A 96-year-old woman has broken matrimonial records after marrying an 18-year-old man in Quintana Roo, Mexico, in 2025, creating a 78-year age difference, according to official marriage statistics from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI).
Record-breaking ceremony in Quintana Roo
The unnamed bride wed the teenage groom in the municipality of Othón P. Blanco, in the state of Quintana Roo on the Yucatán Peninsula, the same region that houses Cancún, a popular holiday destination for British tourists. Due to the official nature of the records, few other details about the wedding are available.
Other notable age-gap marriages in 2025
The ceremony was not the only remarkable age-gap marriage to occur in Mexico in 2025. Second place went to a comparable wedding in Morelia, Michoacán, where the bride was 96 and the groom was 19, a 77-year age divide. Third place was a wedding in Xicoténcatl, Tamaulipas, with roles reversed: the groom aged 90 and the bride 18, marking a 72-year age difference. The EMAT data is gathered from records submitted by civil registry offices.
Attitudes toward age-gap relationships
This follows revelations from a 61-year-old woman in a relationship with a 35-year-old man, who disclosed the secret behind their partnership. Sundari, a mother to two sons aged 29 and 33, met Maxi at a cacao ceremony. Both hail from Argentina, maintain separate homes, and reunite at weekends.
She explained: "Plans might come up during the week, but we mostly see each other at the weekends. I like it this way. I like having my own time. I was married and lived with my partner for 20 years. I've never lived with anyone since, and I love having a boyfriend."
She continued: "On Saturdays, Maxi comes round and stays with us until Monday. During the week, we send each other lots of little love messages in the morning and before bed. We're very respectful of each other's time. It's lovely to see each other again at the weekend."
Survey reveals public acceptance
Back in July, research involving 2,000 adults revealed that 71 per cent are not bothered by a considerable age difference in relationships, as long as both parties share similar maturity levels and relationship goals. Even substantial age gaps spanning 10 to 20 years were deemed acceptable by more than half of those surveyed. The study also found that one in five would actually favour dating someone older: 32 per cent of women and 8 per cent of men. Men were more inclined to seek younger partners (33 per cent) rather than someone their own age.
Lee Mason, vice president of Scripted, Disney + EMEA, commented: "Our research highlights just how complex relationships are, and how easy it is to rely on assumptions until we're faced with real situations. While people may have concerns about age-gap relationships or pass judgement, it's fascinating to see how many would consider being in one and how people are ultimately focused on shared values, life goals and emotional compatibility."
