Research

Age-gap research

Explore demographic findings, primary sources and the limits of using population data to understand an individual relationship.

Start with the statistics overview

Our statistics page summarizes U.S. spousal age-difference findings from Pew Research Center and the U.S. Census Bureau. It clearly separates the year a dataset describes from the year an article was published.

View age-gap statistics

How we use research

We prioritize government data, peer-reviewed studies and established research organizations. Population findings are presented as context, not as a compatibility score or personal prediction.

Important limitations

Age-gap patterns vary by country, culture, age at marriage, remarriage, couple type and research definitions. Averages are descriptive and should never be treated as a recommended target.

Calculation transparency

Research pages discuss population patterns, while our methodology page explains the date arithmetic used by the calculators.