15 October 19:40
More than half of Russians (67%) consider the age difference between partners in a relationship to be no more than ten years. A third of Russians consider relationships in which the woman is significantly older than the man to be unacceptable. About this reports RBC with reference to a survey by VTsIOM.
1,600 Russians aged 18 years and over took part in the study using a telephone survey.
A third of respondents said that the maximum permissible age difference between a man and a woman is up to five years. Another third of respondents (33%) said the maximum acceptable difference is up to ten years. The opinion that age does not matter is shared by a fifth of respondents (20%). The age difference of 15 years was considered acceptable by 7% of respondents, and an even greater gap was approved by 3%.
VTsIOM specialists noted that Russians are more relaxed about unions in which the man is older than the woman. This situation is considered normal by 23% of respondents, and another 55% called it acceptable, but undesirable. At the same time, 16% of respondents said that the age difference of 15–20 years is unacceptable. When a woman is older than a man by the same number of years, the level of approval decreases: only 13% of Russians consider such a couple normal, and a third of respondents (33%) consider this unacceptable.
The study authors indicated that women are more likely to set age limits. More than half of the women surveyed (51%) said that a difference of 15–20 years or more is a problem. Men turned out to be less sensitive to age: 43% of them consider this difference to be insignificant. According to VTsIOM experts, for men a young partner still remains a symbol of status, while a woman’s relationship with a younger man is perceived by society as a reputational risk: society is more likely to accuse her of being either calculated or frivolous.
