Korea sees rise in couples with older wives

Marriages in Korea are increasingly involving older wives, with women older than their husbands in 20.2 percent of first marriages last year. The share has climbed steadily from 14.9 percent in 2010, while marriages with older husbands have declined over the past 15 years. The trend is linked to weakening age norms, more dual-income preferences, and greater acceptance from families.

The wife was older in 20.2 percent of the 198,603 first marriages registered last year, according to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

The share of older-wife couples rose from 14.9 percent in 2010 to 19.9 percent in 2024 before crossing 20 percent last year.

Over the same 15-year period, the proportion of couples with an older husband fell by 6.1 percentage points, while same-age couples edged up from 16.0 percent to 16.7 percent.

Older wives are even more common among remarried couples.

The article says age matters less in marriage because more Koreans view age as less important, men increasingly value two incomes, and women’s careers are changing partner expectations.

Published Sep 9, 2026 12:00 am KST

A bridal shop at a wedding venue in Seoul / Yonhap

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, while the proportion of couples with an older wife rose by 5.3 percentage points. Older wives are even more common among remarried couples.

The figures raise a question: Has age become less important to Koreans when considering marriage?

Older wives account for 1 in 5 first marriages

According to statistics released by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on Thursday, the wife was older in 20.2 percent of the 198,603 first marriages registered last year.

The proportion has risen steadily, from 14.9 percent in 2010 to 16.3 percent in 2015, 18.5 percent in 2020 and 19.9 percent in 2024, crossing the 20 percent mark for the first time last year. Over the same period, the share of couples of the same age edged up from 16.0 percent to 16.7 percent.

Over those 15 years, the proportion with an older wife increased by 5.3 percentage points, while the share with an older husband declined by 6.1 percentage points.

Why are more women marrying younger men?

The trend appears to come from more Koreans believing age does not matter when considering marriage or dating, as well as the fading traditional expectation that the man should be older than the woman. A prospective partner’s age is becoming less of a barrier to marriage.

Men’s increasing preference for a household with two incomes is also playing a role. As more women pursue careers, a growing number are taking the lead financially and socially. More men are placing greater weight on a woman’s capabilities than on her age.

From an older friend to a wife

Some men prefer older women, drawn to qualities they have not found in younger partners. Emotional stability and maturity are among the main attractions, along with the expectation that an older partner will offer care and understanding.

For some, the appeal lies in the warmth and familiarity of an older female friend. Relationships can begin with a man addressing a woman as "noona," a Korean term meaning “older sister” that is also used affectionately for an older female friend, before developing into romance. As their feelings grow, age becomes less relevant, and marriage can follow.

When feelings are mutual, age matters less

Older family members are also becoming more accepting of daughters-in-law who are older than their sons. While an age gap of 6 to 10 years can still give some pause, a gap of 5 years or less barely raises an eyebrow. Increasingly, the view is that age should not stand in the way when two people love each other.

As women’s participation in social and economic life expands, marriages between older women and younger men are expected to become more common. For women focused on their careers, their mid-30s can quickly give way to their late 30s. A man two or three years younger may hardly seem like a “younger man” anymore.

This article from Kormedi.com, Korea’s top health care and medical portal, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

在韩国，妻子年龄大于丈夫的婚姻现象日益普遍，去年，20.2%的初婚夫妇中，妻子年龄大于丈夫。这一比例自2010年的14.9%以来稳步上升，而丈夫年龄大于妻子的婚姻比例在过去15年中有所下降。这一趋势与年龄观念的淡化、双职工家庭的增多以及家庭对这种婚姻形式的更高接受度有关。

据性别平等和家庭部统计，在去年登记的 198,603 对初婚夫妇中，有 20.2% 的夫妇妻子年龄比丈夫大。

2010 年，高龄妻子夫妇的比例为 14.9%，预计到 2024 年将达到 19.9%，去年将超过 20%。

在同一时期的15年里，丈夫年龄较大的夫妇比例下降了6.1个百分点，而同龄夫妇的比例则从16.0%上升到16.7%。

在再婚夫妇中，妻子年龄较大的情况更为常见。

文章指出，由于越来越多的韩国人认为年龄不再那么重要，男性越来越重视双份收入，以及女性的职业发展正在改变伴侣的期望，因此年龄在婚姻中的重要性有所降低。

发布于2026年9月9日凌晨12:00（韩国标准时间）

首尔某婚礼场地内的婚纱店 / 韩联社

去年，韩国年轻男性与年长韩国女性的婚姻占初婚总数的 20% 以上，这意味着大约五分之一的夫妇中，妻子比丈夫年长。

与此同时，丈夫年龄较大的夫妇比例持续逐年下降。过去15年间，这一比例下降了6.1个百分点，而妻子年龄较大的夫妇比例则上升了5.3个百分点。在再婚夫妇中，妻子年龄较大的情况更为普遍。

这些数据引发了一个问题：在韩国人考虑结婚时，年龄是否变得不那么重要了？

五分之一的初婚者是年长女性。

根据性别平等和家庭部周四公布的统计数据，在去年登记的 198,603 对初婚夫妇中，有 20.2% 的婚姻中妻子年龄比丈夫大。

这一比例稳步上升，从2010年的14.9%增至2015年的16.3%，2020年的18.5%，预计2024年将达到19.9%，并在去年首次突破20%大关。同期，同龄夫妇的比例也从16.0%小幅上升至16.7%。

在这 15 年间，妻子年龄较大的家庭比例增加了 5.3 个百分点，而丈夫年龄较大的家庭比例下降了 6.1 个百分点。

为什么越来越多的女性嫁给比自己年轻的男性？

这一趋势似乎源于越来越多的韩国人认为年龄在考虑婚姻或恋爱时并不重要，以及男性应该比女性年长的传统观念正在逐渐消退。未来伴侣的年龄正逐渐不再是婚姻的障碍。

男性越来越倾向于双职工家庭，这也是造成这种现象的原因之一。随着越来越多的女性追求职业发展，她们在经济和社会方面也逐渐占据主导地位。越来越多的男性更加看重女性的能力而非年龄。

从一位年长的朋友到一位妻子

有些男性偏爱年长的女性，因为他们被年长伴侣身上所缺乏的特质所吸引。情绪稳定和成熟是主要吸引力所在，此外，他们也期望年长的伴侣能够给予关爱和理解。

对一些人来说，吸引力在于年长女性朋友带来的温暖和亲切感。这种关系可能始于男性称呼女性为“noona”（韩语中“姐姐”的意思，也常用于亲切地称呼年长的女性朋友），之后发展成浪漫关系。随着感情的加深，年龄不再是问题，最终步入婚姻殿堂。

当彼此心意相通时，年龄就不那么重要了。

家里的长辈们也越来越能接受儿媳比儿子年纪大。虽然6到10岁的年龄差距仍然会让人有些犹豫，但5岁或更小的差距几乎不会引起任何人的注意。越来越多的人认为，年龄不应该成为两个人相爱的障碍。

随着女性在社会和经济生活中参与度的提高，年长女性与年轻男性结婚的现象预计会越来越普遍。对于专注于事业的女性来说，她们的35岁中期很快就会过渡到30岁后期。比她们小两三岁的男性，在她们眼中可能就不再是“年轻男性”了。

本文来自韩国顶级医疗保健门户网站 Kormedi.com，由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。