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Statistic

~21

Men of all ages tend to prefer women in their twenties, and on average say they'd consider partners as young as about 21

Across ages, heterosexual men tend to state a preference for women in their twenties, on average considering partners as young as about 21 — a real age-preference asymmetry. But stated preference is not behaviour, and average attractiveness declines gradually rather than collapsing at a "wall".

Misleading

This figure comes from our fact-check: Is "the wall" real?

The number

Across ages, heterosexual men tend to state a preference for women in their twenties. Reporting the population-based study behind the figure, one summary noted that men on average would consider partners "as young as 21". [1][2]

men—regardless of their age—have a preference for women in their 20s

— Antfolk (2017), Evolutionary Psychology — population-based study of 2,655 adults
[1]

What it does and doesn't establish

The age-preference asymmetry is real: across ages men skew their stated ideal younger, while women tend to prefer men around their own age. What the number does not establish is a sudden attractiveness "cliff" — the manosphere's "wall" at 30. Stated preference is not behaviour: the same men "typically had sex with women who were close to their own age". [2] And in the dating-site data most often cited to argue for a wall, average attractiveness slides gently rather than collapsing — "your average 25 year-old is roughly as good-looking as your average 35 year-old". [3] A younger stated ideal is not a dated deadline.

Is "the wall" real?

Sources

3 sources · all archived at publication

  1. [1]Age Limits: Men's and Women's Youngest and Oldest Considered and Actual Sex Partners · Evolutionary Psychology · 2017-03-01 archived ↗
  2. [2]Do older men prefer younger women? · CBS News · 2017-02-10 archived ↗
  3. [3]The Case for an Older Woman · OkCupid (OkTrends) · 2010-02-16 archived ↗

Evidence last checked: 2026-07-28

Cite this page

The Fieldnote Desk. (2026). Men of all ages tend to prefer women in their twenties, and on average say they'd consider partners as young as about 21. manospherecult.com. https://manospherecult.com/research/statistics/age-preference-asymmetry

By The Fieldnote Desk · How we verify · Corrections