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Age Differences –
Do They Matter?
This is an interesting question
with an answer that will surprise some readers. A great many Penpal sites
suggest that the age of a man is practically irrelevant to a Filipina when she’s
deciding upon a mate. In fact, it’s often suggested that Filipinas actually
prefer husbands who are many years their senior, because such men are
perceived as more mature, less promiscuous, and financially stable. So, what’s the real story?
Is age really irrelevant to Filipinas? What do statistics tell us about the age
differences in existing Fil-West couples? If the statistics were to indicate a
significant age gap between husbands and wives, is this because Filipinas
actually prefer older men, or because they are merely more tolerant of them?
And just how important is the age difference to the men involved? First, let’s consider the
results of a poll from my site that asked western husbands of Filipinas, “What
is the age difference between you and your wife?” There were six possible
answers (age ranges) to choose from. Here are the results (1,043 men
responded): #1. I’m 11-20 years older (25%) #2. I’m 6-10 years older (18%) #3: I’m 1-5 years older (17%) #4: I’m younger than my wife
(14%) #4 (tied): I’m more than 20
years older (14%) #5: Same age (within 12 months)
(10%) Thus, about 75% of men
married to Filipinas are older than their wives by at least a year. Not too
surprising, since it’s common in most cultures for the man to be at least
slightly older than his wife. More interesting is the fact that 39% of the
respondents are at least 11 years older than their wives. Even more notable is
the fact that 14% of the men polled are more than 20 years older than their
wives. That’s a significant age gap. To put it into perspective,
for every man who is younger than his Filipina wife (yours truly included),
there is somewhere a man who is more than 20 years older than his Filipina
wife. This is more striking if one
considers that most western brides are, on average, just 2 to 3 years
younger than their husbands. As an example, a 44 year old Australian man is
statistically most likely to marry an Australian woman of around 41 or 42 years
of age. But if he were to marry a Filipina, there’s only a one in four chance
that his wife will that old. Most likely, a 44 year old Australian man’s
Filipina wife would be around 30 years of age, if not younger. Clearly, there is a sizeable
population of Fil-West couples in which the husband is many years his wife’s
senior. Now let’s pursue the motivations involved. Let’s consider the
motivations of the Filipinas first. Based the number and type of marriages
discussed above, it’s evident that Filipinas are, at a minimum, tolerant
of much older husbands. Do they prefer them, however, to men who are
within a few years of their own age? It <snip> For the rest of this article and a LOT more information, please consider ordering a copy of the ASAWA Guide. Click HERE to learn more. |