Antfolk 2017 — Age limits: men's and women's youngest and oldest considered and actual partners

What the study found

Antfolk drew on a population-based sample of 2,655 adults aged 18–50 to map the youngest and oldest partners men and women say they would consider, alongside their actual partners. Women of all ages preferred slightly older sexual partners, while men — regardless of their own age — preferred women in their 20s; the study also reports that men's considered age range widens as they get older, yet their actual sexual activity reflects their own age range rather than that stated preference. ^[1]

potential interest in younger women is not likely converted into sexual activity

^[1]

Why it matters here

"The wall" is a manosphere shorthand for the claim that women's desirability collapses sharply with age while men's stays high. This study is cited in the check on whether the wall is real because it measures age preferences directly across the adult lifespan. Men's stated preference for women in their 20s is often read as support for the idea, but the same study finds that this preference does not translate into men's actual sexual behaviour, which tracks their own age range. Presenting both parts lets readers weigh the stated preference against measured behaviour rather than either in isolation.