Hello, Alice. Great question! I think there is no right or wrong answer, though. What's important is to understand why. From my observations, Americans used to get married before they were 20 in the pre-war era, and the reason is obvious--it was war time, and young men were drafted with slim chances of returning. During those days, including post-war times, men and women married at younger ages, probably because they didn't have the convenience that we have today. We have the internet, and we have faster transportation, and instant messaging, and we can meet more people in a shorter amount of time. But during those days, the most attractive person you knew was probably your neighbor, or someone in your neighborhood or town. The attitude was also different during those times--people would settle for what was in right in front of them, especially when times were scarce, like during the industrial revolution, when most jobs paid just a few cents. People didn't have time to "test drive" each other, like we do today. I honestly don't like our attitudes today, because we've become more cautious, more hesitant, and more afraid of commitment and sacrifice. I've also read somewhere that people who marry in their early 20s are more likely to last than people who wait too long. I've also read somewhere that people who stay in the dating phase for too long become too comfortable and have smaller chances of getting married. If you're interested, I could find these sources for you.

I'm living in China now and found that most city couples tend to get married in their late 20s. Rural/farm couples get married much earlier (late teens or mostly in their early 20s). Back in the US, most of my friends/co-workers got married in their late 20s or early 30s and had their first children in their early 30s. I think it really depends on cultural influence. In the US (from my perspective) independence is highly valued and thus many friends...especially male friends don't even think about getting married until later in their lives. The mentality in China is very different. People are OK with getting married and often times get a lot of pressure from parents to quickly have grandchildren. I'm oversimplifying...there's a lot of factors, but to answer your question there isn't any appropriate age to get married. It's all up to you and when you find the right person and I honestly think you should never get pressured into it...it's not something you want to regret.