mustangrider-“years ago the age gap was even larger, yet there was no such thing as a shidduch crises. what changed???”
This is purely conjecture on your part and it is utterly false. Do you know any European Jews fin di alteh heim? The last of the survivors are fading away, but if you are fortunate enough to know one , why don’t you ask him/her if what you are saying is true?
I did. And I was told that they had the same problem, and worse.
The numbers speak for themselves. You cannot dispute a mathematical equation.