Only 4.6% of Marriages Have an Age Gap of 10+ Years. Analysis of the Severe Correlation Between Economic Power and Age Difference [Big Data of ~20,000 People] #IBJ Marriage White Paper
IBJ Inc. has released its "Marriage White Paper," analyzing data from approximately 20,000 successful marriages. It reveals that "age-gap marriages" of 10 or more years are a mere 4.6% of the total, and a trend was found where the age difference widens to over 5 years when the man's annual income exceeds 15 million yen, showing a severe relationship between economic power and age difference.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 15, 2026 at 03:03
- 🔍 Collected: May 14, 2026 at 18:32
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 15, 2026 at 02:29 (7h 56m after Collected)
IBJ Inc. (HQ: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Kenjiro Tsuchiya), which creates the most successful marriages in Japan*¹, has released the sixth installment of its "2025 IBJ Marriage White Paper," analyzing data from approximately 20,000 successful marriages, with survey results on the "Correlation between Age-Gap Marriages and Economic Power." In response to the interest of unmarried men asking, "Can an age-gap marriage be achieved with economic power?" the analysis revealed that marriages with an age gap of 10 or more years are a "narrow gate," accounting for only 4.6% of the total. Furthermore, it became clear that the borderline where the age difference begins to widen beyond 5 years is an "annual income of 15 million yen."
Full data at "IBJ Marriage Future Laboratory": https://www.ibjapan.jp/mirai-lab/category/seikon-hakusho/
Summary
- "Marriages with an age gap of 10+ years" are only 4.6%.
More than half of successful couples are concentrated within the "same age to a 4-year difference."
- The borderline for widening the age difference beyond 5 years is an "annual income of 15 million yen."
While the age difference remains around 4 years for incomes up to the 10 million yen range, it expands to a 7-8 year difference for incomes over 15 million yen.
- The average annual income of men who married women 10+ years younger is 11.7 million yen.
As the age difference widens, the man's annual income also tends to rise, revealing that a significant age-gap marriage is accompanied by high economic power.
- In the case of an "older wife," the man's annual income is lower than in same-age marriages.
In cases where the woman is 5 or more years older, the man's average annual income was in the 5 million yen range, about 1 million yen lower than in same-age marriages.
The volume zone is "man 1-4 years older," accounting for about half of successful marriages.
The most common is "man is 1-2 years older (22.9%)," followed by "man is 3-4 years older (21.4%)." Combined with same-age (11.1%), more than half of successful marriages fall within the "same age to 4-year difference" range. An age difference of 1-4 years is a range where the culture and social background of their upbringing are similar, making it easy to have common topics. It can be inferred that in modern marriage, not only conditional aspects but also a sense of closeness, such as "whether values match" and "whether an equal relationship can be built," are emphasized.
On the other hand, the percentage of "men who are 10 or more years older" is only "4.6%" of the total. The probability of marrying a woman 10 or more years younger is less than 5%, which can be said to be a very "narrow gate."
"Proportional relationship" between age difference and male annual income, age difference expands with income over 15 million yen.
Analyzing the relationship between a man's annual income and the age difference with his marriage partner, the age difference was 1 year for an income in the 3 million yen range and remained at 4 years even in the 10 million yen range. Even if the annual income increases about threefold, the expansion of the age difference is only about 3 years, and for incomes under 15 million yen, the age difference generally stays within the 1-4 year range.
On the other hand, the age difference reaches a level exceeding "5 years," with a 7-year difference for incomes in the 15-20 million yen range and an 8-year difference for incomes over 20 million yen. While a man's annual income has a certain effect on the age difference, the result was that this effect is prominent only in a very small segment of high-income earners.
For a 10-year age-gap marriage with a younger woman, the man's average annual income is 11.7 million yen.
When a man marries a younger woman, a clear trend emerged where the required income level rises as the age difference widens. Particularly in cases where the man is 10 or more years older, the man's average annual income reached 11.7 million yen, showing that a significant age difference is influenced by high economic power.
On the other hand, in the case of an "older wife" where the woman is 5-9 years older, the man's average annual income was 5.35 million yen. This is about 1 million yen lower than in same-age marriages, showing a difference in the required annual income depending on the age difference.
Survey data released weekly.
The "2025 IBJ Marriage White Paper" is scheduled to be released every Thursday for a total of 15 weeks.
In the future, we will sequentially announce data that deciphers changes in the "common sense of marriage," such as "moving away from age-gap marriages among seniors," "shrinking age difference between spouses," and "increase in couples where the wife is older."
▼Click here for a list of articles from the "2025 IBJ Marriage White Paper."
Publication site: IBJ Marriage Future Laboratory
URL: https://www.ibjapan.jp/mirai-lab/category/seikon-hakusho/
See other data
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Inquiries and coverage regarding the Marriage White Paper
Detailed explanations of this data, provision of additional materials, and interviews with our staff are also available.
IBJ Public Relations: pr@ibjapan.jp
Request regarding citation and reprinting of data
The copyright of this data is held by our company. When citing or reprinting survey data, please be sure to credit "IBJ Marriage Future..."
Full data at "IBJ Marriage Future Laboratory": https://www.ibjapan.jp/mirai-lab/category/seikon-hakusho/
Summary
- "Marriages with an age gap of 10+ years" are only 4.6%.
More than half of successful couples are concentrated within the "same age to a 4-year difference."
- The borderline for widening the age difference beyond 5 years is an "annual income of 15 million yen."
While the age difference remains around 4 years for incomes up to the 10 million yen range, it expands to a 7-8 year difference for incomes over 15 million yen.
- The average annual income of men who married women 10+ years younger is 11.7 million yen.
As the age difference widens, the man's annual income also tends to rise, revealing that a significant age-gap marriage is accompanied by high economic power.
- In the case of an "older wife," the man's annual income is lower than in same-age marriages.
In cases where the woman is 5 or more years older, the man's average annual income was in the 5 million yen range, about 1 million yen lower than in same-age marriages.
The volume zone is "man 1-4 years older," accounting for about half of successful marriages.
The most common is "man is 1-2 years older (22.9%)," followed by "man is 3-4 years older (21.4%)." Combined with same-age (11.1%), more than half of successful marriages fall within the "same age to 4-year difference" range. An age difference of 1-4 years is a range where the culture and social background of their upbringing are similar, making it easy to have common topics. It can be inferred that in modern marriage, not only conditional aspects but also a sense of closeness, such as "whether values match" and "whether an equal relationship can be built," are emphasized.
On the other hand, the percentage of "men who are 10 or more years older" is only "4.6%" of the total. The probability of marrying a woman 10 or more years younger is less than 5%, which can be said to be a very "narrow gate."
"Proportional relationship" between age difference and male annual income, age difference expands with income over 15 million yen.
Analyzing the relationship between a man's annual income and the age difference with his marriage partner, the age difference was 1 year for an income in the 3 million yen range and remained at 4 years even in the 10 million yen range. Even if the annual income increases about threefold, the expansion of the age difference is only about 3 years, and for incomes under 15 million yen, the age difference generally stays within the 1-4 year range.
On the other hand, the age difference reaches a level exceeding "5 years," with a 7-year difference for incomes in the 15-20 million yen range and an 8-year difference for incomes over 20 million yen. While a man's annual income has a certain effect on the age difference, the result was that this effect is prominent only in a very small segment of high-income earners.
For a 10-year age-gap marriage with a younger woman, the man's average annual income is 11.7 million yen.
When a man marries a younger woman, a clear trend emerged where the required income level rises as the age difference widens. Particularly in cases where the man is 10 or more years older, the man's average annual income reached 11.7 million yen, showing that a significant age difference is influenced by high economic power.
On the other hand, in the case of an "older wife" where the woman is 5-9 years older, the man's average annual income was 5.35 million yen. This is about 1 million yen lower than in same-age marriages, showing a difference in the required annual income depending on the age difference.
Survey data released weekly.
The "2025 IBJ Marriage White Paper" is scheduled to be released every Thursday for a total of 15 weeks.
In the future, we will sequentially announce data that deciphers changes in the "common sense of marriage," such as "moving away from age-gap marriages among seniors," "shrinking age difference between spouses," and "increase in couples where the wife is older."
▼Click here for a list of articles from the "2025 IBJ Marriage White Paper."
Publication site: IBJ Marriage Future Laboratory
URL: https://www.ibjapan.jp/mirai-lab/category/seikon-hakusho/
See other data
▼We will notify you of the latest article information via LINE.
https://line.me/R/ti/p/@441lilmk?oat_content=url&ts=03271013
Register on LINE
Inquiries and coverage regarding the Marriage White Paper
Detailed explanations of this data, provision of additional materials, and interviews with our staff are also available.
IBJ Public Relations: pr@ibjapan.jp
Request regarding citation and reprinting of data
The copyright of this data is held by our company. When citing or reprinting survey data, please be sure to credit "IBJ Marriage Future..."