This is the ideal relationship age gap, according to experts

As we get older, age gaps seem like less of a big deal, with no parental glares or lectures about it being “inappropriate” for you to date someone who’s two years ahead of you at school.

But does the difference in age between you and your partner actually make a difference in whether your relationship lasts? Experts seem to think so.

According to a study by Emory University in Atlanta, the bigger the age gap, the greater your chances of the relationship not working out.

Researchers studied 3,000 people and found that the chances of you and your partner breaking up increased with the number of years between you.

Couples with five years apart were 18 percent more likely to break up than partners of the same age, and 10 years between partners meant a 39 percent higher chance of a split.

Things look even worse for lovers who are 20 years apart: They were found to have a 95 percent chance of going their separate ways. In contrast, a one-year gap gave you just a 3 percent chance of breaking up.

But, reassuringly, Hugo Mialon, one of the study’s researchers, said: “It could just be that the types of couples with those characteristics are the types of couples who are, on average, more likely to divorce for other reasons.”

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