Wait… So How Old Are You? Revealed: The ‘Ideal’ Age Gap Between Men & Women In A Relationship

When it comes to the opposite sex does an older man make you grow weak at the knees or do you prefer to date fellas who are closer to your own age?

We’re asking because according to a new survey, the ‘ideal’ age gap between lovers is four years and four months. Oh and generally, the man should be older than the woman. Do you agree?

According to a new survey conducted by Confused.com,  while just under half of couples don’t feel that there is such a thing as the ‘ideal age gap’ between partners, the most popular answer was that the man should be at least 52 months older than the woman.

In fact, around a third of women admitted that they would be content in a relationship with a man who was up to seven years old than them. While around 30 per cent would happilly look for a partner in the 55-70 age bracket.

There's a 25 year age gap between Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones

35 per cent of women confessed that when they see another woman with a much older man, they immediately assume that he much be “very rich.” While 18 per cent admit that their first thought is “it won’t last.” Unsurprisingly, 24 per cent of women said they thought that a woman who dates an older man is simply a gold digger.

The research suggests that when it comes age differences, it’s the attitudes of others that impact otherwise healthy and happy relationships the most. Instead of focussing on the couple for their personalities, the couple tends to be judged by their numerical value which results in unnecessary social stereotyping.

“Age gap relationships can bring with them issues that are not often considered when the couple first start seeing each other,” said Julia Cole, a relationship expert.

“If the age gap is fairly wide – more than ten years – ad the relationship grows into a commitment, it is important to talk about attitudes to money, expectations of family life and what parents, siblings and friends will think about an older partner in their life as well as yours,” she added.

So what celebrity couples have some very sizable age gaps then? Here are the top five...

1. Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones (He’s 25 years older than her).

2. Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson (She’s 23 years older than him).

3. Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart (He’s 22 years older than her).

4. Jason Statham and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (He’s 20 years older than her).

5. Olivier Sarkozy and Mary-Kate Olsen (He’s 17 years older than her).