26 Dating Statistics That Will Help You Find Love This Year

Although it seems easier than ever before to join a dating site and have dates lined up every night of the week, anyone who has ever been single and looking for love knows that modern dating isn’t quite that simple. But have you ever wondered what the actual stats are on how many people find a relationship online, what the best city is in the US to find love or the real number of dates that men and women have averaged in the last 12 months? In this article, I’m bringing you fascinating dating statistics like these on all things dating, sex, and relationships.

Let your stress melt away and let go of all those 21st century dating problems as you realize practically EVERYONE is in the same boat as you. Maybe you’ll read something that surprises you. Maybe you’ll learn something reassuring. And maybe, just maybe, THIS will be the year you find love (I’m rooting for you over here).

Here are 26 dating statistics to help you find love (that might also BLOW your mind)

1. What percentage of the population is dating?

Well, I’ll tell you what percentage of the population is not dating. Get ready for some interesting facts about singles.

According to our research (we surveyed 1,143 women), 43% of women have been on no dates in the last three months, and 27% have only been on one or two dates.

According to research by Statista, 60% of single women in the US are not actively dating (looking to date anyone), compared to 43% of single men. In 2017, more than 110 million Americans were single, whether they were divorced, widowed, or had always been single. To put that in perspective, that’s more than 45% of all Americans over 18. So don’t feel pressured to date if you’re not ready to or don’t want to right now.

2. Is dating harder for guys?

Apparently, this is a popular search on google, so I wanted to take a minute to clear this one up.

Do I believe dating is harder for men than it is for women?

No. Dating can be hard or easy, but this is less to do with your gender and much more to do with your attitude towards dating and your approach.

According to Pew, 47% of Americans (men and women) say dating is now more challenging than ten years ago. Men are more likely to attribute this to technology, while women are more likely to cite an increased risk of their safety as the reason (more on that later).

3. How many people use online dating?

How many people use dating apps? Well, in the year 2020, there were a whopping 44.2 million users of online dating services in the US alone, and it’s estimated that this will increase to 53.3 million by 2025!

4. What is the average age of people on dating sites?

Pew’s dating site statistics found that dating sites are most popular with Americans in their mid-20s to mid-40s. But in my Love Accelerator program, we have a ton of women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s who are looking for love, join online dating sites (sometimes for the first time), and have a lot of success. Remember, you don’t need thousands of single men your age on a dating site to find your Mr. Right.

5. Dating app statistics: What are the most popular dating apps in the US?

Statistically, Tinder was the most downloaded dating app in the US in 2021, with more than one million monthly downloads. Bumble came second, while Hinge came third.

However, I always tell my clients that if you’re serious about finding a long-term relationship instead of something casual, I’d recommend using Match, eHarmony, or Bumble.

6. What dating app has the highest success rate?

This depends largely on what you are looking for. What does success look like to you?

If success for you means finding a long-term relationship, then according to a relationship survey by The Daily Dot, Match is the winner by a stretch. 38% of their users have a relationship that lasts longer than a month, while 33% report relationships lasting more than six months.

7. Dating profile statistics: What matters most in an online dating profile?

Your dating profile is the first thing potential matches will see on a dating site or app, so what do the most successful profiles have in common?

A series of experiments found that demonstrating emotional availability is more important than physical attractiveness to both men and women when looking for love. Meanwhile, Plenty of Fish examined 1.2 million of their dating profiles and discovered that people who use the word “love” in their profile are more successful at finding a committed relationship.

8. How many people use an escape plan to get out of a bad first date?

He has nasty breath. He looks nothing like his profile photos. Or he CANNOT stop talking about his ex…

For whatever reason, you know this date is going straight to NOWHERE, and you wanna get outta there FAST.

So, what do you do?

Tell the truth?

Ha.

Apparently, 60% of you prefer to use an escape plan and get a friend to call you with an emergency so you can duck out early.

This percentage shrinks the older people get, and around 47% of older folks will not leave a date early no matter how bad it is—total troopers.

9. What’s the most common way for couples to meet?

A study by Stanford confirmed that online dating is now the most common way for US couples to meet. Almost 40% of couples first meet online! So if you’ve been umming and ahhing, should I sign up for a dating site…what are you waiting for?

10. When are dating apps most active?

According to Bumble dating statistics, if you’re over 23, the best time to get on their app is between 6-9 PM, while Tinder reports similar findings with a peak between 8 and 9 PM. All dating sites and apps also report a huge spike in signups in January as people get motivated to get on out there and try again at finding love. So while statistically speaking, January is the best time of year for online dating, with more and more men and women giving online dating a go, there isn’t a wrong time to try it out.

11. What’s the no.1 biggest conversation killer on a first date?

A study by Plenty of Fish reported that 74% of people rank good conversation as more important than looks. But what counts as bad conversation? According to 49% of singles, it’s talking about past relationships on a first date. Leave the exes in the past, people.

12. What is the percentage of blind dates that work out?

43% of Americans said they’ve gone on a blind date. And although there are no hard dating statistics on the actual success rates of blind dates, it’s estimated that around 1 out of every 3 or 4 is a success. So don’t be afraid to let your friends and family set you up—you might end up pleasantly surprised.

13. How many dates do you have to go on before you meet the one?

According to research, on average, a woman will kiss 15 men, have two long-term relationships, and get her heart broken twice before she meets “the one.”

“But Adam, I’ve kissed a lot more guys than that, and I STILL haven’t met my forever man…”

Maybe you just need a little help on your search for love?

14. How long do women take to know if they’re into a guy?

On average, women will know within four minutes of meeting a man whether they’re feeling it or not. However, in my experience, sometimes chemistry takes a little longer to develop. Sometimes a first date will be nice… but it won’t blow your mind. Don’t give up on the nice guy too soon. It’s worth exploring a second date to see how things develop.

15. What percentage of men pay for the first date?

While an Esquire survey found that 51% of women offer to pick up the check, another survey by Top10 found that 76% of men end up paying for the first date, while only 1% of women end up paying. The other 23% split the bill, which is most common with 18-29-year-olds.

While you should never assume that a man will foot the bill at the end of a date, it’s common courtesy for the person who initiated the date to pay. So if he asks you out, he should offer to pay. Even if you feel more comfortable paying your way and going halves as a woman (power to you), it can be super powerful to let a man lean into his inner masculine side and pay for the first date if he offers. Don’t block yourself from receiving!

16. Online dating statistics: How much time do people spend on dating apps?

According to dating app Badoo, the average time spent on dating sites is about 90 minutes every day (10 hours a week) on dating apps looking for someone special. That’s a lot of time! But according to Dr. Jess Carbino, Bumble’s in-house sociologist, you shouldn’t aim to spend more than 30 minutes a day on the apps. She recommends a speedy 15 minutes in the morning and 15 in the evening. So no more saying you don’t have time to date—everyone can spare 15 minutes.

17. How many people have texted a naked photo of themselves to someone they’re interested in?

If you’ve been on a dating app, chances are good you’ll have received an out-of-the-blue message from a guy you have barely spoken to. It usually goes something like this:

Send nudes.

Research has found that 47% of women and 50% of men have texted a nude photo to someone they’re talking to on a romantic level. In my honest opinion, if you’re looking for something serious with a guy, try to avoid sending risqué photos too early on; otherwise, he’s likely to lose interest and stop pursuing you. But of course, it’s 100% your choice. If you NEVER want to send a nude photo to anyone, even if you end up marrying them, the man you’re with should respect that.

18. How many people kiss on a first date?

Interestingly, men are more likely than women to end their first date with a kiss, while 39% of people say they sometimes finish the night with a smooch. However, 41% of those aged 60+ say they rarely or NEVER kiss on a first date. I love that you older folks sound way more chilled out and are playing it way cooler than millennials.

19. Dating statistics on divorce

Every 13 seconds, there’s a divorce in America. Nearly 50% of marriages end in divorce. Although that sounds shocking, I think it’s much better to get a divorce if you’re not happy than stay married in an attempt not to break your vows but live a MISERABLE life.

Wives are more likely to file for divorce than husbands. Virginia, Nebraska, and Delaware have the highest divorce rates, while the US has the third-highest divorce rate in the world.

What can we learn from this?

Don’t rush into marriage too soon! Take your time, really get to know yourself, get to know each other, and don’t feel pressured to put a ring on it.

20. Where is the best place to meet a guy?

Did you know only 9% of women end up in a relationship with someone they met in a bar? The dating statistics don’t lie.

A bar is NOT the right place to look for commitment! This is why I always tell the women I coach to avoid bars and start looking for guys in other places like social clubs, volunteering events, the gym, the local coffee house, etc. There are guys everywhere.

21. Which dating sites have the best male to female ratio?

According to data collected by Facebook, the state with the highest percentage of single males to every single female is San Francisco. Conversely, if you’re looking for dating sites with the best female to male ratio, you ideally want to be in Memphis, which has the highest number of single women per single man.

Do I think you should move cities just to find love?

No.

Do I think you should move cities if you’re bored with your town and ready for a life change?

Hell yes.

22. How many people have sex on a first date?

A third of women who use online dating have sex on the first date, but shockingly, only one in four use protection. Are you KIDDING me, ladies? This has to STOP. Who knows where that guy has been… Interestingly only 54% of women have positive feelings about casual sex, compared to 80% of men who feel great after a hookup.

23. How long do most dating relationships last?

The Daily Mail found in one of their polls about relationships that the average length of a long-term relationship is two years and nine months, which includes couples who are both married and unmarried.

24. How often do couples have sex?

It turns out that if you’re doing it once a week, you’re at peak happiness levels (any more than this doesn’t make you happier), which may be why 26% of couples stick to a weekly sex sesh. And while we’re on the topic, sex on average lasts just 19 minutes, which includes just 10 minutes of foreplay.

Seriously, 10 minutes?

25. Are dating apps dangerous?

Online dating scams statistics report that Americans were conned out of $201 million in 2019 thanks to romance fraudsters. Dating apps and sites aren’t inherently dangerous as long as you’re keeping your safety in mind at all times. Don’t be too trusting, never send anyone money, and always meet in a busy public place and tell someone where you’re going.

26. Who gets married faster: couples who meet online or in real life?

Online dating marriage statistics show that it is, in fact, people who meet online who get married faster. They will get married after four years of dating (on average), while those who meet in real life wait more than double this time and get married after ten years.

Let these dating statistics empower your search for love

I hope these dating statistics have answered some of your questions on dating and relationships and inspired you to try online dating, stop fretting over your single status, and focus on ENJOYING the dating process because when you do it right, it is a ton of fun.

Talk to me. Which statistic blew your mind the most? Leave a comment below.