The average close female friendship lasts 37 YEARS, study reveals

"Any woman will tell you they can be as intoxicating and tumultuous as a love affair. But a new study shows strong female friendships tend to stand the test of time despite their ups and downs - with the average close bond continuing for 37 years. The research confirms the lifelong value of being part of a close female duo, brought to life on screen by characters like Stacey and Nessa in Gavin and Stacey, and Patsy and Edina in Absolutely Fabulous."

"Spokeswoman Maike Steinweller said: 'These findings show just how central female friendship is to women's happiness and resilience - especially later in life. As romantic priorities shift, it's these long-standing bonds that provide stability, laughter and emotional strength. 'What's striking is that even though many women find it difficult to make new friends, the friendships they do have are often decades long and deeply meaningful.'"

"While friendship plays a central role in most women's lives, not everyone enjoys the same level of connection, the poll found. More than one in 10 women say they have no close female friends, and one in eight say they have just one. Women were twice as likely to fear being friendless later in life than being single, and 16 per cent admitted to feeling jealous or threatened by their close friend' friendships with others."

A survey of 1,000 British women aged 50–90 found the average close female friendship lasts 37 years, with 25% maintaining bonds of 50 years or more. Over half of respondents reported having a close friend since childhood or adolescence. Twenty-six percent of women over 50 said female friendships bring more joy than romantic relationships, and 15% expressed greater regret over friendship breakups than romantic ones. More than one in ten women said they have no close female friends, while one in eight have only one. Women were twice as likely to fear being friendless later in life than being single. The poll was commissioned by mobile games developer Wooga.

Read at Mail Online