Pinoys split on relationship age gaps

MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos are split on whether or not an age gap matters in a relationship, a new Social Weather Stations survey suggests.

The poll released on the eve of Valentine’s Day found that 50 percent of the 1,440 respondents believe that age gap matters in a relationship, while 41 percent say it does not. The remaining nine percent are undecided.

Age gap matters more among older men than younger men, SWS said. 

In the 55 and above bracket, 54 percent said age gap matters, while 38 percent said it does not matter.

It was followed by those aged 45 to 54 (51 percent it matters, 41 percent it does not matter), those aged 35-44 (47 percent it matters, 38 percent it does not matter), those aged 18 to 24 (45 percent it matters, 40 percent it does not matter) and those aged 25 to 34 (44 percent it matters, 49 percent it does not matter).

Among women, age gap matters more among those in the 18 to 24 bracket (65 percent it matters, 33 percent it does not matter) and among those in 55 and above bracket (54 percent it matters, 34 percent it does not matter).

These were followed by those aged 35 to 44 (48 percent it matters, 43 percent it does not matter), those aged 45 to 55 (48 percent it matters, 43 percent it does not matter) and those aged 23 to 34 (46 percent it matters, 49 percent it does not matter).

Be with someone older or younger?

The survey also showed that women are generally unwilling to be in relationship with someone 10 years younger than them with 58 percent saying they are not willing and 23 percent saying they are willing.

SWS said the willingness to have a relationship with someone 10 years younger was negative among women from all age groups.

But women, except among those aged 55 and above, are “more willing than their male counterparts to have a relationship with someone older,” the polling firm noted.

Among women, willingness to have relationship with someone 10 years older was highest among those aged 35-44, with 60 percent saying they are willing and 21 percent not willing.

On the other hand, willingness to be with someone 10 years older was highest among men aged 35 to 44, with 48 percent saying they are willing and 26 percent not willing.

Half of Filipinos ‘very happy’ with their love life

The survey also found that 51 percent of adult Filipinos said they are “very happy” with their love life—six points down from the 57 percent registered in 2017.

“Overall, half of men (53 percent) and women (50 percent) say they are ‘very happy’ with their love life,” SWS noted.

Thirty-six percent, meanwhile, said their love life “could be happier” and 13 percent said they “do not have a love life.”

The proportion of those who have the happiest love life was highest among those who are married—at 64 percent for men and 59 percent for women.

The wish for a happier love life was highest among those with live-in partner—at 55 percent for males and 43 percent for females.

There are more single women with no love life at 59 percent compared to their male counterparts at 43 percent.

The survey was conducted from December 16 to 19 last year. It has sampling error margins of ±2.6 percent for national percentages, and ±5 percent each for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao.