benefits at age 50, which is earlier than most other countries included in this study – yet they give the highest ideal age for this milestone (62.7). This finding may reflect the fact that most employed Nigerians are self-employed (84% in the first quarter of 2024) and thus not eligible for pensions.

Best age to get married
Generally, people across the 18 countries surveyed think it’s best to get married in one’s mid-20s. Average ideal ages range from 21.2 in Bangladesh to 28.9 in Argentina.

More than three-quarters of adults in Bangladesh say the best age for marriage is under 25. India is the only other country where a majority think the best age is under 25.

By contrast, in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, South Africa and Tunisia, roughly 10% of adults or more say the ideal age for marriage is 35 or older – the highest shares to say this among the countries surveyed. And 10% in Tunisia, 11% in Argentina and 16% in Chile say there is no best age for getting married.

People in the countries surveyed, on average, actually do get married in their 20s, according to data from the United Nations. But there is a gender gap, with women typically marrying at a younger age than men. Our survey finds a similar gender gap in views of the ideal age for marriage: In 14 of 18 countries, women say the best age to get married is slightly earlier in life, compared with men.

Read more in Chapter 1: What is the best age to get married?

And jump to Appendix A for the actual ages at which people around the world marry, have their first child and become eligible for retirement benefits.

Best age to become a parent
People across the 18 countries surveyed also largely agree that the best time to have a first child is in one’s mid-20s. Averages range from 23.5 years old in Bangladesh to 29.8 in Tunisia.

A third of adults or more in Bangladesh, India, Kenya and South Africa say it is ideal to have a first child before age 25. Similar shares in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Thailand and Tunisia say the best age to become a parent is 30 or older.

Though people in our survey overall place the best age for having a child at 26.1, women tend to give birth for the first time a little later than that, according to UN data. In most countries polled, the typical woman is about 28 or older when she has her first child.

Read more in Chapter 2: What is the best age to have a first child?

Best age to buy a home
There is a little less agreement about what age is best to become a homeowner. Average ideal ages for buying a home range from 24.9 in Brazil to 36.3 in Ghana.

Roughly 20% of adults or more in South Africa, Sri Lanka and across Latin America say the best time to reach this milestone is before age 25. And in 11 countries, at least 10% say the ideal age to buy a home is 40 or older – including in Ghana, where 41% say this.

Read more @Pew Research