The age you have your first child could influence your long-term health and happiness, a study has revealed – and it turns out 29 is the sweet spot.
Researchers have found those who become parents earlier – for example in their early twenties – earn less money than those who have children later.
Young parents also report worse physical and mental health, and have less educational success.
The study, titled ‘Congratulations, it’s a risk factor!’, found health and wealth increased the later someone had their first child, with the benefits plateauing as they neared the age of 30.
‘The findings show that the younger someone is when they become a parent, the more likely they are to experience long-term challenges, including not finishing high school, reporting poorer health, and having lower income across the lifespan,’ author Jordan MacDonald told PsyPost.
‘These patterns were similar for teen and young fathers and teen and young mothers.’
Writing in the journal Plos One, the researchers said: ‘Based on the findings of the present study, the ideal age [to have your first child] is between 26 and 31.
‘It is between these years that self-rated health and mental health, income and education appear to be stable.’
The researchers found that the chance of living in a household earning at least 125,000 Canadian dollars (£67,000) peaked for individuals who had their first child around the age of 29
Participants who became parents in their teens or early twenties reported worse physical health later in life - but this effect was reduced for those who delayed parenthood
For the study, the University of New Brunswick's team analysed data on 6,282 adults who had children.
They calculated the exact age each participant was when their first child was born and collected information on their life outcomes.
The age people became parents was heavily linked to educational success, analysis showed.
As the age of first-time parenthood increased, the likelihood of completing post-secondary education – for example, going to university - rose rapidly.
The probability of earning a higher income also increased significantly as people delayed having children, and levelled off between the ages of 26 and 31.
The researchers also found that the chance of living in a household earning at least 125,000 Canadian dollars (£67,000) peaked for individuals who had their first child around the age of 29.
After this age, the probability of reaching the highest income bracket slowly declined.
Participants who became parents in their teens or early twenties reported worse physical health later in life, but this negative link was reduced for those who delayed parenthood – stabilising around the age of 26.
The researchers said the younger someone is when they become a parent, the more likely they are to experience long-term challenges
The analysis also revealed the age people became parents was heavily linked to education
Overall, the researchers discovered older first-time parents reported slightly better mental health.
But life satisfaction did not seem to change based on the age someone became a parent.
The authors said their findings provide evidence for a concept known as liminality theory, which suggests that when a person becomes a parent during a transitional phase in life, their personal development can stall.
This could explain why – if people have their first child during ‘key’ stages such as leaving high school or moving out from their parents’ home – they can become ‘stuck’ in this phase of life.
The researchers cautioned that their results do not mean that teen or young parents cannot succeed.
‘They mean that success may become much more difficult without support,’ Mr MacDonald said.
‘Teen and young parents, regardless of how they became parents or whether others approve of their situation, are not “doomed to fail”.
‘But they may face much greater barriers if the people and institutions around them do not offer support.’
According to official statistics, the average age of first-time mothers in England and Wales is now 29.4.
Projections from experts at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) state that women are likely to continue having babies later in life and having smaller families than previous generations.
The ONS says girls who turned 18 in 2025 are likely to have an average of one child per woman by the age of 35 - unlike their mothers' generation, which had an average of one child per woman by the time they were 31.
They are also projected to have an average of 1.52 children during their lifetimes - down from 1.95 children for their mothers and 2.04 children for their grandmothers.