Korea sees rise in couples with older wives
com. Marriages between younger Korean men and older Korean women accounted for just over 20 percent of first marriages last year, meaning roughly 1 in 5 couples consisted of a wife who was older than the husband. The share of couples with an older husband, meanwhile, continues to decline annually. Over the past 15 years, it fell by 6.1 percentage points,…
In South Korea, a notable trend has emerged over the past decade - an increasing number of marriages where the wife is older than the husband. According to data released by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, 20.2% of first marriages registered last year featured an older wife. This marks a significant rise from 14.9% in 2010 to 19.9% in 2024.
Several factors may contribute to this shift in marital dynamics. The share of couples where the husband is older has been declining each year, dropping by 6.1 percentage points over the past 15 years. This trend suggests that younger Korean men may be less inclined to marry older women compared to previous decades.
Interestingly, the phenomenon of older wives extends beyond first marriages. Remarried couples are also more likely to include an older wife, indicating that this trend may be affecting second, third, and subsequent marriages as well. This data has sparked a discussion about whether age is becoming less of a consideration for Koreans when choosing a spouse.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Korea sees rise in couples with older wives koreatimes.co.kr
