Late marriage among young people: the case of Italy and Japan.

A differential analysis is made of age at first marriage based on individual data from the 1988 Italian Multipurpose Family Survey (women born in 1924-73) and the 1992 Japanese National Fertility Survey (women born in 1942-74). Subsequently focusing attention on cohorts born in the 1960s geographical differences are analyzed taking as a unit of analysis the 47 Japanese prefectures and the 95 Italian provinces. By an integrated reading of the results at an individual and ecological level we discuss differences similarities and interpretations of late marriage in Italy and Japan. (EXCERPT) (SUMMARY IN ITA AND FRE)