Shocking Facts About Online Dating

Marriage may not be everyone’s source of happiness, but for many, it truly brings joy, motivation, and a desire to work towards maintaining that close and meaningful bond. As the world continues to advance digitally and technologically, the effects of this progress are felt across many fields and issues—including online dating, which has seen remarkable and unexpected growth recently. In today’s article, we’ll uncover some shocking facts about online dating. Let’s dive in.

Shocking Facts About Online Dating:

1. Did you know there are 95.9 million unmarried people in the United States, with 47% men and 53% women, according to the latest U.S. Census statistics?
2. The number of people who have used online dating services in America ranges from 20 to 40 million, with 50% aged between 18 and 34, and 24% between 35 and 44 years old.
3. eHarmony.com proudly states that 236 of its members get married every day, representing 2% of all marriages in the United States.
4. Married adults enjoy higher incomes not only because of dual incomes, but also because, on average, married people earn about $18,800 more annually than their single counterparts, according to a study by the American Enterprise Institute.
5. One in ten Americans uses online dating sites to look for love.
6. One out of every ten marriages is between spouses of different races, amounting to 5.3 million marriages in the U.S. according to the 2010 Census—a 28% increase from 2000. Now, 87% of Americans support Black-White marriages.
7. People in happy marriages tend to be more productive at work. American companies lose nearly $6 billion in revenue due to lower productivity linked to marital stress, while employees in happy marriages help increase company profits, confirming the link between marital happiness and workplace productivity.
8. It’s a fact that a good marriage leads to greater life satisfaction. Psychologists at Wake Forest University say marriage boosts life satisfaction more than money, sex, or even children.
9. The highest levels of marital satisfaction are reported among couples who were friends before marriage.
10. Believe it or not, 50% of Americans today are unmarried. The marriage rate has dropped from the early 1960s, when 72% of Americans were married.
11. Technology has a magical effect on relationships, making it easier to connect. 21% of mobile phone users say texting brings them closer to their spouse or partner, and 9% admit to resolving conflicts via text. Shockingly, 29% of singles say their dating history would have been more exciting if they had owned an iPhone.
12. Over 17% of marriages now start with online dating—one in five relationships and about one in six marriages begin online. These numbers are expected to rise. Despite society’s hesitation about talking to strangers online, that stranger could very well be your future spouse.
13. Three out of every ten adults in the U.S. have used an online dating app or site before.
14. According to a Pew Research Center survey on Americans’ views about online dating, 30% of U.S. adults in 2019 had tried a website or app to meet new people.
15. Studies show that more than a third of newlyweds between 2002 and 2012 met through an online dating site, making up 34.95%—higher than those who met at work (14.09%), through previous friendships (12.4%), or as classmates (7.14%). Online dating was the most common way to meet.
16. Since 2015, 38% of Americans who describe themselves as "single and looking" have used an online dating site.
17. Online dating was once stigmatized as a last resort for the lonely or desperate, but it has become the most common and widespread way to find a suitable spouse. The U.S. has recently seen a rise in newlyweds who met online.
18. According to a 2019 survey by The Knot, online dating is now the most popular way to meet a suitable spouse.