In general, most heterosexual couples have an average age difference of 2-3 years with the man being older in 64% of cases. However, same-sex couples tend to have a larger mean age gap (4.5 years).
It is also worth noting that the gap in median age at first marriage between men and women has narrowed from 2.3 years in 1980, to 1.8 in 2000 and 1.4 years in 2019 and 2020.
In short, research seems to indicate that in many cultures, an age gap of 1 to 3 years is considered ideal — but some researchers suggest even a relationship with an age gap of less than 10 years will bring more satisfaction. Still, numbers rarely tell the full story when it comes to love.
An age gap of 10 years or more is considered a big difference. When one person has a decade more life experience than their partner, the couple might be incompatible. You're likely to have different circles of friends, different interests, and different life goals.
In Western countries, about 8% of male-female couples have an age gap of 10 years or more, rising to 25% in male-male unions and 15% of female-female relationships.
Once a week is a common baseline, experts say. That statistic depends slightly on age: 40- and 50-year-olds tend to fall around that baseline, while 20- to 30-year olds tend to average around twice a week.
Romantic couples with a large age gap often raise eyebrows. Studies have found partners with more than a 10-year gap in age experience social disapproval. But when it comes to our own relationships, both men and women prefer someone their own age, but are open to someone 10-15 years their junior or senior.
Studies have found partners with more than a ten-year gap in age experience social disapproval. But when it comes to our own relationships, both men and women prefer someone their own age, but are open to someone 10-15 years their junior or senior.
A 20-year-old should not be in a relationship with a 17-year-old. While a three-year gap isn't, in itself, absolutely good or bad, even small age differences can be significant for younger people. They may be at different stages of emotional maturity.
A relationship age gap bigger than 10 years often comes with its own set of issues. “While there are always exceptions to rules, a good rule to remember is that dating someone more than 10 years older will present challenges now or later that add to the preexisting challenges any relationship has,” he says.
Yes, a younger man falling for an older woman is more common than many think. There are many reasons why younger men fall for older women, but most commonly, he admires her maturity and experience associated with being an older person.
Couples with an age gap of 1 to 3 years (with the man older than the woman) were the most common and had the greatest levels of satisfaction. Relationship satisfaction decreased slightly for couples with age gaps of 4 to 6 years and continued to decrease for couples with an age gap of 7 or more years.
"Half-your-age-plus-seven" rule
An often-asserted rule of thumb to determine whether an age difference is socially acceptable holds that a person should never date someone whose age is less than half their own plus seven years.
Midlife refers to the middle years of life or middle age, which ranges from approximately age 40 to age 65.
Gertrude Grubb Janeway (USA, b. 3 July 1909), was 18 when she married 81-year-old Union Civil War veteran, John Janeway on 9 June 1927 – an age difference of 63 years.
Visceral fat is a risk factor for coronary heart disease, the leading underlying cause of death for Australian men. Coronary heart disease, which results from a combination of biological factors and lifestyle habits, is a major reason for the difference in mortality between men and women.
Why would older men date younger women and vice versa? As with any other relationship, there are many factors involved. Emotional security, maturity, common life perspectives, physical attraction, and chemistry may be involved. Instincts and culture may also play an important part.
21 and 25 are not a BIG age gap. It all depends on how mature the 21 year old is, and the 25 year old. Of course people like 12 and 16 is a MAJOR age gap, because the 12 year old is so young they don't know how mature the 12 year old is, and the 12 year old is not ready for a relationship at that age.
It's not only not weird, it's really, really common. The real thing to consider (since you're both legally adults) is what life experience you have in common. At 18, you've either recently graduated or are a high school senior.
A 2020 large-scale mate preference study across 45 countries showed that men prefer younger and attractive women while women prefer older and financially stable men (1).
The statistics speak for themselves. An incredible 56% of women state they prefer to date a guy older than them – and 45% of those women want their man to be between 5 and 15 years older than they are! Those are some pretty good odds.
Romantic couples with a large age gap often raise eyebrows. Studies have found partners with more than a ten-year gap in age experience social disapproval. But when it comes to our own relationships, both men and women prefer someone their own age, but are open to someone 10-15 years their junior or senior.
In the New England Journal of Medicine study, though just over a quarter of participants ages 75 to 85 said they had sex in the last year, more than half that group had sex at least two to three times a month. And almost one-quarter of those having sex were doing it once a week — or more.
Most people don't think age-gapped relationships are a big deal. A 2008 study found that couples only face societal disapproval when their age difference is over ten years—I'm in the clear! Woo! Even big age gaps tend to become less taboo as people get older, and it certainly matters at what age the couple met.
A new study found that many women enjoy dating younger men because it breaks down social barriers they traditionally face in relationships. Women in the study tended to assert their sexual needs and often experienced heightened levels of sexual pleasure with younger male partners.