Online Dating Statistics in 2024 (Latest U.S. & Global Data)
The historical stigma of internet dating is gone and people are trusting dating technology more and more.
Online dating statistics show that online dating is now the most common way people find romantic partners.
Online Dating Statistics
Overview of statistics on online dating:
- 53 million Americans are actively using online dating services, 413 M worldwide.
- About 39% of all straight relationships in the U.S. start online.
- 6 in 10 online daters say it’s easy to find potentially compatible partners.
- College graduates have the highest first date and relationship rate on online dating sites.
- 57% of men don’t receive enough messages, while 30% of women get too many.
- 60% of younger women experience harassment after saying they aren’t interested.
- Average online dater spends about $300 per year on dating site memberships.
- Four in 10 Tinder users are either married or in a relationship.
- Dating app trolls score highly on impulsivity, sadistic behavior, and disregard others’ suffering.
- Online dating scams cost victims over $500 million each year.
1. 53 million Americans are actively using online dating services, 413 M worldwide.
According to Statista online dating service statistics, 53 million Americans are actively using online dating services each year. (1)
| Online Dating in the U.S. | Online Dating Worldwide | Global Revenue |
| 53 M Active Users | 413 M Active Users | $3.7 B in 2022 |
The online dating data also shows that worldwide, there were 413 million active online dating users in 2022. (1)
Also, the online dating industry generates about $3.7 billion in revenue each year through paid subscriptions.
| Country | Online Dating Penetration | Revenue in 2022 |
| United States | 15.7% | $829 M |
| United Kingdom | 11.5% | $116 M |
| France | 10.9% | $113 M |
| Germany | 9.2% | $131 M |
| Brazil | 8.3% | $81 M |
| South Africa | 7.7% | $27 M |
| Japan | 6.2% | $79 M |
| China | 6.0% | $496 M |
| India | 3.4% | $559 M |
The highest penetration rate is in the U.S., where 15.7% of the population is using online dating services.
Online dating in the U.S. is an $829 million a year market. (1)
The U.S. online dating industry generates about $829 million in revenue each year through paid subscriptions of adult matchmaking.
The United Kingdom has 11.5% of the population using online dating services, followed by 10.9% in France and 9.2% in Germany.
The most popular paid dating apps in the U.S. are Bumble, Tinder, and Badoo.
According to Statista dating app statistics, Bumble is the most popular paid dating app in the U.S. in 2022. (2)
| U.S. Dating Apps (2022) | U.S. Paying Customers |
| Bumble | 36% |
| Tinder | 33% |
| Badoo | 33% |
| Ashley Madison | 33% |
| Match | 31% |
| Eharmony | 27% |
| C-Date | 26% |
| Plenty of Fish | 26% |
The statistics on people using dating apps show that 36% of paying U.S. dating app customers are using Bumble, 33% Tinder, and 33% Badoo.
When it comes to total users (free and paid), Tinder is still dominating the U.S. and worldwide. (3)
| Tinder | Bumble | Hinge |
| 72% Globally | 19% Globally | 9% Globally |
According to global online dating popularity, 72% of global monthly active users are using Tinder, 19% are using Bumble, and 9% are using Hinge. (3)
Tinder’s usage has remained relatively steady during the last few years, while Bumble and Hinge have seen their audiences surge.
2. About 39% of all straight relationships in the U.S. start online.
According to New Mexico & Stanford University online dating success statistics, about 39% of all heterosexual relationships in the U.S. now start online. (4)
The data shows that the proportion who have met through third persons has declined over time.
| How Couples Met | In 1995 | In 2017 (latest) |
| Online | 2% | 39% |
| In a Bar/Restaurant | 19% | 27% |
| Through Friends | 33% | 20% |
| Through or as Coworkers | 19% | 11% |
In 1995, 33% of straight couples met through friends, while only 20% met through friends in 2017. (4)
Internet meeting has displaced roles that family and friends once played, bringing couples together.
The dating app data also shows that neither breakup rates nor relationship quality were influenced by how couples met.
Also, read our relationship statistics in the U.S.
12% of online daters are committed or married to someone they met online.
According to Pew Research Center online dating marriage statistics, 12% of Americans are married or in a committed relationship with someone, they first met through a dating site. (5)
| Committed or Married | Gone on a Date | Ever Used a Dating Site |
| 12% of Americans | 23% of Americans | 30% of Americans |
The online dating research also found that 3 in 10 (30%) U.S. adults have ever used an online dating site or app. (5)
Interestingly enough, 23% of Americans have ever gone on a date with someone they first met through an online dating site.
About 55% of lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) adults are using online dating platforms, which is almost two times higher than straight adults.
3. 6 in 10 online daters say it’s easy to find potentially compatible partners.
According to Pew Research Center statistics on online dating, 6 in 10 online daters say it’s relatively easy to find potentially compatible partners online. (5)
| Finding Users Who | Difficult | Easy |
| Are Physically Attractive | 28% | 71% |
| Shared Hobbies & Interests | 35% | 64% |
| They Want to Meet in Person | 36% | 64% |
| Are Looking for the Same Kind of Relationship | 38% | 61% |
The research on dating site statistics found that the hardest part (38%) of online dating is finding other users who are looking for the same kind of relationship. (5)
The easiest part (71%) of online dating is to find other users who are physically attractive.
| Very Positive | Somewhat Positive | Somewhat Negative | Very Negative |
| 14% | 43% | 34% | 9% |
About 57% of Americans say they have had an overall positive experience with online dating.
About 43% of Americans say they have had an overall negative experience with online dating.
4. College graduates have the highest first date and relationship rate on online dating sites.
Research on the success of online dating shows that online dating and its outcomes tend to vary by the person’s level of education.
According to Pew Research Center online dating relationships statistics, college graduates have the highest first date (84%) and relationship rate (44%) on online dating sites. (6)
| Through Online Dating | High School or Less | Some College Experience | College Graduates |
| Gone on a Date | 66% | 77% | 84% |
| Committed or Married | 30% | 40% | 44% |
About 84% of college graduates are going out with someone they met on a dating site or app. (6)
Compared to 77% of those with some college experience and 66% of those with a high school diploma or less.
College graduates also have a higher likelihood of finding a committed relationship or marriage through online dating.
About 44% of college graduates are committed to or married to someone they met on a dating site or app.
Compared to 40% of those with some college experience and 30% of those with a high school diploma or less.
54% of dating app users in the U.S. are looking to find an exclusive romantic partner.
According to Statista statistics on people using dating sites, more than half of online daters in the U.S. are using online dating websites or apps to find an exclusive romantic partner. (7)
| Reason for Using a Dating Site/App | Online Daters |
| To find an exclusive romantic partner | 54% |
| To have something fun/interesting to do | 34% |
| To have casual sex | 25% |
| To make platonic, non-romantic connections | 25% |
| To see what the app is like | 23% |
About 3 in 10 online daters (34%) are using online dating websites or apps to have something fun or interesting to do and 25% are looking to have casual sex. (7)
About 6% of American online daters are using online dating websites or apps to cheat on their significant other.
5. 57% of men don’t receive enough messages, while 30% of women get too many.
Men and women have contrasting experiences when it comes to using online dating services.
According to Pew Research Center internet dating statistics, more than half (57%) of men using dating apps are not getting enough messages, while 30% of women get too many messages. (5)
| Online Daters | Too Many Messages | Right Amount of Messages | Not Enough Messages |
| Men | 6% | 36% | 57% |
| Women | 30% | 45% | 24% |
| All Daters | 17% | 40% | 43% |
About 43% of Americans who use dating sites or apps say they do not receive enough messages, 40% think the amount is just right, and 17% say they receive too many messages. (5)
The contrast between the sexes is even more noticeable.
30% of women say they receive too many messages, compared to 6% of men. Yet, 57% of men say they don’t receive enough messages, compares to 24% of women.
6. 60% of younger women experience harassment after saying they aren’t interested.
Younger women experience the most harassing behaviors on online dating platforms.
According to Pew Research Center dating website statistics, 60% of women ages 18 to 34 say someone on a dating site or app has continued to contact them after they said they weren’t interested. (5)
| Negative Behaviors | Women Ages 18-34 | Women Ages 35-49 | Women Ages 50+ |
| Continued to contact them after saying not interested | 60% | 49% | 29% |
| Sent them an unwanted sexually explicit message or image | 57% | 53% | 20% |
| Called them an offensive name | 44% | 34% | 13% |
| Threatened to physically harm them | 19% | 10% | 2% |
Six-in-ten females (57%) ages 18 to 34 have received unwanted sexual messages or images and, while 44% say they have been called an offensive name. (5)
At the same time, 19% of women report being physically threatened by another user on online dating sites.
The online dating safety statistics suggest that these unpleasant interactions are more prevalent among women than men.
7. Average online dater spends about $300 per year on dating site memberships.
In the U.S. alone, about 15% of the population is actively using online dating services.
According to Statistic Brain dating site membership statistics, the average dating app user spends about $300 per year on dating site memberships. (8)
| Avg. Cost Per Month | Avg. Cost Per Year | Active Users |
| $25 | $300 | 53 M Americans |
Dating site and app membership costs vary a lot depending on the app, membership type, and the length of the membership. (8)
For example, Match Standard costs $24.99, Tinder Gold $14.99, and Elite Singles Premium $59.95.
8. Four in 10 Tinder users are either married or in a relationship.
Statistics of dating apps show that, despite being designed for single people, it’s quite common for non-single people to be using dating sites and apps.
According to a study published in Science Direct, in the U.S., some 42% of people with a Tinder profile are either in a committed relationship or married. (9)
| Tinder Users in the U.S. | Tinder Users Worldwide |
| 42% Committed/ Married | 18-25% Committed/ Married |
Similarly, several international academic studies on Tinder use suggest that about 18-25% of Tinder users are in a committed relationship while using Tinder. (9)
The dating app statistics study also found that more than 50% of Tinder users who were in a relationship also had an offline encounter with other Tinder users.
Suggesting that non-single Tinder users are willing to act on their curiosity about other potential partners.
9. Dating app trolls score highly on impulsivity, sadistic behavior, and disregard others’ suffering.
According to an online dating study published in Science Direct, dating app trolls score highly on impulsivity, sadistic behavior, and disregard others’ suffering. (10)
| Harassed on Dating Sites | Harassed on Dating Sites |
| 57% of Women | 21% of Men |
Research has shown that the negative psychological outcomes of being harassed online are similar to the psychological outcomes of harassment in person. (10)
The online dating lies statistics study analyzed the role of the dark personality traits of psychopathy and sadism in trolling behaviors on contemporary online dating platforms.
The dating app troll, like the online troll, is sadistic, psychopathic, and dysfunctionally impulsive.
Interestingly, the research suggests that dating apps are equally likely to be male or female.
Online dating trolls tend to deceive their victims by using a fake identity, being malicious and provocative, taunting, and disruptive with the aim of achieving attention.
10. Online dating scams cost victims over $500 million each year.
During the past five years, online daters have reported losing a staggering $1.3 billion to romance scams.
According to FTC online dating dangers statistics (2022), online dating scams cost victims over $500 million every year. (11)
| Avg. Individual 2021 (latest) | Dating Scams 2021 (latest) | Dating Scams 2020 | Dating Scams 2017 |
| $2,400 loss | $547 M loss | $304 M loss | $87 M loss |
In 2021, reported losses on online dating scams hit a record $547 million. That’s over 6x the reported losses in 2017 and a nearly 80% increase from 2020. (11)
The average individual loss on online dating scams is $2,400 per year.
References
- Statista. 2022. How the World Dates Online. Link
- Statista. 2022. The Most Popular Dating Apps in the U.S. Link
- Sensor Tower. 2022. Usage of Top Dating Apps Grew Nearly 20% Year-Over-Year in January. Link
- Michael J. Rosenfeld, Reuben J. Thomas, Sonia Hausen. 2019. Disintermediating your friends: How online dating in the United States displaces other ways of meeting. Link
- Pew Research Center. 2020. The Virtues and Downsides of Online Dating. Link
- Pew Research Center. 2020. 10 facts about Americans and online dating. Link
- Statista. 2021. Most popular reasons for users in the United States to use online dating websites or apps as of May 2021. Link
- According to the research, the average cost in 2016 was $243, when adjusted for inflation, it’s $300. American Communication Journal. 2017. Cyber Dating in the Age of Mobile Apps: Understanding Motives, Attitudes, and Characteristics of Users. Link Inflation Calculator. Link
- Elisabeth Timmermansa, Elien De Caluwé, Cassandra Alexopoulos. 2018. Why are you cheating on tinder? Exploring users’ motives and (dark) personality traits. Link
- Evita March, Rachel Grieve, Jessica Marrington, Peter K Jonason. 2017. Trolling on Tinder® (and other dating apps): Examining the role of the Dark Tetrad and impulsivity. LInk
- Federal Trade Comission. 2022. Reports of romance scams hit record highs in 2021. Link
