Online Dating Statistics & Facts

The following pages are an attempt by me to organize the dating industry related statistics and facts reported online. Almost every week there seems to be a new report or study produced that tries to top the last one. While statistics can be spun to make almost anything look good, I've tried to report just the basic facts. The data has been gathered from such sources as blogs, online newspaper and magazine articles, company financial statements, company advertising information packages (including media packages), the actual dating service website (or their parent company website), and multiple website traffic measurement services.

I've organize the statistics and facts into two main areas. The first which starts on this page will deal with the general online dating industry as a whole. This section also includes any relevant facts about dating, relationships, and marriage that I thought would be of interest to the dating industry. The second part is for actual dating services (this includes dating sites and dating apps). In the contents below you will find them divided up accordingly. Each service has their own page.

Please note that the information is also sorted by year but this is the year the information was published and not always the year the information is for. If this is the case then, the date will be noted.

This is an ongoing project that has new information added regularly (pretty much daily). If you have any questions or wish to include some information please contact us.

If you would like to find out more about the history of matchmaking which started in the 1600's with personal ads in newspapers, up to the 1960's when the first computer was used and beyond, you will want to check out our essay on The History of Online Dating.

Online Dating Services

Bumble Inc - Majority stake owned by Blackstone - May include info about their specific dating brands
- Badoo - Owned by Bumble Inc.
- Bumble - Owned by Bumble Trading Inc.
Coffee Meets Bagel - Owned by Coffee Meets Bagel/SOMA Central
FriendFinder Networks - Owned by FriendFinder Networks Inc. - Includes information about all FriendFinder brands
Facebook - Owned by Meta Inc.
Grindr - Owned by Grindr LLC (which is owned by San Vicente Acquisition Partners)
Happn - Owned by FTW & Co
Match Group - Owned by IAC (InterActiveCorp) - May include info about their specific dating brands
- Chemistry - Owned by Match Group Inc.
- Hinge - Owned by Hinge Inc. (which is owned by Match Group Inc.)
- Match.com - Owned by Match Group Inc.
- OkCupid - Owned by Match Group Inc.
- POF (Plenty of Fish) - Owned by Plentyoffish Media Inc. (which is owned by Match Group Inc.)
- Tinder - Majority stake owned by Match Group Inc.
ParshipMeet Group - Owned by NuCom Group (which is owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE) - May include info about their specific dating brands
- The Meet Group - Owned by ParshipMeet Group - Includes information about all The Meet Group brands.
- eHarmony - Owned by ParshipMeet Group.
Spark Networks SE - May include info about their specific dating brands
- Christian Mingle - Owned by Spark Networks SE
- JDate - Owned by Spark Networks SE
- Zoosk - Owned by Zoosk Inc. (which is owned by Spark Networks SE)

Out of Business

Date.com - Owned by Avalanche, LLC - Includes information about Matchmaker.com and Amor
Yahoo! Personals - Owned by Yahoo Inc. (partnered now with Match.com)

Summary of Popular Online Dating Statistics

Industry Started:: First online dating site domain was registered in 1995 (see The History of Online Dating)
Industry Revenue:: $5.9 billion (2022 Global) [2023 #11]
Number Of Services:: Estimated 2,000 in North America and 8,000 worldwide [2019 #11]
Number Of Users:: 366 million worldwide [2023 #18]
59 million who on average use 2.4 different dating services each (2017, US only [2018 #15])
Online dating is responsible for how 40% of heterosexual couples met (2017, US only [2019 #32])
Gender Ratio:: 40% Female : 60% Male (average) [2018 #25]
Most Popular Dating Services:: Tinder (42%), Match (32%), Plenty of Fish (26%) and OkCupid (25%) (2017, US only [2018 #15])

General Online Dating Industry

2024

General Information
- The U.S. State Department has issued a warning to international travelers to avoid using dating apps when traveling to Colombia. In the last few months a series of eight deaths in the country were linked to dating apps. [1]
- Dating app users are becoming creative in their frustration with matches they are served and have started using hacks to trip up the algorithms behind the matching to receive new matches. [3]
- 46% of women respondents expressed anxiety over whether their matches were authentic. [4]
- Between 2017 and 2021, the FTC reported people lost a collective $1.3 billion to romance scams, with many beginning via a dating app. [4]
- A new study from data.ai has shown that the dating app market has started to show signs of slowing down: [5]
  - Global downloads of dating apps saw very tepid growth year-over-year in January 2024. The slight increase of 1.9% (128 million installs) from January 2023 was down drastically from the 29% increase seen the year before.
  - In the U.S., the study found only a 2.38% year-over-year growth from January 2023 to January 2024, with 12.7 million installs, down from a 16% growth seen during the same time period last year.
- Pew reported in 2023 that only three in ten U.S. adults had ever used a dating app or online dating site (same as reported in 2019). [5]
- A new study by OnePoll/ Forbes Health found: [6]
  - Forbes surveyed 5,000 Americans in 2023 who have actively dated in the past five years.
  - 70% of individuals who met someone on a dating app said it led to a romantic, exclusive relationship, compared to only 28% who said it did not.
  - Singles between 43 and 58 years of age found the most success on dating apps, with 72% saying that meeting on a dating app led to a romantic relationship.
  - 63% of respondents to the survey are more concerned with emotional maturity than physical looks when it comes to finding a partner.
  - When asked how they felt about dating, 36% respondents said: “somewhat positively” and 24% said “very positively,” compared to 23% who said they felt “indifferent” to dating and 4% who said they felt “very negatively”.
- A new study on dating apps and scams showed: [7]
  - a majority of 70% of dating app users had been scammed on one of the dating platforms.
  - People who had used dating apps over the past three years, 93% said they would go back to using the apps, even those who said they were scammed or had their information stolen.
- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that in 2022, 70,000 dating app users fell victim to scammers, losing a total of $1.3 billion in that year. [7]
- Apryl Williams, Harvard sociologist and researcher has written a new book entitled Not My Type: Automating Sexual Racism in Online Dating. Williams argues that dating algorithms match users with others who look like them, reinforcing racial stereotypes and feeding into the idea that certain groups are more attractive and appealing than others. [9]
- A study has found that when dating app users can share disappearing photos with other users, it can increase matches and user engagement. [10]
Japan
- The Tokyo government is tackling the problem of low birth rates with a new government-issued dating app in hopes of sparking some marriages. [2]
Dating, Relationships & Marriage
- A new study about finding dates on other platforms showed: [8]
  - 61% of singles aged 35 to 40 found dates on LinkedIn. This compares to 52% of singles ages 20 to 40 who have found dates.
  - Half of respondents between 35 and 40 years old said they have met people on dating sites compared to only 33% of people between 20 and 24 years old.
  - 33% of those ages 20 to 24 have even used fitness apps to set up a date.
  - Meeting people more organically saw results of about 45% at social events, 40% at bars or clubs, 33% at work events, and 31% at gyms or fitness centers, in comparison to only 24% through other social media apps (not dating apps).

References

2023

General Information
- In 2021 the FTC reported that dating app consumers lost $547 million in scams. [3]
- The average reported amount stolen in the U.S. due to romance scams was $186,169 in 2022, up from $120,754 in 2021. [3]
- A Pew study about daters experiences on Dating Apps found: [6]
  - 53% of users said that their experiences have been at least somewhat positive, including 14% who said they had very positive experiences. 46% say their experiences on dating apps have been at least somewhat negative.
  - 57% of men report positive experiences compared to 48% of women, and 61% of LGB users have had positive experiences compared to only 53% of straight users.
  - 48% of those who have ever used a dating site or app have experienced some type of harassment or abuse, including almost 38% who were sent a sexually explicit and unsolicited message over an app.
  - 79% of users have been excited and 88% have been disappointed at least some of the time by people they have seen on a dating service.
- A Match Group and Ipsos study about dating app usage found: [9]
  - 17,621 individuals participated in the study across five countries – Germany, India, Japan, Turkey and the U.S.
  - 66% of respondents said that online dating results were “as good or better” than meeting offline.
  - 60% of respondents said that their online dating efforts have resulted in dates or developed into a relationship..
  - 49% of singles saying they have tried dating apps and websites.
  - 70% said they had positive experiences on apps in terms of safety and security, even though 40% of the general population, including those who have never used dating apps, felt that they were safe.
- A study about the growth of the dating app market found: [11]
  - India emerged as the fifth largest market in dating app spending in 2022.
  - Indian users spent $31 million more in 2022 than they did in 2021 despite economic factors like inflation that affect consumer spending.
  - Dating app users worldwide spent a record $5.9 billion for premium features on apps, up from $5.3 billion in 2021, and up from $3.1 billion before the pandemic.
  - The U.S. remains the strongest market with the highest spend for dating apps
  - The dating app market in the U.S. hit an all-time high of $2.5 billion in 2022 despite the slowdown in growth overall
  - Tinder, Bumble and Hinge were the top three dating apps in terms of in-app spending.
  - Globally, dating apps reached a record high of 1.9 billion downloads in 2022, an increase of 18.8% year-over-year.
  - Time spent on dating apps reached an all-time high, with people worldwide spending 10 billion hours on them in 2022, up from 7 billion in 2019.
  - In the U.S. specifically, downloads grew to 148 million in 2022, up 10.4% year-over-year. And U.S. dating app users spent 670 million hours on them in 2022, up 11.7% year-over-year.
- AI tools like Open AI’s ChatGPT and Facebook’s leaked AI tool LLaMA are being used to write dating profiles and send messages to matches on dating services. [13]
- A GQ study about Dating found: [14]
  - 70% of men surveyed have lied on dating apps to make themselves appear more attractive to potential matches. 36% of respondents had misrepresented themselves in their photos, 35% had lied about their age, 28% had lied about their careers, 27% about their height, and 21% were lying about their marital status.
  - 60% of men surveyed said they have had an affair, compared to only 32% of women.
- A study found Online Dating is Stronger than Ever: [18]
  - 1 in 5 U.S. Internet users are also using a dating app.
  - The total number of dating app users grew to 366 million worldwide in 2022 alone, up from 240.9 million in 2016 and 323.9 million in 2021.
  - 55% of LGBTQ daters said they have used a dating app compared to only 28% of straight adults.
  - in 2021 it is estimated the global online dating industry had total revenue of $5.6 billion.
- A YouGov poll found that 41% of millennial women have been sent an unsolicited nude photo by a man (called cyberflashing) without their consent. Bumble also conducted its own survey among its members, and found that 48% of respondents aged 18 to 24 received unsolicited photos without their consent in the last year. [19]
- An AI tool nicknamed LoveGPT is helping scammers build better fake dating profiles and manipulate unsuspecting dating app users. [30]
- Musk has said X (formerly called Twitter) will become a fully fledged dating app in 2024. Banking and transaction features will also be added to the app in the near future, referring to these two major moves as being part of the new “everything app” Musk envisions for X. [33]
- Due to higher dating app subscription costs, singles are gravitating back to in-person events like speed dating, which saw a 63% increase in participation this past year according to Eventbrite. [35]
Finances
- A Study of the Global Dating and Matchmaking Market found: [20]
  - The global dating market is still growing, and is expected to surpass US $12.8 billion by the year 2032.
  - Most growth will come from the Asia-Pacific market, where there is the largest young population.
  - In 2022, North America brought in the most revenue share at 39%, followed by Europe at 25%.
  - Social Dating segment has dominated the market, and is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 31% between 2023 and 2032.
Legal
- Utah lawmakers introduce Safety Bill in the wake of a study which found hundreds of instances of rape in Utah could be linked to dating apps. [2]
- The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee has passed The Online Dating Safety Act (Bill H.R. 6125): [31]
  - The Act is now eligible to be brought to a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives.
  - The Act would require dating app services to provide a “fraud ban notification” to users who have been in contact with a user who had previously been removed from the platform for fraudulent activity.
  - It would also require the notification to include a warning that the user being targeted by the fraudulent actor should not send money or personal information to another member, as well as a link to resources on fraud prevention and tips on how to avoid online fraud.
  - Dating platforms must provide a customer service number that is attached to the warning so that users have someone to speak with if they have questions or concerns.
  - The Act was inspired by the so-called “Tinder Swindler” Simon Leviev, who defrauded women he matched with on the platform.
  - The requirement for ID verification that was in the original bill was removed before it passed committee.
United States
- A group of conservative Catholics based in Colorado spent millions to buy tracking data from dating apps to identify gay priests, and then shared the information with regional Bishops. [10]
United Kingdom
- A Study of singles and if they are addicted to Dating Apps found: [7]
  - 90% of singles in the U.K. believe they are addicted to dating apps, with as many as 70% feeling depressed or anxious after using them.
  - 55% of singles believe they spend too much time on dating apps, with an average of 55 minutes per person per day.
  - 44% of respondents saying they don’t feel good enough for the people they like, and 39% feeling unwanted altogether. A 33% of respondents said they felt depressed because of their dating app usage and 20% say they feel more stressed.
Australia
- Executives from dating app companies operating in Australia have been called by the country’s eSafety Commission to meet and discuss how to address safety concerns and the high rates of assault on their platforms. [1]
- A law the Commission introduced in early 2022 requires online service providers to report on how they are meeting basic Online Safety expectations; and gives the Commission the power to ask Internet Service Providers to block access to or remove intimate images or videos shared online without consent. [1]
- Researchers surveyed almost 10,000 online daters across Australia. 75% of respondents said they had been subjected to some type of sexual violence via dating apps over the past five years. [1]
- Dating app users in Australia lost $38 million to romance scammers on dating apps across the country in 2022. [4]
- Representatives from dating app companies alongside ministers, victim-survivors, government officials and technology companies attended a roundtable in Sydney Australia to discuss safety measures needed for dating apps. [5]
- Australian eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said that no dating app met her safety or reporting standards and that dating app companies would be put on notice and face mandatory regulation if they did not make major improvements to correct this issue. [5]
- Australia’s Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has ordered the country’s top ten dating app services to hand over information on sexual violence reports, including Tinder, Bumble and Grindr. [16]
- The Australian government told the dating industry that they must improve safety standards or risk being forced to make changes through legislation. Dating app companies were given until June 30th, 2024 to develop a “voluntary code of conduct” to address user concerns about safety. [28]
China
- China has launched a new state-sponsored dating app to boost marriage rates in the country. Palm Guixi is now available in the Jiangxi province and will use personal data on its single residents there to build its matchmaking platform. [12]
Egypt
- Reports have surfaced that police in Egypt were posing as potential matches on gay dating apps like Grindr to target and arrest LGBTQ+ people. [14]
India
- 50% of India’s population is under 25 years, making the country the second-largest market for dating apps. [24]
Dating, Relationships & Marriage
- A Bumble study about Sober Dating found: [8]
  - 24% of singles who drink say they don’t plan to do so on dates this year.
  - 47% of Millennials surveyed said they use alcohol to calm their nerves before date.
- 22% of Gen Z and millennials have exercised or attended a fitness class on a first date. In fact they prefer fitness-based dates over a meet-up involving alcohol. [17]
- A eHarmony study about social media and the impact on dating attitudes found: [8]
  - 57% of Gen Z respondents said they’ve met at least half of their romantic partners via dating apps or social media.
  - 42% were turned off by bad taste in memes, 32% said regular use of GIFs turned them off, 38% said influencers, and 31% said not having an active social media presence at all.
  - 30% of Gen Z respondents were also turned off by people who slid into their DMs before meeting up in real life.
  - 25% of single Gen Z respondents said they wait months before sharing details about a relationship on social media, and 21% wait until they are exclusive before posting. 13% said they never share about their private life on social media.
  - 23% of Millennials trust social media over friends, family, and therapists compared to only 11% of Gen Z daters.
  - 91% of Millennials have sex at least once a week, compared to only 78% of Gen Z daters.
  - With sex 26% of Gen Z respondents said they don’t use protection, compared to only 16% of Millennials. 45% are also comfortable dating more than one person at a time.
  - 64% of respondents said they wouldn’t date someone with a sexually transmitted disease or infection.
- A Standford study found dating apps are now showing similarities to social media platforms: using them for distraction and entertainment as well as searching for love. [22]
- According to the Department of Justice, women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence – more than any other demographic. [23]
- 43% of dating college women reported experiencing violent and abusive dating behaviors, which included physical, sexual, digital, verbal or controlling abuse. Almost a third of college women say they’ve been in an abusive dating relationship. 52% said they’ve known a friend who has experienced violent and abusive dating behaviors. [23]
- A study on how young singles are incurring dating debt: [25]
  - 22% of millennials and 19% of Gen Z singles have begun to incur dating debt where they are spending money on grooming, dinners out, gifts, and other related romantic expenses.
  - Among daters aged 18-34, 29% said they’ve gone into debt for dating, including 21% who’ve said that debt exceeded $500 in one year.
  - Young daters are influenced by Instagram, TikTok, and other social media in terms of lifestyle and luxury purchases.
  - 95% of respondents say that talking about finances with their romantic partners is important, 73% also said they would not talk finances on a first date. In fact, 69% said they told their partners “I love you” before they even discussed finances.
- 78% of daters say that they believe their date isn’t interested in them if they look at their phones during the date. 75% say they are more hesitant to open up to a date when they are on their phone. [26]
- Men using filters to enhance their dating app photos tend to attract more matches, but they also come across as less trustworthy to women. [27]
- The University of Texas received almost 1,200 reports regarding sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking incidents during the 2021-2022 school year. [29]
- Since 2019, universities across Texas are required to publicly share reports of dating violence, sexual assault and other related incidents. [29]
- Researchers estimate that more than 50% of all college sexual assaults occur during the first several weeks of school starting up in the fall. [29]
- A study on how dating and college students found: [32]
  - College students are turning away from dating apps and prefer to meet others in person.
  - 79% do not go on dating apps or use them less than once per month.
  - 55% of respondents said they were in a relationship already, so they didn’t need to use a dating app.
  - At least 64% of those met their partners outside of a dating app.
  - Only 15% said they’d met through a dating app.
  - Tinder is the favorite among young daters. 12% of college students use Tinder at least once a month, with Bumble and Hinge close behind at 8% of students logging on at least monthly.
- A study by Bumble on Dating Trends in 2024 found: [34]
  - 63% of respondents said age doesn’t matter, including 59% of women who say they are more open to dating younger men.
  - 68% are trying to be happy with who they are now.
  - 55% of singles say they still feel pressure to constantly look for ways to improve themselves, about 40% say that now, they will only date people who don’t try to change them.
  - 25% of respondents said it’s key for their partners to be engaged in political and social causes.
  - 78% of women said it’s important for their partners to understand emotional intimacy as well as physical intimacy.

References

2022

General Information
- South Korea passed a law in August last year to allow developers to use payment systems outside of Apple, Google Play and other app store platforms. The details of how it will work remain a question. [1]
- The OASIS Consortium published its first set of safety and privacy standards for the next generation of the Web, which includes dating services, video games, and the metaverse. [2]
- 48% of women ages 18 to 24 had received an unsolicited and explicit photo just in the last year, with 25% saying they felt violated because of it. [3]
- 63% of single people with children find that it’s difficult to go on dates because they don’t have or can’t find affordable childcare. For LGBTQ+ singles almost 73% have the same issue. [7]
- 53% of single parents said they have found it difficult to date because a lot of singles don’t want to date someone with kids. [7]
- 52% of young women said they had experienced online abuse, including threatening messages, sexual harassment and being sent lewd photos without consent. 87% said they believe the issue is only getting worse. [17]
- Men who pose shirtless on dating apps give the impression that they engage in risky sexual behavior, and are viewed as less competent by potential dates. [19]
- Researchers from the University of Texas in Dallas, Stanford and Columbia Universities have developed a new dating app algorithm that they say can improve match rates up to 45%. [22]
- Summer is the fastest-growing dating app to hit the market since Bumble arrived in 2014. [25]
Finances
- The online dating industry is expected to reach about $3.7 billion US this year (up from $2.86 billion in 2020). [4]
- Revenue for the online dating industry is expected to increase to $4.5 billion US by 2025. [4]
- The number of online daters is expected to grow to 478 million users worldwide by 2025. User penetration will reach about 5.4% in 2022 and is expected to grow to 6.1% by 2025. [4]
- Average revenue per user (ARPU) is expected to reach $8.91 US per person this year. [4]
- The United States is expected to generate about $829 million U.S. in revenue for 2022. This is 20% of overall revenue expected. [4]
- India is expected to generate about $559 million U.S. in revenue for 2022 while China is forecasted to generate $496 million. [4]
- VC firms invested about $31 million in 43 rounds of funding towards new dating apps in 2021. The dating app companies who received the seed money were largely audio or video-based. [12]
- Every ten years there seems to be a shift in consumer preferences when it comes to dating app technology. [12]
- A Study of the value of the Global Dating Market found: [24]
  - The study divided out data by 6 regions: Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America/ Caribbean, Oceania and Africa. The largest share of dating app users were found in Asia which is about 40% of the global online dating market in 2021.
  - The study singles out apps vs websites, and found that 80% of daters are now using apps thanks to the widespread use of smartphones.
  - The study identified 4 segments of services: social dating, matchmaking, adult dating and niche dating. Social dating has a comparatively larger share of the market at 35%.
  - The value of the online dating market is expected to more than double in 5 years.
  - The value of the online dating market in 2021 was valued at $12.37 billion and is expected to grow to $28.36 billion by 2027.
  - The online dating market is expected to grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 14.84% over the period from 2022 to 2027.
  - The reason for this continued growth is the popularity of dating apps, especially in countries with younger, growing populations like India and China.
Legal
- Apple will now be required in the Netherlands to allow dating app developers to offer in-app payment options for users, or face severe fines. [1]
- Apple has agreed to allow dating apps that operate in the Netherland’s and use payment options outside of the Apple Store. [5]
- Apple has been fined five million euros for not complying with a recent ruling regarding dating apps leveled by the The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets. [7]
- Apple has complied with the rules of Dutch regulators to allow third party payment systems for dating apps instead of going through the Apple Store. However, it will be charging a 27% commission to allow these platforms to operate. [9]
- Apple faces over 25 million euros in fines from Dutch regulators over its non-compliance with a December ruling regarding its Apple Store operations. [11]
- Apple has extended a new proposal to Dutch regulators, who have continued to fine the company for non-compliance with its order. To date has racked up about 45 million euros in fines. [13]
- A Connecticut bill aims to improve safety on dating apps was just advanced from the judiciary committee to the Senate for a vote. The legislation would force online dating sites to verify the identity of users and provide that information if presented with a warrant, subpoena or court order. It would also establish new education and training programs to combat online abuse. [14]
- The Authority for Consumers (ACM) and Markets said that the changes Apple made in its latest rules submission in March were improved but still insufficient. [18]
- The ACM says that it is still in talks with Apple and is working on new penalties and measures to force Apple’s hand to make changes. Currently more than 50 million euros in fines has been leveled on Apple. [18]
- After weeks of being fined for non-compliance, Apple has finally reached an accord with the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM). The agreement basically follows the original proposal Apple submitted with a few significant changes. [20]
- Google has reached an agreement with app developers (including those for dating apps) who sued over unfair Play Store practices, including charging a 30% commission on all in-app purchases. [21]
United States
- Users of dating services were cheated out of about $1 billion in 2021. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said reports of romance-led scams increased 80% during 2021. [10]
- The FBI received more than 25,000 reports of dating service-related fraud in 2021. [10]
- The largest loss in 2021 from scams came from cryptocurrency, totaling $139 million with an average loss of $9,770 per victim. [10]
- 71% of Americans support marriage equality, a large majority, and 60% believe that the right to same-sex marriage should be shielded by federal legislation. [26]
South Korea
- South Korea are cracking down on users who mask up in their profiles in an attempt to hide their faces. [6]
- People who use masks in their profile photos are assumed to be deceiving potential matches, because they are hiding what they look like in real life. This practice has become known as “magikkun,” from the English word “mask” and the Korean word “sagikkun,”. [6]
Dating, Relationships & Marriage
- A Dating Study that examines the Pandemic found: [15]
  - 70% of American singles felt that dating got harder during the pandemic. In 2019 before the pandemic this number was about 66%.
  - Daters younger than 30 were more apt to agree that dating is harder now (71%) than those over 30 years old (58%).
  - 56% of singles said they were off the dating market and are not even looking for casual dates. 28% of these singles said that they aren’t dating because they might be exposed to Covid-19. 70% said they just like being single.
  - Of those dating 32% want only a committed relationship, 16% want to date casually, and the rest are fine with either option.
  - Men (15%) are more likely than women (8%) to say they are now more interested in a committed relationship.
- 61% of concert goers say they’ve become friends or romantically involved with people they’ve met at a concert or music festival. [16]
- A study found dating app users experienced higher rates of depression and hypersexuality, or sex addiction. Researches said those that struggle with mental health issues may use dating apps as a coping mechanism. [23]
- A Dating Study from Hinge examines dating after the Pandemic found: [27]
  - 45% of Gen Z daters surveyed felt that they had changed their dating habits for the better since the pandemic.
  - 39% of those surveyed said they were pickier about who they dated since the pandemic.
  - 91% of these respondents said they didn’t want to waste time on the wrong person.
  - 78% of respondents said that instead of focusing only on dating, they are spending time focusing on their personal mental health.
  - 59% are investing in getting their lives in order before seeking a partner.
  - 97% said they want to be with someone who takes care of their mental health.
  - 86% said they were more likely to go on a second date with someone who is going to therapy.
- A Dating Study from Pew examines dating and vaccinations found: [28]
  - 47% of those surveyed, want to see the vaccination status on the profiles of potential matches.
  - those wanting to see their dates’ vaccination status were more likely to vote Democratic
  - 28% of current or recent online dating users went on a virtual first date (phone call or video) with someone they met online
  - 8%, say that they have gone on virtual first dates due to concerns about the pandemic
  - 9% of respondents who said they have used a dating app in the last year and 5% who said they were currently using dating apps.
- A Dating Study examines inflation affects on dating found: [29]
  - 52% of respondents said they are content to hold off scheduling dates to prevent themselves from spending money on clothing, gas, and transportation, let alone the costs of the date.
  - 58% of respondents said they wanted to get to know someone better before spending excessive amounts of money on activities, dinners, and other date night activities to avoid wasting time and money.
  - 83% said they want to spend less than $50 on a first or second date
  - 41% reported being more concerned with dating costs now compared with a year ago.
- Astrology is most popular with LGBTQ+ users, who are 86% more likely to add star signs to their profiles than heterosexual users. [30]
- The latest annual Singles in America Study by Match found: [31]
  - 1 in 5 singles are hesitant to have sex in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, which protected abortion rights for women across the country.
  - 7 in 10 singles still maintain that sex is a good thing and improves their mental health.
  - 2 in 3 single women said they wouldn’t date someone if they hold an opposing view on abortion.
  - In 2021, 47% said they wanted their date to be vaccinated, but now (2022) only 40% said they would.
  - The cost of dating has increased by 40% over the last decade.
- The 2022 State of Dating study by OkCupid found: [32]
  - There was an 18% increase in people mentioning “mental health” and “therapy” on their dating profile when compared to last year.
  - More than 90% of singles surveyed said they are sensitive (51% said sometimes, and 42% said all of the time).
  - Men who say they are sensitive receive 107% more likes and 86% more matches than men who say they are not. They also have 113% more conversations.
  - Men who said they are open to having conversations about mental health are receiving 276% more likes and 201% more matches.
  - Over 50% of daters want to spend less than $50 on the first date. Only 11% said they are comfortable spending more than $100 on a first date. Women are more inclined to spend less than $50 on a first date – 57% said they didn’t want to go over this amount.
  - Almost 40% of respondents said that inflation is impacting their dating lives. This includes 29% of Gen X and 42% of Gen Z singles.
- The Dating Trends for 2023 study by Bumble found: [33]
  - Over 14,000 Bumble users surveyed looking at shifting attitudes about gender, sex, and work-life balance.
  - Over 50% of all respondents said they are actively creating more space for rest, and 13% said they would no longer date someone with a very demanding job.
  - 28% said they set financial boundaries for their dating lives. 57% said they are more interested in casual dates than expensive dinners.
  - 74% of men on Bumble worldwide say they have a clearer definition of “toxic masculinity” and have examined their own behavior with this knowledge.
  - 42% said they are approaching sex and intimacy in a more exploratory way. However, 34% of respondents said they were not having sex, but are also fine with this.

References

2021

General Information
- Users are sharing when they have received the COVID-19 vaccine on their dating profile in the hope of capturing more matches. [5]
- 91% of college students use dating apps to meet people. [7]
- 42% of users surveyed said they would cancel a date with someone who didn’t want to take the vaccine. [9]
- 137% increase in mentions of “vaccine” in user profiles around the world since January. [10]
- 60% of female online dating users younger than 35 said that they had continued to be contacted by people they met even after they told them they weren’t interested. 57% said they had been sent a sexually explicit message without being asked or giving their consent. [12]
- Apple will be rolling out its new privacy notification for users who download any app from its store. Facebook and Match Group says that this will hurt their revenue and sales numbers. [14]
- 65% of online daters who have been on a video date, plan to keep virtual dating after the pandemic. It allows them a low-pressure step to further assess compatibility. [15]
- 1/3 of seniors who have dated in the last 5 years have used a dating app. Of these 2/3 have found a relationship. [16]
- 11% of seniors that were dating said social media was a good place to meet people and 21% said dating apps and sites. [16]
- Fight for the Future and China-based GreatFire published a report that claims Apple is “actively helping governments around the world isolate, silence and oppress people.” The report shows that 27 LGBTQ+ dating apps where removed from the App Store in China. [21]
- Apple has pulled a "Unjected" dating app for unvaccinated people stating that the app was spreading misinformation about Covid-19 and vaccines. [27]
- Apple has announced that it will relax its app store rules. Apple says companies can provide a link to their websites from the apps for users to sign up for subscriptions, allowing the developer to bypass Apple’s cut, which was anywhere from 15 to 30% of sales. [29]
- The FTC in September issued a statement urging people using LGBTQ+ dating apps to be cautious amid the growing number of scammers who operate on these apps. [30]
- Scammers stole more than $1.4 million from users of popular dating apps in a scam dubbed “CryptoRom”. The scammers feigned romantic interest with victims to build trust, and then lured them into downloading fake cryptocurrency apps. [33]
- The dating app global market size in 2020 was $7.1 Billion. The industry is expected to grow to over $11 billion by 2028. [35]
- The online dating industry is doing better than ever and will only continue to grow at a rate of 5.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2028. [35]
- North America currently holds the largest market for dating app users, but other markets are closing in and will likely surpass it by 2028. [35]
United States
- Dating app users are purposely matching with Trump supporters to identify participants in the attack on the U.S. Capitol, and then turning them into the FBI. [4]
- The Judiciary Committee in the Utah House of Representatives passed a bill that allows people to search the legal records of anyone they meet online. It will use a service called Xchange. [7]
- 2020 was a Record Year for Online Dating Scammers. The FTC Reports found: [8]
  - The total amount of stolen funds on dating apps in 2020 was estimated to be $304 million, or about $2,500 per victim (which is around 121 thousand victims). This was double the amount stolen from dating app users in 2019.
  - Reports from victims aged 20-29 doubled over the past year, while people 40 to 69 were the most likely to report being scammed. Those 70 and older reported the highest individual losses, averaging about $9,475 per person.
  - The type of scams varied, with some scammers actually sending money to targets and asking them to return it or send to someone else. As it turned out, they were laundering the money, most often from stolen unemployment benefits. Requests for gift cards and wire transfers were also a popular way to extract money from victims, with scammers claiming they needed the money for medical expenses.
- Governor Doug Ducey of Arizona signed into law a bill that requires online dating companies to inform their users when they have communicated with potential scammers. [13]
- The total amount of stolen funds in the US on dating apps in 2020 was estimated to be $304 million, or about $2,500 per victim. This was double the amount stolen from dating app users in 2019. [13]
- Tinder, Bumble, OkCupid, Hinge, Match and Plenty of Fish are providing incentives for vaccinated users to help the US Government reach the goal of 70% of American adults getting vaccinated by July 4th. Currently 134 million people in the U.S. are fully vaccinated, or just over 41% of the population. [17]
- More than 50 million people in the U.S. use dating apps. [17]
- A Michigan State University study about how dating app users found: [18]
  - Most dating app users make their decisions on whether to swipe right or not on superficial factors like attractiveness and race in less than a second.
  - Men tended to swipe right more often than women, but most people overall did not consider any profile information
  - People tend to swipe right on those matches who liked them first.
  - People who consider themselves attractive were more likely to swipe left then those who don’t think of themselves as highly.
- A study by Censuswide about dating and being vaccinated found: [22]
  - 30% said they wouldn’t consider going on a date or having sex with someone who wasn’t vaccinated.
  - 90% of respondents want to date face-to-face.
  - 91% of respondents said they were fine with meeting someone via a dating app.
  - 38% of respondents agreed that they prefer a virtual first date before meeting in person.
  - 46% said they would be fine with a “normal” date now and another 41% said they’d still want to keep socially distanced.
  - 65% of users feel it’s possible to fall in love with someone without meeting in person.
  - 39% feel that ghosting has declined over the past year, and another 31% feel that catfishing has also declined since the start of the pandemic.
- Google revealed that searches for dating content have reached a five-year high. Over the last month dating searches has risen significantly: [24]
  - Searches for "top dating apps 2021" rose 3,400%.
  - Searches for "dating apps for older people" rose 3,500%.
  - Searches for "virtual first date ideas" rose 450%.
- 46% of Americans view dating apps to be unsafe. They are primarily concerned with other app users lying and misrepresenting themselves. [25]
- Dating apps set records in user activity and subscription numbers in 2020. [25]
- For 2020, reported losses from dating app scams totaled $304 million, up 50% from 2019. [25]
- Google is cracking down on “sugar dating” apps in its Play Store, and will shut them down as of September 1st, 2021. [26]
- Active daily users on the most popular dating apps jumped to almost 15 million in July. [28]
- 40% of all relationships in the U.S. start online, and 65% of all LGBTQ+ couples met online. [31]
- Match releases Singles In America Study for 2021: [34]
  - 11% of singles want to date casually, while 62% say they seek more meaningful, committed relationships.
  - 76% said they want a partner who is looking to get married. This is up from 58% just two years ago, and interestingly, younger adults and men are most interested in marriage.
  - 65% of singles prefer to date only vaccinated people.
  - Half of young singles had a video date before meeting in person. And 1 in 4 singles overall had one.
  - 78% of respondents say that finding someone who is physically attractive is important to them, compared to 90% in 2020.
United Kingdom
- Bumble recently conducted a survey of 1,003 U.K. residents and found that 23% of participants had been body-shamed on a dating app or social media. [6]
- In the U.K., August 1st is predicted to be the most popular day to schedule a date in 2021, thanks to the rollout of the vaccines for COVID-19. [9]
- Popular dating apps in the UK are offering vaccine stickers for user profiles, so potential matches can know vaccination status right away before swiping right. Apps like Tinder and Hinge are also offering additional perks like a free Super Like or Rose. [20]
Japan
- About 25 of Japan’s 47 prefectures offer state-run dating services where people complete basic profile information and are given a list of people who match their criteria. [2]
- Japan's Cabinet Office is asking for budget approval for a new dating service that is driven by artificial intelligence. [2]
- The number of annual marriages in Japan fell to 600,000 in 2019, down from about 800,000 in 2000. They also have one of the lowest birth rates in the world, with not enough babies to replace an aging population. The country has the highest percentage of people over 65 of any country in the world. [2]
- Japan's most popular matchmaking dating app is Omiai with 6.8 million accounts. [19]
- The matchmaking market more than doubling in size over the past four years in Japan. It’s expected to grow another 70% by 2025 according to a study. [19]
India
- Lamour was the most downloaded dating app in India in 2019, gathering 14 million users in the first six months. [11]
Iran
- 307,000 marriages took place in Iran in 2020 and 99,600 divorces. Iran also faces declining birth rates. [23]
- To incentivize young people, Iran officials proposed a law to offer significant financial incentives for those who choose to get married and have more than two children. [23]
- Iranian singles have a new state-approved dating app called Hamdan to help them find spouses. To sign up you need to verify their identity and undergo a psychological test. [23]
- The Hamdan app introduces families, not just the singles who match, and it also provides a so-called “service consultant” to not only introduce the families, but “accompany” the couple even after they get married, for a period of four years. [23]
Dating, Relationships & Marriage
- In a 2021 Switzerland study about long-term relationships and of those people who use dating apps found: [1]
  - People do use dating apps to find long-term relationships and those that do usually have a higher level of commitment.
  - People who had met over a dating app were more likely to live together than others who met offline.
  - Women who met their partner over a dating app are more likely to want a child within the next three years compared to those who met their partners offline.
- An endless stream of profiles increases feelings of dissatisfaction, which in turn causes them to reject even more potential dates, and become more pessimistic about being chosen themselves. This happens more with women than men. [3]
- According to a recent study 34% of respondents from India said they were “more open to exploration” when it comes to sex, ahead of dating app users in the U.S., Australia, Canada and the U.K. [32]
- A study on dating intentions found: [36]
  - 78% of daters can relate to experiencing burnout from dating, and that it can often feel like a chore because of mismatched intentions about what they are looking for.
  - Daters spend roughly 285 GBP (or 383 USD) per year on what are ultimately failed dates, and on average, daters have about six bad dates per year.
  - 27% admitted they say what they think their dates want to hear instead of how they truly feel.

References

2020

General Information
- Tinder ranks as the number one non-gaming app in 2019 in terms of total revenue. [1]
- Facebook ranked as the number one downloaded app in 2019. The top 3 actually are owned by Facebook including Facebook Messenger at number 2, and WhatsApp at number 3. [1]
- In a study of the popularity of online dating and how singles want to meet it was found: [2]
  - 7 in 10 couples found each other online and not in real life.
  - 75% of singles rather meet their match in real life than on a dating service.
  - On average someone who is single only approaches someone they’re interested in offline once every 2.4 years. Only 3 in 10 singles said they had been approached by someone in the last 3 months.
- In a survey of the use of dating apps during the Coronavirus outbreak it was found: [5]
  - There is a spike in dating app activity among users in countries around the world as the Coronavirus becomes widespread.
  - 60% of those surveyed were already using dating apps before the pandemic was declared.
  - 82% of singles are turning online as they self-quarantine in their homes.
  - 50% of daters said that they would be interested in conducting online dates to get to know people they’ve met online to avoid spreading or catching the virus.
  - 30% of those surveyed said that they are going to just stick with messaging and chatting with matches using their dating apps until they are able to meet up in person.
  - 5% of singles reported that they are going to stop dating altogether until the virus passes.
- Despite this uptick in dating service usage during the pandemic, dating app revenue is on its way down. It’s likely that in-app virtual dating features will not only stick around and may become another valuable revenue stream. [8]
- What is the preferred method of communicating to get to know someone on a dating service: [9]
  - 51% rather send text messages.
  - 26% like to video chat.
  - 17% want to talk on the phone.
  - 6% rather wait until after the pandemic.
- What is the preferred Virtual Date activity: [9]
  - 31% shared activities like a game.
  - 29% want to have drinks or dinner.
  - 25% rather just chat.
  - 15% said watch a movie or TV show.
- In a survey from Hinge about video chatting and Covid-19 it was found: [11]
  - 85% consider video chats a good way to get to know someone rather than meeting in person first.
  - 52% said they would continue to use video chatting even after the threat of contracting COVID-19 passes.
  - 63% said they felt a growing connection with someone they met over a video chat, with a third of those considering being exclusive with the person.
- A study by Cornell University looked at 25 popular dating apps and deduced that race was “innately entwined in their tech” because the apps’ algorithms worked to identify a user’s preferred ethnicity through the choices they made on the app and who they tended to message. [12]
- 26% from a survey said that dating apps have helped them with their confidence and to feel more desirable, compared to 18% who said they felt less desirable and less confident. [14]
- Tinder topped the non-gaming app list for revenue earned by apps across all platforms for the first half of 2020. This is followed by YouTube, TikTok, Tencent, and then in 5th Netflix. [15]
- The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has blocked Tinder, Grindr, Tagged, Skout, and SayHi on the grounds of having “indecent and immoral content”. [19]
- The global dating market is expected to grow to $9.9 billion by 2026. This is up from $6.7 billion in 2018. This is an compound annual growth rate of 5.2%. The North American market will be responsible for 37% of this growth. [23]
- RAINN says that about 40 million people in the U.S. use online dating platforms, and sexual violence is a pervasive problem. [26]
United States
- A committee from the U.S. House of Representatives is investigating popular dating apps following a report that found underage users and sex offenders were using the apps. Letters where sent out to the companies asking for information on users ages, procedures for verifying ages, and any complaints about assaults, rape or the use of the services by minors. [3]
- The U.S. government is cracking down on potential online security risks by banning dating, gaming and bitcoin mining apps from phones issued to those serving in the Military. [17]
- Campaign staffers working for Democratic candidates were warned that they could be targeted by bad actors through dating apps. [18]
United Kingdom
- More than 600 reports of fraud on dating services by members to other members were reported during June, July and August. This is up 26% compared to last year where the average was 400 per month. [21]
- Over the past year victims of fraud by members of dating apps lost over 66 million pounds. [21]
- 21% of singles are looking to find partners now (Oct) as potential lockdowns loom. 40% of those looking to couple up will do so because they spent the previous lockdown alone. [24]
- 18% are looking to move in with a partner to escape their current living situation. [24]
Dating, Relationships & Marriage
- In a 2020 study of the happiness of American couples it was found: [4]
  - 82% of Americans are happy in their relationships.
  - 78% of couples who have sex monthly and 66% who have sex a few times per year are less happy than their counterparts.
  - Couples in 2020 are significantly more likely than couples in 2019 to argue about politics at least once per week.
  - Women are more likely than men to be concerned about climate change and terrorism, while men are more concerned about an economic crisis and epidemics.
  - Men are 9% happier than women in their relationships.
  - 73% of men want to spend the rest of their lives together with their partners.
- In a survey from Bumble about dating and Covid-19 it was found: [10]
  - 80% of singles in the U.S. are open to meeting a match in person rather than going on a virtual date.
  - 44% are confused as to what will be acceptable when dating in the “new normal”. They are not sure what dating will look like after COVID.
  - 60% of singles said that if they are forced through another lockdown, they want to find a quarantine buddy so they can shelter together the next time around.
- In a survey from eHarmony about relationships during Covid-19 it was found: [13]
  - 63% of respondents say their relationship feels stronger after quarantining together, and 58% say they know they want to be with their partner forever.
  - 36% of respondents agreed that two months in quarantine felt like the equivalent of two years of being in a committed relationship.
  - 36% said they have reached relationship milestones like moving in together much more quickly than they would have without the lockdown.
  - Turbo charged relationships (Partnerships formed in quarantine) led 23% of respondents to agree that they have had more sex, 28% said they had better communication, and 18% said they had shared passions with their partners.
  - 14% of couples said quarantine made them realize their relationships were over.
- 60% of daters said they want to ease back into the dating scene slowly and remain cautious. [14]
- 27% of men admitted to breaking lockdown restrictions to have sex, as opposed to only 11% of women who did this. [14]
- 93% of singles want someone to fall in love with them for who they are, not what they look like. 90% of daters feel that chemistry, not attractiveness, is more important to long-term relationship success. [16]
- 63% of those in a survey admitted to ghosting people before the pandemic. Only 36% admit to ghosting someone during the pandemic. [20]
- In a study of Singles in American it was found: [22]
  - 59% of daters were considering a wider range of potential partners and 55% were fast tracking their new relationships compared to before the pandemic.
  - 75% of daters felt that it was important that their dates share their political affiliations. This is up 25% when compared to 3 years ago.
- A study by Bumble found 40% of singles admitted they no longer knew how to date in person, and 2/3 of respondents said navigating the COVID dating landscape made them uncomfortable. [25]

References

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Online Dating Statistics & Facts

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Summary of Popular Online Dating Statistics

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2020

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