Dating has been changing rapidly, with some people feeling things became that much harder during and after the pandemic. The online dating scene is quite colorful, we must say, and the majority of today’s singles prefer apps to the old-fashioned way. 

We have some fascinating facts and figures on dating today. 

Technology and Dating Apps 

1. Technology has changed the dating scene so much that one in ten US adults say they have experienced it. They have either been online looking for love or met someone for a date through an app. (Source: Pew Research)
2. Dating sites have brought together at least 70% of couples who made their relationships exclusive, and some even married. 28% of users haven’t had such success. (Source: Forbes)
3. More people over 40 are searching for their next dates online. (Source: Pew Research)
4. Men are more likely to meet someone to date online than females. (Source: SCAL) 
5. At least 36% of people polled on how their online dating life is going responded “somewhat positively,” which is more than the less positive ones. (Source: Forbes)
6. Not everyone has had a positive outcome from online dating apps. 45% of respondents of Pew Research reported frustrations from their online exploration (Source: Pew Research)
7. 68% of males on dating sites felt more positive about dating than their female counterparts. (source: CNBC)
8. A reasonably large number of members of the LBGT community have used a dating app to find potential partners. (Source: Pew Research)
9. Where are you likely to meet your next date if you are out and searching? Almost half of those polled said dating apps, while 33% believe their circles are still the best networks for their dating lives. (Source: Stanford News)
10. 31% of people polled felt personality was the most important trail for their dates, with looks coming in a close second. (Source: NCBI)
11. Pay for dates? A third of registered online app users pay for premium services to access better date selections and remove unwanted characters. (Source: Pew Research)
12. How effective is Bumble as a dating site? Turns out that 39% of people polled met on this site, hit it off, and became exclusive. (Source: Bumble)
13. While technology contributes so heavily to today’s dating life, a portion of people feel smartphones get in the way of their love when they start dating. (Source: NY Times)
14. How safe is your dating app of choice? The majority support the background checks done to establish authenticity, while others still feel one should date online at their own peril. (Source: Pew Research)
15. Have you ever stalked someone you were dating online? Because 49% of people have. (Source: iWire)
16. Way to spice up your dating life: sexting. (Source: TandFOnline)
17. There are over 8,000 dating sites in the world currently. Some are registered, while others are not. (Source: Forbes)
18. Tinder is the most downloaded dating site in the world. (Source: Statista)
19. Online dating is serious business. Matchmaking alone made the US economy a little under $4B in 2023. (Source: Statista)
20. Women first: Bumble’s co-founder felt the need to create an app where women would have the first word on online dating. The app allows women to get in touch first, giving them power over whom they choose to go on a date with from the app. Bumble was designed to be more than a casual hookup app and more like where people go to find their ultimate exclusive dates. (Source: Business of Apps)
21. In 2022, over 360 million users had registered for online dating services globally. Over 200 million say they have dated someone they met through the apps. (Source: Statista)
22. More women than men are likely to report frustrating interactions on online dating apps. (Source: Pew Research)
23. Some women report feeling frustrated and overwhelmed when dating online because of the number of inappropriate messages and images they receive. They are looking for a long or short-term date but found something completely different and unwarranted. (Source: Pew Research)
24. Most people think twice before sending nudes, right? Wrong! Turns out 47% of women and 50% of men polled have sent nudes to online daters they are yet to meet in person. (Source: Cracked)
25. Finding dates requires some commitment, doesn’t it? Millennials should know because they spend at least 10 hours a week swiping left and chatting with potential dates. (Source:  Independent UK)

Dating and Age 

1. When is the best time to tell someone you love them after you start dating? Most of those polled felt the 2 to 3-month stretch was the sweet spot, but Gen Z is okay with three months. The sooner, the better for them. (Source: Healthline)
2. The 37% rule urges you not to settle on the first three dates you have. You can do better, mathematicians think. (Source: Plus Math) 
3. Is dating the same today as it was 10 years ago? According to Pew Research, over 40% of those polled said it was more difficult to date today than a decade ago. (Source: Pew Research)
4. Gen Z and millennials accept they will be stalked or stalked a few times in their dating lives, and they are okay with it. (Source: PR News)
5. Are you scared of being cyberstalked or catfished? Not most millennials and Gen Z on the dating scene. They actually expect it, as it’s so prevalent in online dating. (Source: Cyber Magazine)
6. Traditionally, men took the first initiative in almost every step of dating, and they were comfortable making the first move as it felt ‘manly.’ Today’s men are comfortable with the woman expressing interest in dating them and initiating the first kiss. Women are still afraid to come on too strong. (Source: CBS News)
7. Most people believe in dating someone their age or within an ‘acceptable’ age gap. 1-5 years is the sweet spot. (Source: Shane Co)
8. The baby boomers have always been straight shooters who would rather meet face-to-face for a date instead of talking online. Even in today’s dating scene, they prefer to meet their dates the old-fashioned way. (Source: Relationship Therapy)
9. Millennials and Gen Z are the likeliest to steer their dating life to where they want it. These generations have more freedom of choice, with women taking the lead on who they date and when they settle down. (Source: Newsroom)
10. The goal for dating has shifted lately. While years ago, people dated to get married and start a family, more daters today are choosing to live in the moment. Long-term goals are no longer their primary target. (Source: Pew Research)
11. Dating is no longer restricted to two people. More daters are now open to non-monogamous dating. (Source: Fatherly)
12. Loyalty, love and respect are the most important qualities that Gen Z daters will expect. (Source: Mashable)
13. Gen Z daters are not afraid of using AI. As a matter of fact, they are happy to use ChatGPT for their dating profiles. (Source: Mashable)
14. Gen Z daters are honest, prioritize their mental health, and are not keen on continuing the gendered roles of traditional relationships. (Source: Times of India) 
15. Gen Z daters are keen on self-care and want their current and future dates to be just as keen on caring for themselves. (Source: Newsroom)
16. Are you authentic enough to date in this Gen Z era? Because that is an important trait for this generation. (Source: Tinder News)
17. Millennials are more likely to be open to experimentation in their dating lives as they are more open to different sexual orientations. (Source: CBS News)
18. Social media is making it easier for millennials to find dates and express their feelings in ways they feel the other party connects and understands. (Source: Pew Research)
19. Millennials have been so committed to breaking away from the generations before them that they are putting off dating seriously. While they are keen on casually connecting with others, the deeper dating that leads to marriage is coming a distant second as they choose independence. (Source: DK Therapy)
20. Millennials value intellectual intelligence in their dates and are likely to snub someone they consider less intellectual than they are. (Source: Grand Canyon University)
21. Gen Z and millennial adults want to discuss money with their dates before they can move into more serious phases in their interaction. (Source: CNBC)

The Number of People Dating, the Economy, Type, and Other Facts

1. Most people have a ‘type’ they will date, but lately, the majority seems to be dating out of their preference, according to an internal survey by Bumble. 63% are more concerned with emotional maturity, while 38% are comfortable dating outside their preferred physical type. (Source: Bumble) 
2. Dating in the last decade has established some ground rules where most couples feel interpersonal connection has become even more important than before. People want to be taken out on dates, spend some quality together, and have fulfilling sex for them to feel connected to their partners. (Source: NCBI)
3. You will likely form an impression of your date in 27 seconds. (Study Finds)
4. Today’s dates are not limited to dinners and movies. The economy has made daters a little more adventurous, and they are taking their love out to nature on hikes and backpacking trips. (Source: Singles in America)
5. Women have higher expectations of their partners, making it harder to find the right date. College-educated women have opinions on abortion, drinking, and smoking and report having a harder time finding a date that matches their expectations.  (Source: Survey Center on American Life)
6. Having a vibrant dating life is great but not more important than mental health, as per this Clever research. Over 40% choose their mental health to going on dates. (Source: Clever)
7. Millenials’ main communication tools in their dating life are texts and phone calls, yet, for some reason, it has resulted in some level of loneliness for this generation. (Source: Forbes)
8. Are people looking for longevity on these dating websites, or are they there for a casual hook-up? Turns out Daily Dot is the go-to if you want more than a casual date. (Source: Bustle)
9. Millennials are open to change during their dating life and even when they take a serious turn. They are open to leaving the dating scene for their independence, advancement, and peace of mind and will be happy to renew vows like one would review a contract. (Source: Times)
10. Meaningful dating is what millennials seek. Once they hit it off with other daters, they want to know where things are headed. (Source: You Gov)
11. Yes to traditional dating and no to one-night-stands: millennials. (Source: Deseret News)
12. Work-life balance matters so much for 13% of people polled in one study that they would not date someone with an extremely demanding job. (Source: Bumble)
13. Physical attractiveness ranks highly when choosing a potential date from a dating site or app, but responsiveness took the top position when the less attractive interacted sooner than their counterparts. (Source: JESP)
14. Online dating has been accused of leading to the increase of the hook-up culture, where people date without plans to become more than sex buddies. (Source: TandFOnline)
15. Gen Z will keep off dating if their financial situation does not allow it. (Source: Yugo)
16. More daters are choosing to work out together or do any physical activity than Netflix lately. (Source: Singles in America)
17. Of toads and frogs, women could, on average, kiss 15 men, date at least two people for long term, and have their hearts broken twice before finally landing the ‘one.’ (Source: Her)
18. More people are giving their dates a second chance even if they were not attracted to them on the first date. Seemingly not love-at-first-date, clearly. (Source: NY Times)
19. How do you handle a terrible first date? 60% of people polled in a survey will find one way or another to get away as soon as they realize it’s not what they wanted, while a small percentage will soldier through to the end. (Source: Top10)
20. Sunday is the day of the lord in some religions, and it also happens to be the same day when people go online the most to find dates. January is quite busy for dating apps and sites as people try to kickstart their dating lives. (Source: CNet)
21. First date dos and don’ts: brush up on your grammar because most people find that sexy. Talking too much and too long about yourself is a turn-off this and any other day. (Source: FacesMag)
22. Please go on those blind dates like 43% of Americans. (Source: Dating Advice)
23. First-date etiquette shows 76% of men pay for the first date. (Source: Esquire)
24. Most daters are taking their mental health more seriously now, with two in three people in a study saying they mentioned their status on first dates and their partners were not fazed. (Source: Mind) 
25. Dating could be good for your mental health. (Source: Science Direct)

Conclusion

Dating sites have been making lots of money from premium membership, and this upward trajectory observed for the last seven years is projected to remain positive. As per these numbers and facts, more people trust the internet to help them find the ‘one,’ either for casual hookups or meaningful relationships.