The minimum age at which marriage is permitted varies in different
countries. In Spain, Switzerland, Hungary, and Greece a boy may marry at
fourteen, a girl at twelve years of age. In Austria the age is fourteen
for both sexes. In France, Belgium, and Germany the age is eighteen for a
youth and fifteen for a girl, though the rule in Germany is modified by
the special law in Saxony, where girls are required to be at least sixteen
before marriage. The minimum in Russia is eighteen for the youth and
sixteen for the girl.
A physician drew up an exhibit of the registered cases of 878 married
women in France. Of that number there were married--
14 at 14 years 36 at 25 years
16 at 15 " 24 at 26 "
43 at 16 " 28 at 27 "
45 at 17 " 22 at 28 "
77 at 18 " 17 at 29 "
115 at 19 " 9 at 30 "
118 at 20 " 8 at 31 "
86 at 21 " 5 at 34 "
85 at 22 " 7 at 33 "
59 at 23 " 5 at 32 "
53 at 24 " 3 at 35 "
Of 878 women only three were married at thirty-six or later.