Despite the saying that age is just a number, age-gap relationships are usually frowned upon, especially when the woman is older.

However, many people overlook the age difference when the man is older. Nevertheless, this does not spare the relationship from the painful realities of age gap relationships. 

Some popular age gap relationships include Cristine Reyes and Marco Gumabao (6 years), Billie Eilish and Jesse Rutherford (10 years), Jay-Z and Beyonce (12 years), and George and Amal Clooney (17 years). 

Despite their notoriously low success rates, age-gap relationships are more satisfying for the older party. 

According to The Marital Satisfaction of Differently Aged Couples study by Wang-Sheng Lee and Terra McKinnish, both men and women reported higher satisfaction levels when married to a much younger partner of the opposite gender.

However, both men and women were unsatisfied in age-gap relationships when they were the younger partners.

Nevertheless, other factors such as financial stability, maturity, and caring attitudes of older partners compensate for the dissatisfaction of younger partners, making age-gap relationships a preference for some.

Subsequently, age-gap relationships have become more acceptable, with 81% of women and 90% of men open to dating someone 10 years their junior. 

According to the Atlantic, a 5-year age difference increased divorce rates by 18% over age-matched couples, while a 10-year age gap increased the likelihood of separation by 39%. Similarly, relationships with over 20-year gaps had a 95% failure rate.

Interestingly, another study by Lumen found that relationships where couples had a 1-year gap lasted the longest, with just a 3% divorce rate.

In Western countries, the percentage of couples with 10+ years was just 10%, while in the United States, the number is 8%. Only 18.8% of couples have an age difference of over 5 years.

According to Lee and McKinnish, satisfaction in age-gap relationships declines faster in age-gap relationships than in similar-age relationships. 

The researchers did not conclusively determine why age-gap couples divorced more often than others.

But considering that the relationship declined over time, we suggest that external pressures such as the negative attitudes of family and friends, failing health (including reproductive) of the older partner, difficulties in navigating economic crises, generational gaps, conflicting lifestyles, eventually wear down age gap relationships.

Seemingly, age-gap relationships are more common among celebrities than the general population, making them more acceptable. 

However, ageism is still a major problem for couples with large age gaps.

While the odds are against couples with large age gaps, social media is filled with many success stories. With love, understanding, compromise, and good communication, these types of relationships can survive.