{"id":94844,"date":"2026-03-30T11:41:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T11:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/between-being-single-and-creating-a-family-when-and-why-do-young-europeans-get-married\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T11:41:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T11:41:16","slug":"entre-celibat-et-fondation-dune-famille-quand-et-pourquoi-les-jeunes-europeens-se-marient-ils","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/entre-celibat-et-fondation-dune-famille-quand-et-pourquoi-les-jeunes-europeens-se-marient-ils\/","title":{"rendered":"Entre c\u00e9libat et fondation d&#39;une famille\u00a0: quand et pourquoi les jeunes Europ\u00e9ens se marient-ils\u00a0?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ol>\n<li><b> The marriage map in the EU: Where are young people rushing?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The average age at first marriage has risen steadily in recent decades, surpassing the 30-year threshold in most member states.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>The &#8220;hurry&#8221;:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/eurostat\/statistics-explained\/index.php?title=Marriage_and_divorce_statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">States in eastern and southeastern Europe record the lowest average ages at first marriage<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria, young people tend to marry earlier, most often before the age of 30.<\/span>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>The &#8220;patient&#8221;:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> At the opposite pole are the Nordic states and those in Western Europe. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/eurostat\/databrowser\/view\/demo_pjan\/default\/table?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Sweden, Spain, and Italy, the average age at first marriage for men often exceeds 35, and for women, 33<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>The decline of official marriages:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The marriage rate (number of marriages per 1,000 inhabitants) <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/eurostat\/web\/interactive-publications\/demography-2024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fell from 8.0 in 1964 to approximately 3.2 in 2022\/2023, a sign that young people prefer consensual unions or civil partnerships<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><b> Romania: tradition VS economic pressure<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Romania, although traditional values remain strong, economic reality imposes new ground rules for young people who want to start a family.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/insse.ro\/cms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Increasing average age<\/b><\/a><b>:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In Romania, the average age at first marriage has reached approximately 32 for men and 28-29 for women, a significant increase compared to the 24-25 threshold of two decades ago <\/span>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Births outside marriage:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/eurostat\/web\/products-eurostat-news\/-\/ddn-20200717-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nearly 30-33% of children born in recent years in Romania have parents who are not civilly married<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, reflecting a European trend toward the acceptance of families without &#8220;papers&#8221;.<\/span>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>The housing factor:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arhiepiscopiaaradului.ro\/2026\/03\/studiu-70-dintre-tinerii-romani-considera-familia-principalul-sprijin-si-cea-mai-importanta-valoare-din-viata-lor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A major obstacle for young Romanians is access to housing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Dependence on parents (mentioned in previous articles) delays the decision to form one&#8217;s own family until financial stability or a mortgage is obtained.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Marriage as a late &#8220;milestone&#8221;<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">European-level analysis shows us that forming a family is no longer the first step toward maturity, but the last. Today&#8217;s youth prioritize completing their studies, exploring the labor market, and securing housing before saying &#8220;I do.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While in states like France or Denmark the state offers subsidies and facilities for young couples regardless of civil status, in Romania, the pressure to &#8220;settle down&#8221; often comes from the extended family, coming into conflict with real economic difficulties. The result is a generation that marries later, has fewer children, and places a much greater emphasis on psychological compatibility and the independence of partners.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Benefits and facilities for young families: European models<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">EU member states adopt different strategies: some rely on direct subsidies (cash), while others invest heavily in services (nurseries, kindergartens) or tax reductions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><b> France: The &#8220;champion&#8221; of services and taxation<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">France has one of the highest fertility rates in the EU due to a complex system that combines parental leave with unique tax advantages.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Quotient familial:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.service-public.gouv.fr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is a tax system that reduces income tax proportionally to the number of children<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The more children you have, the fewer taxes you pay to the state.<\/span>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Basic allowance (PAJE):<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.caf.fr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Granted at the birth of the child and continuing until the age of 3<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, contingent on income.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><b> Germany: Flexibility and direct support<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Germany emphasizes &#8220;Elterngeld&#8221; (Parental allowance), allowing both partners to share childcare time.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Elterngeld:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmbfsfj.bund.de\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parents can receive between 65% and 100% of their previous income<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (between 300 and 1800 Euro per month) for a period of up to 14 months if both parents participate in the leave.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Kindergeld:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/familienportal.de\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A universal allowance of approximately 250 Euro per month for each child<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, regardless of the parents&#8217; income (Source: Familienportal.de).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li><b> Hungary: Familycredit (the eastern model)<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hungary has adopted aggressive lending policies to encourage marriage and birth rates among young people under 40.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>&#8220;Babav\u00e1r\u00f3&#8221; credit:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Married young couples can receive an interest-free loan of approximately 30,000 Euro. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/kormany.hu\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If they have three children, the debt is fully canceled by the state<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Lifelong tax exemption:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/hungary.representation.ec.europa.eu\/system\/files\/2021-12\/hetfa_fertilitymodels_20190913.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Women raising at least four children are exempt for life from paying income tax<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li><b> Romania: Between indemnity and lending programs<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Romania, primary support comes through the child-raising allowance, but also through new lending programs for youth.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Child-raising allowance:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Represents 85% of the average net income realized in the last 12 months, capped at a maximum of 8,500 RON per month (Source: Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity &#8211; Social assistance benefits).<\/span>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Family start:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/mmuncii.gov.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/oug_modificare_OUG_95_2022_24032025.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A state-subsidized<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> lending program where young people can access up to 150,000 RON for expenses related to weddings, hospitalization at birth, children&#8217;s education, or car down payments, with partially or fully subsidized interest.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data suggests that the French and Nordic models (investment in nurseries and tax breaks) are more effective in the long term for the independence of young people than direct cash subsidies. In Romania, although the allowance amounts are competitive, the lack of infrastructure (nurseries and kindergartens with extended hours) remains the main reason why young people delay starting a family.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Comparative table: Allowance and financial support per child (2026)<\/b><\/h3>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Country<\/span><\/td>\n<td><b>Benefit name<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Monthly amount (per child)<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b><br \/>\n<\/b><b>Observations \/ conditions<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Germany<\/b><\/td>\n<td><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kindergeld<\/span><\/i><\/td>\n<td><b>~255-260\u20ac<\/b><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/familienportal.de\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Universal fixed amount, regardless of parents&#8217; income.<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><b>France<\/b><\/td>\n<td><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allocations Familiales<\/span><\/i><\/td>\n<td><b>~35-180 \u20ac<\/b><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.caf.fr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The amount depends drastically on the family&#8217;s income and the number of children<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (it increases from the 2nd child).<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Italy<\/b><\/td>\n<td><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Assegno Unico<\/span><\/i><\/td>\n<td><b>~55-200 \u20ac<\/b><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adjusted according to the ISEE indicator (family income). <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.inps.it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Low-income families receive the maximum<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Spania<\/b><\/td>\n<td><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ayuda por hijo<\/span><\/i><\/td>\n<td><b>~50-115 \u20ac<\/b><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Part of the &#8220;minimum vital income&#8221;; <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seg-social.es\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">amounts are higher for children under 3 years old<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Olanda<\/b><\/td>\n<td><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kinderbijslag<\/span><\/i><\/td>\n<td><b>~95-135 \u20ac<\/b><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is paid quarterly. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.svb.nl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The amount increases as the child gets older<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (0-5, 6-11, 12-17 years old).<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Romania<\/b><\/td>\n<td><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">State Allowance<\/span><\/i><\/td>\n<td><b>~65-145 \u20ac<\/b><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=https:\/\/mmuncii.ro\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">719 RON (under 2 years) \/ 292 RON (2-18 years) <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; values \u200b\u200bindexed with inflation.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Analysis: What should a young family know?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Universality vs. need:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In Germany and Romania, the allowance is a universal right (everyone receives the same fixed amount). In France and Italy, the system is redistributive: if parents have high salaries, the allowance decreases significantly, with the money being directed toward vulnerable families.<\/span>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Purchasing power:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Although the amount in Germany seems the highest, the cost of living and services (private kindergartens, rents) is proportional. The Netherlands is the only one that increases the amount as the child grows, recognizing the higher education costs for teenagers.<\/span>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Indemnity (leave):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In addition to these amounts, all 5 countries offer maternity\/paternity indemnities representing between 65% and 100% of the salary for periods of 6 to 24 months.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Conclusions for young people in Romania<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although the allowance in Romania is among the smallest in nominal terms (at the exchange rate), relative to the minimum wage, it represents important support. However, the great difference compared to the rest of the 5 economies is infrastructure: in the other mentioned countries, the state guarantees a place in a nursery or subsidizes nannies, allowing both parents to return quickly to the workforce to maintain their financial independence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Article written by Mihai Marcel Ghinea.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The marriage map in the EU: Where are young people rushing? The average age at first marriage has risen steadily in recent decades, surpassing the 30-year threshold in most member states. The &#8220;hurry&#8221;: States in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":890,"featured_media":90817,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[566,679],"tags":[29771,29772,29773,29774,29775,29645,29776,27509,29777,29778,29779,29780,29781,29653,29782,7121,1552,6339],"post_formats":[616],"coauthors":[12109],"class_list":["post-94844","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-fr","category-jeunesse","tag-demographics","tag-economicpressure","tag-europeansociety","tag-familypolicies","tag-familysupport","tag-financialindependence","tag-genzfamily","tag-housingmarket","tag-marriageage","tag-marriagetrends","tag-modernrelationships","tag-parentingbenefits","tag-socialtransformation","tag-worklifebalance","tag-family","tag-pulsez-fr","tag-romania-fr","tag-young-fr","post_formats-articles-fr"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94844","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/890"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94844"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94844\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94846,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94844\/revisions\/94846"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94844"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94844"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94844"},{"taxonomy":"post_formats","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_formats?post=94844"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=94844"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}