What is the average age difference between husband and wife

The pattern of spousal age gaps — and the fact that women tend to live at least a few years longer than men — helps explain another universal theme: Across the world, women are about twice as likely as men to age alone. While this pattern holds across all six religions evaluated, there are again differences between faith groups. By region, Europe and North America have the widest gender gaps in rates of living alone.

Rates of living alone over the age of 60 are tied to many factors, including cultural norms, economic development, levels of education and life expectancy.

In countries where governments offer fewer retirement benefits or other support systems for older adults, families may face a greater responsibility to provide care. Across the world, middle-aged women those ages 35 to 59 are also more likely than their male counterparts to live in single-parent households. Gaps are smaller but still notable among Jews, Muslims, Hindus and the religiously unaffiliated. However, Buddhist men and women do not differ much on this measure.

These patterns partly reflect the large share of Christians in sub-Saharan Africa, where single-parent households are relatively common, and the big shares of Buddhists in Asia, where such households are rare. Middle-aged men tend to live in single-parent homes at about the same rate all over the world and regardless of religion; any differences in rates of single parenthood affect women almost exclusively. And is it different between heterosexual and homosexual couples we fall into the latter?

Dear Seth, The average age difference for a heterosexual couple is 2. In 64 percent of heterosexual couples, the man is older. In 23 percent, the woman is older, and in the remaining 13 percent, the partners are less than 12 months apart in age.

This data comes from the Current Population Survey CPS and is based on information provided by 31, male-female couples. Those surveyed couples are supposed to represent the estimated 70 million heterosexual couples who live together in the U.

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