Below is an excerpt from an article on MSNBC, which was taken from the WSJ, about demographics and marriage. Curiously, no where in the article is the option of seeking a mate overseas even mentioned as an option.  Gentlemen think of yourselves as pioneers, blazing a trail that many men will follow in the coming decade.

There’s a new biological clock out there — the one ticking inside bachelors. After decades in which men statistically had the upper hand in the dating world, the demographics have reversed: For a big chunk of the dating pool — people ages 30 to 44 — the number of single men and women are now about even, or in some cases, slightly tipped in women’s favor. The odds are especially dismal for men looking for younger mates: By 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, men in their late 30s and early 40s will outnumber women five to 10 years younger by two to one.

What’s happening here is a subtle but significant change in the birth rate. While the numbers of men and women born every year are roughly the same, the overall birthrate dropped 40% from 1955 to 1973. Because more than half of all men marry younger women, that means their pool of prospects shrinks a bit every year. “The tables have turned,” says Sherry Cooper, an economist who has written about demographic shifts. “Guys in that 35-year-old range are going to have a harder time.”

Far from an abundance of bachelorettes, today there’s a small shortage — for every million thirty something women, there is a surplus of 80,000 men of the same age. Men looking for younger women will find even more competition: Within nine years, there will be one woman 30 to 34 for every two men 35 to 44, according to one set of projections by the U.S. Census.
     
http://www.msnbc.com/news/669526.asp

... in response to Demographics and the MOB phenomena, posted by NW Jim on Dec 9, 2001


Thank you for this interesting article.  It confirms what I have suspected all along just based on my own anidotal experience that there is something demographic going on.  But keep in mind that this article applies to the UNITED STATES.  There seems to be no shortage of women in Latin America (based on my anidotal experience).  For example, I go to Tijuana on the weekends to dance and practice my Spanish with Mexican ladies.  In the nightclubs, there are always at least as many women as men.  Not like the US where you have 100 guys chasing after one female.  When I went to Cali Colombia, I dated a Female lawyer who complained about the lack of men in Cali.  She described the parties where only women would show up.  She also said that even in the hospitals there were more female babies than male babies.  I think we are all on the right track in seeking a mate in foreign countries where the supply of women is better.

... in response to But what about the homos and the lesbos?, posted by Raptor on Dec 10, 2001

Raptor,
You're right these are the crude demographic numbers. For the male numbers you have to take out gays, drug addicts, prisoners (most who are men), mental defectives--again more men than women.  On the female side you have to take out all the big Bertha's hanging out at the bowling alley, lesbians, nuns, drug addicts, mentally disturbed, etc.

The overall point is that there are fluctuations in the population, ie the baby boomers, the boomer echo, etc which impact on choices. Looking overseas is an appropriate response,NOT dating older women as the WSJ article implied.

Keep up the skepticism.

... in response to Go ask 'em...and report back to us...., posted by Hoda on Dec 10, 2001

Don't forget the hookers wifes

... in response to Right up your alley....dark alley, that ..., posted by Hoda on Dec 13, 2001

Haven't seen any results posted, maybe he's getting a little behind in his research......

... in response to Two girls for every guy! (agency hype vs..., posted by Michael B on Dec 9, 2001

Michael,
The issue is not really what the population statistics are by sex,but are there alot of availaible attractive women in Colombia seeking foriegn husbands and do they vastly outnumber the foriegn guys in town at any given time?
There are probably 6000 or so women on the books of all the agencies in Cali,but at any one time there are probably not more than 60 foriegners there looking for a wife/girl friend.The real ratio,available women/availiable foriegners is more like 100 to one.
Now we don't have to understand why this is so.We can speculate and reason and guess,but the important thing is this is what the situation is.Anybody who questions this I suspect has  never been there,or for whatever reason had a bad experience.Going from not being able to find an acceptable woman here to tens or hundreds being available if quite a boost to the previously damaged ego.The point is there are many many attractive women for even the most ordinary guy to choose from.A better question tying in to the why of it might be what are the motives of the particular woman I am interested in?
Not that it matters much to the bottom line but my guess the women want a foriegn husband because:
1.Economics and opportunity
2.Being treated with respect and not being abused and lied
to.
3.Being able to have some hope for the future.
4.They want to help their families as well as their self.
3 and 4 are just details of number 1.
Also of course,the 6000 women are a small part of the total population,.3% so even a small statistical difference the in the man/woman ratio might explain this,but as I said,it really doesn't matter.Recognising what is is much more important than figuring out why.If you get in to too much of a mind f--- (I prefer the traditional kind)you can convince yourself that what is really isn't.

Pete

... in response to Two girls for every guy! (agency hype vs..., posted by Michael B on Dec 9, 2001

i think its a beach boys song?

the gross statistic is correct
but a more relevant statistic is the remainder

100 women to 97 men = 1.0308

but if 20% of the women are married

then the remainder statistic is

80 unmarried women to 77 unmarried men = 1.0389

so as the marriage rate increases, the unmarried women to unmarried men ratio increases faster

... in response to Re: Two girls for every guy! (agency hyp..., posted by jesse on Dec 9, 2001

Hadn't thought of your math. You do have a valid point, so let's see, if 80% are married then its 17 single men and 20 single women, and if 90% married, its 7 single men and 10 single women....that's a pretty good ratio.

But you're wrong about the song. Close, but not quite. Think, who else was big in the "cars, girls and surf" music scene from the 60's? (clue: they recorded under their own name, but were friends with and actually performed on some Beachboys records)