Over the last 30 years the average age of becoming a first-time parent has increased in the Nordic countries. Today, 2019, both mothers and fathers are on average older when they have their first child than they were in 1989. In 1989 as well as today, first-time fathers are on average older than first-time mothers.

In 1989 Icelanders were, by far, the youngest first-time parents. Today the Icelanders are still the youngest first-time parents, but they have caught up with the other Nordic countries.

Norway, showing the second youngest average ages for first-time parents in 1989, surpassed the other countries in 2019 and shows the highest average age for both first-time mothers and first-time fathers today.

Figure. The average age of first-time fathers is shown on the vertical axis, and the average age of first-time mothers is shown on the horizontal axis. The position of the circles shows the average ages of becoming first-time parents in the five Nordic countries.
If the average age at the birth of their first child is the same for the mothers and the fathers, the circle will lie on the diagonal dashed line. However, as all circles lie above the diagonal dashed line, first-time fathers in all Nordic countries are on average older than first-time mothers.
The average ages of first-time parents in the Nordic countries at each of the two time points, 1989 and 2019, are gathered in a grey ellipse. As the 2019-ellipse lies above the 1989-ellipse first-time parents, both mothers and fathers, are on average older in 2019 than in 1989 for all Nordic countries.