Most men marry women younger than they are; with the difference being between two and three years in Spain,[12] the UK reporting the difference to be on average about three years, and the US, two and a half.[13][14] The pattern was also confirmed for the rest of the world, with the gap being largest in Africa.[15] However, the number of women marrying younger men is rising. A study released in 2003 by the UK's Office for National Statistics concluded that the proportion of women in England and Wales marrying younger men rose from 15% to 26% between 1963 and 1998. Another study also showed a higher divorce rate as the age difference rose for when either the woman was older or the man was older.[16][17] A 2008 study, however, concluded that the difference is not significant.[18][19]