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45+ Online Dating Statistics & Trends Worldwide

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The online dating scene has exploded recently due to COVID-19 lockdowns and the increasing adoption of technology in our daily lives.

Continue reading to learn current trends, statistics, market growth, and future projections in the online dating industry.

Top 8 Online Dating Statistics (Editor’s Pick)

  • In 2022, 49% of online daters prioritized their work-life balance.
  • Russia was the largest dating app market in Europe.
  • Tinder was the most popular dating app in the US.
  • 24% of US online daters had been called offensive names on dating sites/apps.
  • 7% of American adult males used a dating site/app in 2022.
  • Consumers spent over $4 billion on Google and iOS dating apps in 2021.
  • The average consumer spent 447 Mbs on dating apps in 2021.
  • Tinder led in revenue generation in Europe.

Infographic

top online dating statistics
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General Online Dating Statistics

1. Over 366 million people used online dating services in 2022.

This number is expected to increase to 834.1 million in 2023, 411.5 million by 2025, and 440.9 million by 2027. Industry data also shows that 131.1 million people will use matchmaking services by 2027.

2. 63% of online daters in 2022 valued emotional maturity over physical looks.

Another 38% of online daters were more open to dating people who did not fit their typical physical profiles. In comparison, 28% of online daters were comfortable dating people that others did not expect them to date.

3. 52% of online daters set more boundaries concerning their love life.

In a 2022 dating survey, 63% of respondents set boundaries around their emotional needs. A further 53% set limits to protect themselves from social overcommitment. 

In comparison, 59% set boundaries that enabled them to control how they portrayed themselves to others. 

4. In 2022, 49% of online daters prioritized their work-life balance.

While 52% of online daters intentionally created space for rest and breaks, 54% cared more about their potential partner’s work-life balance than their careers. 

Additionally, 13% of online daters said they would not date a partner with a very demanding profession.

5. More online daters were open to dating people from other cities.

In a 2022 survey, 1 in 3 respondents was okay with dating people living outside their current cities. Remote work has allowed more online daters to pursue long-distance or international relationships.

Remote Dating Statistics
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6. In 2023, 28% of online daters will set more financial boundaries.

This might be because 32% of online daters were less impressed by extravagant first dates, and 57% preferred casual dates.

7. 53% of online daters believed discussing sexual needs early in a relationship was necessary for 2022.

A further 40% were comfortable talking about sex with potential partners, while 20% had explored their sexuality in 2022. 34% of online daters were not sexually active but were satisfied with the status quo.

Online Dating Revenue Statistics

8. The online dating market revenue is expected to reach $3.01 billion by the end of 2023.

Growing at a 3.23% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) between 2023-2027, the online dating market revenue is expected to reach $3.41 billion by 2027.

9. In 2022, the online dating market in the US generated $1.3 billion.

This was $0.03 billion higher than the $1.27 billion the market generated in 2021. Furthermore, the American online dating market will generate approximately $1.5 billion by 2027.

10. The global online dating market will be worth $28.36 billion by 2027.

Growing at a 14.84 CAGR, the online dating market is expected to grow from $12.37 billion (2021) to $28.36 billion by 2027.

Online Dating Statistics by Country

11. 25.1 million Americans used smartphone dating apps in 2022.

This number is higher than the 24.5 million American online daters that used smartphone dating apps in 2021 but lower than the 26.6 million in 2020. The total number of Americans using smartphone dating apps in 2023 is expected to reach 25.7 million.

12. Russia was the largest dating app market in Europe.

It accounted for 23.4% of the European dating app market in Q4 2021, followed by Germany, with a 12.2% market share. The UK and France were third and fourth, representing 11.1% and 9.5% of the market, respectively.

13. In 2022, US online daters reached 50.8 million.

The number of online daters in America has steadily risen since 2017 (28.9 million people). This number is expected to reach 53.3 million users by 2024, representing a 24.4 million increase.

14. Finding an exclusive romantic partner was why Americans used online dating sites.

In a 2021 dating survey, most Americans (54%) on online dating sites were looking for exclusive romantic partners. 34% used dating apps to keep busy, while 26% wanted to score casual sex.

The top 10 reasons for dating apps used by Americans in 2021 are:

Reason Percentage
To get exclusive romantic partners 54%
To keep busy 34%
For casual sex 26%
For platonic/non-romantic connections 25%
Testing the app/dating site 23%
To find non-exclusive romantic partners 20%
To boost self-esteem 18%
To find a friend 18%
To cheat on a partner 6%
Other reasons 5%

15. Tinder was the most popular dating app in the US.

A 2022 dating report found that 46% of American online daters have used Tinder before, compared to 31% and 28% who used Match and Bumble. Only 21% of respondents claimed to have used OkCupid in the past.

Here are the apps that American online daters have used in the past by percentage:

Dating app Percentage of daters
Tinder 46%
Match 31%
Bumble 28%
OkCupid 21%
eHarmony 19%
Hinge 19%
Grindr 6%
HER 3%
Others 31%

Online Dating Statistics by User Profile

16. In 2022, 49% of male online daters believed breaking gender roles benefit them.

A further 52% of men believe showing emotions is okay, while 38% are open to sharing their feelings with male friends. At least 74% of male online daters reviewed how they behaved in relationships in 2022.

17. 24% of LGB American online daters met their current spouse on a dating app.

That’s compared to 9% of straight American online daters in 2022.

18. 20% of partnered Americans between 18-29 met their match online.

The dating research further reveals that 11% of partnered Americans between 30-49 years and 7% of couples between years met on online dating sites. 

In contrast, only 4% of couples above 65 years met on these online dating platforms.

19. In 2022, 53% of Americans that used dating sites/apps had a positive experience.

That’s compared to 11% that had a very negative experience and 35% that had a somewhat negative experience.

This is how Americans felt when using dating apps/sites:

Very negative 11%
Somewhat negative 35%
Somewhat positive 39%
Vet positive 14%

20. 35% of American online daters paid to use an online dating service/app.

That’s compared to 64% of American online daters that have never paid for online dating services or apps, according to a 2022 dating survey. Of those who paid for these services 45% were in the upper-income bracket, 36% were in middle income, and 28% were low-income earners.

21. 12% of American online daters used a dating site/app in 2022.

Additionally, data revealed that 13% of these online daters used a dating app/site in 2021, while 28% used a dating site/app more than one year ago.

Here is the American dating app/site usage by age and period:

Age 2022 2021 Before 2021
18-29 12% 13% 28%
30-49 5% 5% 28%
50-64 3% 2% 16%
65+ 1% 1% 11%

22. 6% of Asian Americans used a dating site/app in 2022.

Compared to 4% of white Americans, 5% of black Americans, and 7% of Hispanic Americans.

The table below contains American dating app/site usage by race and period:

  2022 2021 Before 2021 Never
White 4% 4% 21% 29%
Black 5% 5% 23% 34%
Hispanic 7% 8% 18% 34%
Asian 6% 4% 16% 26%

23. 3% of Americans that used online dating sites/apps in 2022 had a high school education or less.

While 7% had some form of college education, 5% had more than just a college degree.

Here’s the complete breakdown of American online daters that used dating sites by education level:

  2022 2021 Before 2021 Never
High school or less 3% 4% 16% 23%
College 7% 6% 24% 37%
College + 5% 5% 23% 32%

24. 7% of American online daters lived in urban areas in 2022.

That’s compared to 5% who lived in suburban areas and 3% who lived in rural areas.

Here’s the complete breakdown of American online dater’s residences versus the period they used dating apps/sites:

  2022 2021 Before 2021 Never
Urban 7% 7% 23% 36%
Suburban 5% 4% 22% 31%
Rural 3% 4% 18% 25%

25. 13% of LGB Americans used online dating apps/sites in 2022.

That’s compared to 4% of straight American online daters in 2022 and 11% of LGB online daters in 2021.

Here’s the full breakdown of dating site/app usage by American online daters by sexual orientation and period of use:

  2022 2021 Before 2021 Never
Straight 4% 4% 20% 28%
LGB 13% 11% 27% 51%

26. 79% of American online daters between 18-29 have used Tinder in the past.

A 2022 report found that 44% of American online daters between 30-49 and 17% of daters between 50-64 had used Tinder before.

Here is how American online daters used dating apps according to age range:

Age range 18-29 years 30-49 years 50-64 years 65+ years
Tinder 79% 44% 17% 1%
Match 9% 34% 54% 44%
Bumble 51% 24% 9% 2%
OkCupid 18% 28% 15% 4%
eHarmony 7% 21% 28% 34%
Hinge 39% 14% 3% 1%
Grindr 9% 6% 6% 1%
HER 6% 1% 1% 1%
Other 15% 36% 43% 39%

27. 45% of straight and 51% of LGB American online daters have used Tinder.

Additionally, 34% of straight and 16% of LGB American online daters claim to have used Match before, according to a 2022 survey.

This is how straight and LGB American online daters have used dating apps:

  Straight LGB
Tinder 45% 51%
Match 34% 16%
Bumble 28% 24%
OkCupid 20% 20%
eHarmony 21% 9%
Hinge 20% 15%
Grindr 1% 34%
HER 1% 10%
Other 32% 25%

28. 38% of US online daters claim to have received explicit images and messages on online dating apps/sites in the past.

A 2022 survey found that 56% of American women under 50 and 36% of women above 50 had received sexually explicit messages and images on dating sites/apps. 

25% of men under 50 and 29% above 50 had equally received sexually explicit photos and messages on online dating sites/apps.

29. 30% of American online daters claimed to have been contacted even after declining advances on online dating sites/apps.

2022 data shows that 21% of American men below 50 and 23% above 50 continued being contacted even after declining advances on dating sites/apps. 

Additionally, 43% of American women below 50 and 29% of women above 50 also continued receiving advances even after claiming they weren’t interested.

30. 24% of US online daters had been called offensive names on dating sites/apps.

As per 2022 data, 19% of American male online daters under 50 years and 14% above 50 years have been called offensive names on dating sites/apps. Additionally, 37% of American female online daters under 50 and 19% over 50 have also been called offensive names on dating sites/apps.

31. 6% of US online daters have been threatened with physical harm on dating sites/apps.

Further, 4% of US male online daters and 3% of male online daters also claimed to have received physical threats on dating apps/sites in the past, as per 2022 research data. Additionally, 11% of female US online daters under 50 years and 4% over 50 also reported having received threats of physical harm on dating sites/apps.

online threat dating apps
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32. American female online daters under 50 experienced the highest harassment on dating sites/apps in 2022.

66% of US female online daters under 50 had either experienced threats of physical harm, verbal abuse, online stalking, or received explicit messages or images on dating sites/apps compared to 50% of women over 50. 36% of men under 50 and 40% of men over 50 had also received the same kind of treatment on dating sites

33. 5% of US adults used a dating site/app in 2022.

Additionally, 5% of US adults used dating apps/sites in 2021, while 21% used them more than a year ago. 30% of US adults said they had never tried dating apps/sites before.

34. 7% of American adult males used a dating site/app in 2022.

Compared to only 3% of adult American women. A further 6% of men used dating apps/sites in 2021 compared to 4% of women during that reporting period. 

22% of adult American men used dating sites/apps more than one year ago compared to 20% of women. 34% of males said they had never used dating sites/apps before, compared to 27% of women.

Online Dating Apps Statistics

35. The global dating apps revenue was $4.59 billion in 2021.

From $1.6 billion in total revenue in 2015, the global dating app market revenue grew to $1.64 billion in 2016 and $1.98 billion in 2017. In 2018, 2019, and 2020, the global dating app market made $2.62 billion, $3.17 billion, and $3.63 billion, respectively.

36. Tinder is the most downloaded dating app in the world.

In 2021, they were 6.5 million monthly Tinder downloads, making it the most downloaded dating app in the world. Badoo was second with over 3.9 million monthly downloads in 2021, while Bumble was third with 1.7 million monthly downloads. 

The least popular dating app in the reporting period was 2steps, with only 9000 monthly downloads.

37. Consumers spent over $4 billion on Google and iOS dating apps in 2021.

A 95% increase from the $2.19 billion consumers spent in 2018.

In 2019 and 2020, consumers spent $2.76 billion and $3.3 billion, respectively, on mobile dating apps.

38. The average consumer spent 447 Mbs on dating apps in 2021.

Higher than the 211 Mbs Tinder fans used in 2021. Meanwhile, MeetMe fans used the highest amount of data (942 Mbs) in 2021, up from 712 Mbs in 2020. 

Other dating apps with high monthly data consumption in 2021 included Pairs (643 Mb), Tagged (555 Mb), Grindr (525 Mb and Hinge (346 Mb).

39. In 2021, Link posts were the most popular segment for online dating advertisers.

On Facebook, European online dating firms spent 76% of their ad budgets on link posts and only 24% on photo and carousel posts.

Here is a breakdown of Facebook Ad spending by dating apps according to segments:

Dating app Link post Video & carousel post
Badoo 91% 9%
Bumble 69% 31%
Hinge 98% 2%
Plenty of Fish 95% 5%
Tinder 88% 12%

40. Facebook was the most popular advertising platform for European online dating app advertisers.

In 2021, 81% of online dating Ad spending went to Facebook, and 9% to mobile video Ad spending. A further 6% went to desktop video Ad spending, while desktop and mobile display accounted for 3% and 1%, respectively.

Here’s how different dating app companies spend on advertising by platform:

Dating app Desktop display Desktop video Facebook Mobile display Mobile video
Badoo   4% 96%    
Bumble   3% 97%    
Hinge   48% 52%    
Plenty of Fish     100%    
Tinder 16% 7% 12% 2% 62%

41. Paid Match group users exceeded 11 million in Q1 2021.

This number exceeds the 10.9 million paid subscribers in Q4 2020 and 10.79 million in Q3 2020. Match group owns and operates Match.com, Tinder, PlentyofFish, and OkCupid.

42. Tinder was the most popular dating app in Europe.

According to a 2021 dating app report, Tinder’s first-time downloads reached 18 million, the highest in Europe. Badoo was the second most popular dating app in this region, with 16 million downloads, while Bumble was third, with 5 million downloads.

43. Tinder led in revenue generation in Europe.

With approximately $392 million in revenues, Tinder was the highest-grossing dating app in Europe in 2021. Badoo was second with a $69 million revenue, while Bumble was third with $43 million in total revenues. Lovoo and Grindr had the least revenue, raking in $29 million and $26 million, respectively.

Online Dating Scams Statistics

44. Americans lost approximately 1 billion dollars to romance scams in 2022.

This is 1.5% higher than the total romance scam losses in 2021 ($995 million). 

According to online dating data, about 73,000 people fell victim to romance scams in 2022, approximately 8,000 people or 10% lower than the 81,000 online victims in 2021.

45. In 2021, over 24000 romance fraud scams were reported in the US.

The total value of these romance scams amounted to over $956 million, making it the third-highest crime loss in the reporting period.

Romance Scams Statistics
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46. Online daters lost over $133 million worth of cryptocurrencies in romance scams.

Between January 1, 2021, and July 31, 2021, online daters recorded over 1,800 romance scams involving cryptocurrencies leading to over $133 million in losses. 

Most online daters invested in fraudulent deals that led to these losses.

47. Sextortion scams cost online daters over $8 million in 2021.

Half of the victims were in the 20-39 age range, while those under 20 recorded the fewest complaints. The fraudsters usually blackmailed the victims immediately after they sent sexually explicit photos or videos.

48. The romance scams susceptibility index fell in 2021.

In 2020, the romance susceptibility was 45.9%, which fell to 36.6% in 2021. 

The drop in exposure is due to the median romance scam drop from $2,100 in 2020 to $900 in 2021.

Is Online Dating Worth It?

Going by the online dating marketing data and global trends, it’s evident that online dating isn’t just a fad and works.

But before jumping into online dating, you must protect your online love life from malicious cyberbullies, trolls, and frauds by investing in a VPN service.

Please read our 5 best VPNs for dating sites to get insights and actionable tips on protecting yourself in the online dating scene.

References:
  1. Online Dating – Worldwide | Statista Market Forecast
  2. Bumble – What Are 2023’s Dating Trends Going to Be? Here’s What Bumble’s Data Says
  3. Dating App Revenue and Usage Statistics (2023) – Business of Apps
  4. Global dating service users by segment 2027 | Statista
  5. Dating apps: most downloaded worldwide 2021 | Statista
  6. State of Mobile 2022 – data.ai
  7. Number of online dating users U.S. 2017-2024 | Statista
  8. Match Group: paid dating subscribers 2021 | Statista
  9. Online dating revenue U.S. 2027 | Statista
  10. U.S. online dating website and app usage reasons 2021 | Statista
  11. state-of-dating-and-social-discovery-apps-europe-2022.pdf (sensortower.com)
  12. U.S. smartphone dating app users 2023 | Statista
  13. From Looking for Love to Swiping the Field: Online Dating in the U.S. | Pew Research Center
  14. Roughly a quarter of LGB adults, those under 30 have used a dating site or app in the past year, eclipsing their peers | Pew Research Center
  15. 2021_IC3Report.pdf
  16. Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) | Scammers Defraud Victims of Millions of Dollars in New Trend in Romance Scams
  17. Romance scams in 2023 + online dating statistics – Norton
  18. 259c7333-0fb3-4bc0-a059-4b116594c473.pdf (worldnow.com)
  19. Nearly 73,000 Americans lost more than $1 billion to romance scams in 2022 – Comparitech
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