Relationship facts and statistics aren’t everything when it comes to dating.
Sometimes the odds (and data) will be against you, but that doesn’t mean that your relationship doesn’t stand a chance.
You can still find true love, and sometimes, it will be when or where you least expect it.
However, it’s worth knowing your chances when it comes to some dating experiences, age groups, and situations.
Here are 20 relationship facts and statistics everybody should know – some romantic, some not so, and some super adorable.
Table of Contents
1. 23 is the magic number
According to research from the University of North Carolina, women who get married when they are 18 years old have a 60% divorce rate, while those who wait until at least 23 have a divorce rate of 30%.
Love knows no age…but if you want to increase your chances for a happy marriage, don’t rush into it.
At least do it after graduating from college or starting your first job. If you are with the right guy and you love each other, then why rush?
2. Most college men want a traditional relationship
Statistics show that a staggering 83% of college women prefer to have a serious relationship rather than an uncommitted one versus 63% of college men.
Therefore, it might actually be a myth that college is all about sex, hook-ups, and no-strings-attached relationships.
Perhaps peer pressure has a bigger role to play than we are willing to admit.
3. Long-distance relationships are common for 75% of college students
According to a recent study, 75% of all college students have been in a long-distance relationship at some point during their studies.
Out of all participants, 66% stated the lack of physical intimacy as the biggest challenge for that type of relationship.
4. Looking for “the one” is a big deal
According to a Tinder study, 72% of millennial men and women remain single by choice until they meet “the one”.
This trend shows a huge shift in the paradigm. Moreover, 40% of millennials are unwilling to settle down for the wrong person and instead prefer to stay single.
Statistics show that millennials are getting married at an older age and state that losing their independence is their biggest worry.
5. Long-distance couples chat the most
It’s no surprise that the couples that text each other the most are the ones in a long-distant relationship. StudyFinds estimates the average number per week for long-distance couples is as high as 343 texts.
That’s a lot of time spent texting!
The main communication tool for those couples is a smartphone, with the average couple talking to each other around 8 hours a week.
In 2019 alone, around 14 million Americans were in long-distance relationships. The main reasons included job opportunities, college, and military duty.
6. Dating apps are growing exponentially
According to Statista, the app with the most users in America in 2019 was Tinder (7.86 million), followed by Bumble (5 million), PlentyOfFish (4.28 million), Match.com, OkCupid, and Grindr.
According to a Pew Research study from 2020, 12% of respondents found their spouse on a dating site.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic started, dating apps have been on the rise again, with an estimated 1,500 available apps on the market.
Think you can’t find love the old-fashioned way? There’s an app that can help! Some of the newer apps on the market you should try include:
- Thursday
- The Sauce
- Jungle Dating
- Tastebuds
Don’t get too caught up in the data that claims one app is more successful than the rest. Statistically speaking, the apps with the most users will lead to a higher success rate.
But, keep in mind that it’s important to use dating sites that match your personality and what you are looking for, not necessarily what everyone else is using.
7. The average person has 7 relationships before settling down
Do you feel like you are constantly kissing frogs but haven’t met your Prince Charming yet?
Have some patience! According to the data, on average, women have 7 relationships before meeting “the one.”
Men will usually have 8 relationships (with 4 lasting a year or less) before settling down. The average number of sexual partners for women is 7 and 10 for men.
8. The “in love” stage lasts a year
Everyone tells you to enjoy your honeymoon phase because it won’t last forever, and that’s true.
An Italian study from 2005 found that on average, couples feel “in love” for about a year.
After that, the levels of the chemical that causes intense romantic feelings begin to fall.
Yes, you can still love your partner, but it’s unlikely that you will be feeling butterflies every time you see him.
Evolutionary, this also makes sense (according to psychologist Helen Fisher), as when we are in love with someone we are in a constant state of high anxiety, which shifts our focus and priorities.
Realistically speaking, it’s not practical to be “in love” for years.
9. Marrying your best friend is a good idea
A 2014 study from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that marriage leads to a longer, healthier and happier life, largely thanks to the friendship between two partners.
Therefore, it makes sense to marry a person you consider to be your best friend.
Marriage leads to increased wellbeing and life satisfaction.
10. Age gaps and marriage success are connected
When you love someone who’s older than you, the last thing you want to hear is your odds of staying together, but it helps to know the statistics.
An Economic Enquiry study found that age differences can lead to marriage friction.
A 5-year age difference makes a couple 18% more likely to divorce, while for a 10-year difference that number jumps to 39%.
11. Tackling chores together is good for your relationship
An American poll found that 60% of respondents stated that taking care of chores is a crucial part of the success of their marriage.
It’s true – the more you share responsibilities around the house the less resentment you will have for each other.
One of the best systems you can follow is to split chores based on who’s best at it instead of fighting over who does what.
This way, each of you takes responsibility for specific tasks and the other one knows that the end result will be good.
It’s also about what takes less time – when one partner is better at gardening, they should just do the gardening and not nag the other one to do it.
12. Financial discrepancy in marriage increased chances of infidelity
Research from the University of Connecticut found that a person who’s dependent on their spouse economically was more likely to cheat – especially if that’s the man.
13. Long-distance relationships have a 58% success rate
A new study examined 1,000 Americans in a long-distance relationship and found just over 50% success rate, which is an impressive result.
What makes a long-distance relationship succeed?
- Regular, honest communication
- Being on the same page about when and where to live – long-distance cannot be for life
- Trusting each other
- Truly committing to one another
- Seeing each other as often as possible
14. Remarrying doesn’t guarantee marital success
Data shows that 60% of second marriages and 73% of third marriages end up in divorce. Unfortunately, these staggering statistics cannot be easily explained.
Sometimes this is due to the fact that after one failed marriage people tend to believe in the success of marriage less.
It seems that after one marriage ends, it’s harder to find happily ever after again.
15. Cohabiting remains the fastest growing family type
This is especially true in the UK where over 3 million couples are cohabiting. That number grew by nearly 30% between 2005 and 2015.
Valuing marriage also varies depending on age, with over 65s seeing marriage as the most significant sign of commitment while only 12% of young adults agree.
16. The #MeToo movement has changed dating forever
The majority of Americans (65%) say that the increased focus on sexual harassment – highlighted by the #MeToo movement – has made it harder for men to chat up to women.
Only a quarter (24%) say that it’s not made a difference, while 9% think it’s actually improved the dating scene.
Most women (43%) have noticed the difference too – men are less likely to approach them in a bar and more often ask for consent before talking to them.
17. The most common way to meet a partner is through family and friends
Next time your friends invite you to a party or offer to introduce you to a single friend, don’t be weird about it.
Introductions through family and friends are the most common (and arguably the easiest) way to meet a partner.
About a third of all adults who are married or in a committed relationship say that’s how they met their current significant other.
Other ways include at work (18%), through school (17%), online (12%), and at a bar or restaurant (8%). Younger adults are more likely to have met online.
18. Falling in love is like being on drugs
According to The Journal of Sexual Medicine, the feeling of euphoria you feel when you first fall in love with someone is totally normal…and can be explained by chemicals and hormones, specifically dopamine, adrenaline and oxytocin.
All of these hormones give you a high and might explain that feeling of butterflies in your stomach.
19. Animals have committed relationships too
No, it’s not just humans who commit to monogamous relationships, animals mate for life too. Specifically, wolves, otters, beavers and barn owls.
20. Men fall in love faster
Did your boyfriend say “I love you” first? That can be easily explained as The Journal of Social Psychology found that men fall in love faster than women and they say it much quicker too. Isn’t that adorable?
