Online Dating Statistics for 2026

Key Online Dating Statistics at a Glance

Online dating is no longer a niche behavior. Pew Research Center's latest broad study found that 30% of U.S. adults have tried a dating site or app. Usage is much higher among adults under 30, LGB adults, urban adults and single people actively looking for dates or relationships.

The numbers also show a more complicated truth: online dating works for many people, but safety, harassment, scams, fatigue and paid-feature decisions are now central parts of the dating app experience.

What the Numbers Mean

Best Dating Sites Based on User Intent

Statistics are useful only if they help readers choose better. If you are going to spend time on dating apps, start with a platform that matches your intent.

eharmonyBest for serious relationshipsGood for compatibility-led dating and intentional profiles.Try eharmony

DateefyBest modern dating optionUseful for lighter dating, profile browsing and testing chemistry.Try Dateefy

AdultFriendFinderBest for casual adult datingBetter fit when direct casual intent matters more than relationship matching.Visit Site

50+ Online Dating Statistics, Facts and Trends

Online Dating Usage by Age

Age is one of the strongest predictors of online dating usage. Pew found that 53% of U.S. adults ages 18 to 29 have used a dating site or app, compared with 37% of adults ages 30 to 49, 20% of adults ages 50 to 64 and 13% of adults 65 and older.

This does not mean older daters are absent. It means platform choice matters more. A 24-year-old casual swiper, a 42-year-old divorced parent and a 62-year-old relationship seeker may all be online daters, but they need different apps, expectations and messaging strategies.

Online Dating Goals: Serious, Casual and Everything Between

Pew's data challenges the idea that dating apps are only for hookups. Among current or recent users, 44% say meeting a long-term partner or spouse is a major reason they use dating sites or apps, while 40% say the same about dating casually. About a quarter cite casual sex as a major reason, and about a quarter cite making new friends.

The practical takeaway is simple: the same app can contain incompatible goals. Your profile should say what you want, and your first messages should confirm whether the other person is on the same page.

Dating App Safety and Harassment Statistics

Online dating is useful, but it is not frictionless. Pew found that 48% of people who have used dating sites or apps experienced at least one unwanted behavior from the four it measured: unwanted explicit content, continued contact after disinterest, offensive name-calling or physical threats.

Women under 50 report especially high rates of unwanted behavior. Pew found 56% had been sent unwanted sexually explicit content, 43% had someone continue to contact them after they said they were not interested and 37% had been called an offensive name.

Romance Scam Statistics

Romance scams are one of the most expensive risks around online dating. FBI IC3's 2025 Internet Crime Report lists 23,159 confidence/romance complaints and $929,287,469 in reported losses. The FTC's 2026 social-media fraud analysis adds a second warning: nearly 60% of 2025 money-losing romance scam reports that listed a contact method started on social media, and those social-media-originating romance scams accounted for $298 million in reported losses.

These numbers are not directly interchangeable because agencies collect data differently, and many victims never report. Still, the message is consistent: never send money, crypto, gift cards, bank transfers, login codes or identity documents to someone you met through dating apps or social platforms.

Market and Business Trends

The dating app business is mature, competitive and increasingly focused on paid features. Pew found 35% of U.S. online dating users have paid for a dating site or app at some point. Bumble reported 3.672 million total paying users in 2025, including 2.434 million Bumble App paying users. Match Group's 2024 Form 10-K shows $3.479 billion in total revenue, with Tinder at $1.991 billion and Hinge at $550 million.

At the same time, market attention has shifted toward app fatigue, trust, safety, AI features, better recommendations and offline-style experiences.

International Snapshot: UK Dating App Reach

Ofcom's Online Nation 2024 report found that 10% of UK online adults, or 4.9 million people, visited an online dating service in May 2024. Reach was highest among 18-24-year-olds at 18%, followed by 25-34-year-olds at 17%. Ofcom also reported that adult visitors to online dating platforms were 65% men and 35% women in May 2024.

How to Use These Statistics as a Dater

• Pick by intent: serious relationship, modern dating, mature dating and casual dating each require different platforms.
• Expect mixed experiences: 53% positive and 46% negative means optimization matters.
• Write a clearer profile: most frustration comes from mismatched intent and weak filtering.
• Pay only after testing: premium features are common, but not always necessary.
• Prioritize safety: unwanted contact and scam risks are large enough to shape your strategy.

Best Platform by Dating Goal

Online Dating Statistics FAQ

Final Takeaway

The online dating statistics point in two directions at once. Dating apps are mainstream and genuinely useful for many singles, but the experience is uneven. The people who get the most from online dating tend to choose the right platform, state intent clearly, filter carefully, protect their safety and stop treating every app like it serves the same purpose.

Sources and Methodology

This article was updated using the latest public data we could verify from research organizations, regulators, government agencies and public company reports. Figures from different sources may use different definitions, countries, time periods and reporting methods, so we avoid blending them into one universal number.

• Pew Research Center online dating report
• Pew Research Center usage and intent chapter
• FTC 2026 social media scam Data Spotlight
• FTC romance scam Data Spotlight
• FBI IC3 2025 Internet Crime Report
• Ofcom Online Nation 2024 report
• Bumble Inc. 2025 Annual Report
• Match Group 2024 Form 10-K
• Lovulu review methodology

Author

Pavel Stich

Pavel Stich is an editor and analyst for Lovulu.com. He specializes in testing online dating services and adult platforms, with a focus on usability, transparency, safety, and the overall quality of the user experience. His goal is to help readers navigate digital dating with confidence and choose services that are credible, verified, and worth their time.

LinkedIn profile[email protected]