The landscape of technology is constantly changing, which means so are many aspects of our lives. This is especially true for online dating. Before dating sites came along in the mid-1990s, most people were meeting their partners through friends, work, or classified ads in the newspaper.
Today, there are millions of people on thousands of dating sites looking for their perfect match, whether that’s for a hookup, date, relationship, or marriage. With this growing industry comes a lot of information that’s worth knowing. We’ve compiled a list of 21 good, bad, and just plain weird statistics on online dating that will blow your mind.
1. Match is the Most Popular Site With 23.5 Million Users
Hands down, Match is the most popular, as well as the most established, dating site, having grown to 23.5 million users and counting since their 1995 launch. Here are some other key facts about Match:
Match.com
★★★★★ 4.9/5.0
Relationships: Friends, Dates, and Relationships
Match System: Browse by zip, age, appearance, more
Our Experts Say: “Match has facilitated the most dates and relationships of any dating site, and its large audience and high success rate make it our top review…” Full Review »
Browse Free: View Photos Now
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) | Today’s Deal |
| All Singles* | 49%* 51%* | 39.7 Million* | Try Match.com FREE |
As you can see, besides their impressive size, Match also has an impressive success rate, being responsible for making the most romantic connections than any other service in this space.
2. eHarmony is Responsible for 4% of U.S. Marriages
eHarmony is another fan favorite among singles, particularly Christians who want a serious relationship. And it’s easy to see why. Of all the marriages in the U.S., eHarmony is behind 4% of them. Below is a quick snippet of what else eHarmony has going for them:
eharmony
★★★★★ 4.7/5.0
Relationships: Casual Dates, Deep Relationships
Match System: Personality test suggests matches
Our Experts Say: “Accounting for 2% of U.S. marriages, eharmony’s compatibility-based system and commitment-minded user base are ideal for those seeking a serious relationship…” Full Review »
Browse Free: View Photos Now
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) | Today’s Deal |
| All Straight Singles* | 48%* 52%* | 4.1 Million* | View Profiles FREE |
One particular thing to note from the graph above is eHarmony’s exclusive 29-dimension compatibility matching system. When you sign up, you’ll take an in-depth questionnaire (about 400 questions) that goes beyond surface-level preferences like age, location, and interests.
3. Over 3 Million Messages Are Exchanged on Zoosk a Day
One of the most active online dating sites is Zoosk, which sees more than 3 million message exchanges every day. Our experts have also gathered some of the most important pieces of information about Zoosk:
Zoosk
★★★★★ 4.7/5.0
Relationships: Fun Dates, Serious Relationships
Match System: Search and get match recommendations
Our Experts Say: “Zoosk is integrated with social media sites, like Facebook and Google+, so it’s very popular with singles on the go…” Full Review »
Browse Free: View Photos Now
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) | Today’s Deal |
| All Singles* | 48%* 52%* | 28.9 Million* | Start Zoosk for FREE |
We’d attribute Zoosk’s following to the fact that they were one of the first dating apps on the scene. Their integration with Facebook, and recently Google+, made it super simple to create a profile and browse for matches.
4. More Than 7,500 Dating Sites Exist Worldwide
According to Online Dating Magazine, there are more than 7,500 online dating websites — over 2,500 in the United States and 5,000 around the world. Of course, you’ve got your Match.coms and your eHarmonys out there, as we’ve shown, but you’ve also got your niche sites for clowns, Trekkies, and even sea captains.
5. 49 Million People Have Tried Online Dating
With about 49 million singles having dabbled in online dating at least once, a majority of us are probably among that statistic or know somebody who is. As is typical with most new inventions, some were skeptical when dating sites first came out, but they’ve clearly become one of the preferred ways to find love.
6. Online Dating is a Good Way to Meet Others, Say 59% of People
In 2015, the Pew Research Center found over half of men and women believe online dating is a great venue for meeting people. And we’d have to agree — you have tons of options to choose from and can cater the process to your wants.
7. 66% of Users Have Dated Someone They Met Online
Not only is online dating extremely popular, as evidenced by the stats above, but it also truly works. That same Pew Research Center study said two-thirds of online daters have gone out with someone with whom they were matched. Those seem like pretty decent odds to us.
8. One-Fifth of Committed Relationships Began Online
If a serious relationship is what you’re looking for, you might want to turn to online dating to find it. Statistic Brain says 20% of current committed relationships started online.
9. 17% of Marriages Started Online
Statistic Brain’s research also shows 17% of couples who married within the last year met on a dating website.
Statistic Brain found 17% of married couples have met on an online dating site.
With online dating, you get very specific about your needs (e.g., marriage), which makes it quick and simple to find that special someone who can meet those needs.
10. Lion’s Share (27%) of Online Daters Are 18-24
According to Pew, those between 18 and 24 make up the largest demographic of online daters in terms of age. In comparison, 22% are 25 to 34; 21% are 35 to 44; 13% are 45 to 54; 12% are 55 to 64, and 3% are 65+.
11. The Online Dating Gender Ratio is 52.4% Male vs. 47.6% Female
While numerous dating sites lean slightly more female with their gender ratio (e.g., Match 51% vs. 49%), online dating tends to attract more males as a whole: 52.4% compared to 47.6%. This was another fact discovered by Statistic Brain.
12. What’s More Important? 64% Say Shared Interest, 49% Say Looks
Referencing Statistic Brain again, the site found almost two-thirds of people who use online dating say the number one thing they’re looking for in a date or partner is common interests, while less than half say physical characteristics are the most important to them.
13. 60% of Female Tinder Members Want a Match, Not Just a Hookup
Tinder was the first dating app to implement the swiping matching system (right if you like someone and left if you don’t). What soon followed was a reputation, perhaps an unfair one, that they’re just for hooking up. While that could be true for men, The Huffington Post shows it’s not the case for women. About 60% of female Tinder users put in their profile that they want a genuine match and not a fling.
14. 22% of People Have Asked Someone to Help With Their Profile
Your profile is the first thing singles will see on a dating site, and to be honest, most of them will only take a few seconds to read it and determine if you’re right for them or not. That puts a lot of pressure on people to make their profiles perfect, especially those who are trying online dating for the first time and aren’t the best writers. So it’s understandable that almost one-fourth of online daters have asked someone to give them a hand with this part of the process such as choosing the best photos or tweaking some of the language.
15. 33% of Women Have Sex on the First Online Dating Encounter
It’s no secret that there are plenty of people online who want to meet someone to have sex with, nothing more. There’s no shame in that, and it’s why sites like BeNaughty exist. Online dating has allowed people to be upfront about their desires and has given them a way to connect with those who are like-minded. Based on their research, Statistic Brain found one in three women have sex on the first offline encounter with a match.
16. The Online Dating Industry’s Annual Revenue is $1.8 Billion
As the first dating site, Match jump-started the whole idea of online dating. Now, it’s a $1.8 billion a year industry, and we anticipate it’s only going to grow as the years go by.
17. The Average Online Dater Spends $243 a Year
With online dating being such a profitable industry, it’s also interesting to know how much people are actually spending on it. Per Statistic Brain, the typical online dating customer spends about $243 annually.
Most dating site customers spend $243 annually, which comes out to only $20 a month.
When you think about it, that’s only $20 a month, so we’d say online dating is a very affordable way to meet people. Plus, you don’t have to do any of the legwork.
18. 23% of People Think Those Who Use Online Dating Are Desperate
We mentioned earlier that 59% of people think online dating is a fantastic way to meet others, but there are some skeptics out there. According to Pew’s poll, 23% think those who date online are desperate (ouch). However, that number has gone down a good bit. In 2005, it was 29%, so more people are starting to look at online dating in a positive light.
19. More Than Half Lie on Their Dating Profile
Singles want to put their best foot forward online — some so much so that some of them won’t be as forthcoming about themselves as they should be. Phactual.com says more than half of users fabricate some or all of their dating profile. For example, 20% of women will use photos from when they were younger, while 40% of men will lie about their jobs.
20. Dear John: 48% of Online Relationships End Via Email
There are a lot of online dating success statistics out there, but you’re bound to come across some bad ones every now and then. One of them is from an infographic by eHarmony that shows 48% of relationships that began online will end with someone breaking up with their partner via email. It’s better than being ghosted though, right?
21. 10% of Online Daters Quit After Three Months
While we love online dating and think it’s one of the best inventions to come out of the 20th century, we’ll admit that it can be frustrating for some people from time to time — especially if they’ve been doing it for weeks or months and haven’t met that perfect person yet. In fact, one out of every 10 online daters will give up after 90 days, as reported by Statistic Brain.
Now You Know!
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning a little bit more about the dating industry, from the interesting to the uplifting to the disappointing and the strange facts. And this is just the beginning — we’ll strive to keep you updated as more information comes in!