Singles in America: Match Releases Largest Study on US Single Population for 12th Year (2024)

2022 saw a rise in "conscious dating," with singles who are increasingly thoughtful and have a healthy approach in what they look for in a partner and how they build relationships. Singles are ready to meet IRL faster, prefer casual first dates, and say dating helps them learn about new people and be a better version of themselves. Findings from the study also uncover the impact of current events on American singles, in particular the overturning of Roe v. Wade, with two in three single women saying they will not date a partner with opposing views on abortion.

"Singles have emerged post-pandemic as transformed daters. They've sobered up," says Dr. Helen Fisher, Chief Scientific Advisor at Match. "They've shifted their priorities and are dating smart. It's healthy dating. They now seek a partner who prioritizes mental health and self-care; they want someone who is emotionally mature and socially responsible; they are less fixated on good looks; and they are widening their dating pool. Singles are dating intentionally and dedicated to finding a long-term committed partner. But today's societal issues – from the Roe v. Wade decision to rising inflation – are having a tremendous impact on how we love and date today."

A NEW ERA: THE CONSCIOUS DATER

Singles more than ever before are approaching dating in a conscious and healthy way. Today, 70% of all singles are open to finding a relationship (73% of men vs. 66% of women) and nearly half (48%) say they are now more eager to meet a partner than in the past. And singles are more open minded when it comes to potential partners, going out with someone for longer instead of making snap judgments, and looking for qualities that go beyond the physical.

Figure it out faster

Four out of five singles (73%) are open to finding a long-term relationship, with only 10% saying they want to date casually for the long-term. In fact, long-term love has become more important than it was 10 years ago: today 74% of singles report that it's important to find a partner who wants to marry, vs. 60% in 2012.

• 43% of all singles are ready to meet in-person sooner, more than ever before.
• 84% of singles prefer a casual first date– a smart move when you're just getting to know someone and don't want to feel a sense of obligation for a time-intensive or expensive first date.
• Most singles see personal opportunity in dating. 79% of singles say that dating helps them learn about new people. And 53% of singles report that dating helps them learn how to be a better version of themselves
• Men in particular were more likely to see these opportunities:
• 81% of men said dating helps them learn about new people (vs. 77% women)
• 63% of men said dating helps them be a better version of themselves (vs. 46% women)
• 44% of men said dating over the last year has helped them grow and improve as a person (vs. 35% women)

Love really is blind

Half of singles (49%) have fallen in love with someone they weren't initially attracted to (44% men, 52% women). This is the highest it has been in the past decade—up from 38% in 2012. More people are recognizing that feelings of romantic love take attention and time investment to cultivate.

Maturity rocks

Compared to someone they deem physically attractive, which fell farther down the list at 86%, the top five traits singles seek in a partner include someone…

• They can trust and confide in (94%)
• Who is comfortable communicating their wants and needs (92%)
• Who is emotionally mature (92%)
• Who can make them laugh (92%)
• Who is comfortable with their own sexuality (89%)

The new triple threat: Therapy, self-care, + emotional maturity

87% of singles say it's very important for their partner to prioritize their mental health and 81% report they engage in self-care at least monthly.

• 2 in 3 singles want to better their mental health (66%), including 71% of Gen Z and 75% of Millennials.
• Nearly half of singles are open to therapy (48%) including 65% of young singles.
• While 36% of singles say their mental health is poor (44% of young singles report this), 31% say their mental health is good (43% of boomers saying it's good).

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

"Singles are no longer shy about their political and cultural views, with a range of issues that are impacting their sense of security in all aspects of life," said Dr. Justin Garcia, Executive Director of the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University and Scientific Advisor at Match. "We're also beginning to see the profound effects the overturning of Roe v. Wade has had on daters as they seek and form new relationships – with 78% of singles reporting that this will change their sex or dating life. Today's singles are demanding a new era of socially responsible dating."

Roe v. Wade's major impact on singles

75.2 million U.S. singles are looking to form a relationship, yet 13% of active daters - some 9.8 million people - report that the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is making them more hesitant to date, having a dramatic effect on courtship, love, and marriage.

• Two out of three single women will not date a partner who has opposing views on abortion.
• 78% of singles of reproductive age say that the recent Roe v. Wade decision has changed their sex life.
• 17% of singles have lost friends due to their different opinions on abortion, and 25% of women want to have less discussion about abortion attitudes with partners.

Political deal makers and breakers

46% of singles would date someone with very different political views, and only one in four singles (24%) want a partner who thinks exactly as they do. What's more, 40% want a partner who can discuss both sides of a political issue.

• 58% say it's a deal breaker if a potential partner isn't open-minded on key issues.
• Having a political opinion, even if it's contradictory, is increasingly important to singles. 31% say not having an opinion on key issues is a dealbreaker, up from 16% in 2017.

Intimacy in spite of inflation

A rocky economy won't stop the desire to find love but it has made singles more aware of their spending and how to make a good impression while sticking to a budget.

• 23% of singles are now more appreciative of frugal people.
• 96% of singles feel like having similar attitudes about debt and spending is an important partner trait, at an all-time high over the last decade.
• 30% of singles overall say that inflation has made them more eager to find a financially stable partner.

THE COST OF DATING

Having tracked singles' habits for more than a decade, Match has direct insight into the dollars and cents of dating. While the cost of being single has skyrocketed in the past ten years, more singles are looking to ditch the white tablecloth, candle-lit dinners for affordable, no-pressure first dates.

Can't buy me love

• Daters are spending $117.4 billion on their dating lives each year or $130 per month ($1,560 per year), which is up 40% from the past decade.
• With 84% of singles saying they prefer a casual first date, singles are now more open to:
• Doing free activities on a date (30%)
• Going somewhere close to home to save on gas (29%)
• Eating a home cooked meal vs. eating at a restaurant (26%)
• Meeting a date for coffee or drinks instead of a full meal (25%)
• Going on dates at inexpensive restaurants (24%)
• Forget ghosting and burnout, the top three stressors for singles today are all financially related:
• The economy 39% (gets higher with age - 47% of Gen X and 44% of Boomers)
• Their long-term financial future: 37% (32% of men vs. 41% of women - highest with Gen X at 46%)
• The effect of inflation: 36% (40% of women vs. 30% of men - highest with Gen X at 45%)

SEX & DATING

In today's dating landscape, adult daters are navigating a myriad of changes impacting the dating scene, and redefining their preferences in response. Singles are expanding their dating pool, enjoying sex, and discovering themselves more than ever before.

Dating up and down

• 30% of singles have dated someone 10 or more years older than themselves (25% of men and 34% of women).
• In contrast, 10 years ago only 19% of singles had dated someone a decade or more older.
• 29% of singles have dated someone more than 10 years younger than themselves (38% of men and 24% of women), typically citing physical chemistry and sexual attraction as the key reasons.
• A decade ago, only 21% of singles had dated down by 10 years or more.

It's About Damn Time

• 71% of singles report feeling positive after having sex, and 70% find sex to be good for their mental and physical health.
• 38% of singles are more interested in exploring their body and their sexuality compared to how they felt before the pandemic.
• 39% of singles feel more sexually empowered, with this feeling highest among young singles (49%).

Va-Va-Voom vs. Va-Va-Vanilla

• 57% of singles report they really enjoy the missionary position during sex (59% of men and 55% of women) and 51% of singles don't mind the same sexual behaviors over and over (54% of men and 48% of women).
• That doesn't mean singles aren't open to trying new things. When it comes to new sexual experiences:
• 31% want to act out sexual fantasies
• 27% like role-playing during sex
• 25% demonstrate what they like
• 24% like rough sex

"The Rules" no longer apply

• On first dates, 61% are comfortable making out and 63% are open to a cuddle session.
• 31% of singles are comfortable having sex on the first three dates (49% men, 18% women), but 69% want to wait longer.
• Waiting longer to have sex may be a trend across the board: compared to how they felt before the pandemic, 36% of singles reported that they're now willing to wait until later into dating to have sex with a new partner for the first time (40% of men vs. 33% of women).

Dating in the Metaverse? Singles Want Reality

• While almost 1 in 3 singles (29%) are open to connecting before a first date through social media, only 1 in 10 (11%) want to meet in the Metaverse—15% of Gen Z, 14% of Millennials, 10% of Gen X, and 6% of Boomers.
• Singles want real sex too: only 3% have had sex in the metaverse.

To see the full findings, including additional demographic breakdowns, please visitwww.SinglesinAmerica.com

About Singles in America

Singles in America (SIA) was funded by Match and conducted by Dynata in association with renowned anthropologist Dr. Helen Fisher and evolutionary biologist Dr. Justin Garcia of The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University. The 2022 study is based on the attitudes and behaviors taken from a demographically representative sample of 5,000 U.S. singles between the ages of 18 to 98. Generations are defined as: Gen Z (18-24), Millennials (25-40), Gen X (41-56), and Boomers (57-75). Young singles are defined as the combination of Gen Z and Millennials. Singles in America remains the most comprehensive annual scientific survey of single Americans.

SOURCE Match