Current Online Dating and Dating Services Facts & Statistics

This page is an attempt by me to organize the vast majority of online dating related statistics and facts available on the internet. Almost every week there seems to be a new statistic produced that tries to top the last one. While statistics can be spun to make almost anything look good, I've tried to report just the basic facts. The data has been gathered from such sources as blogs, online newspaper and magazine articles, company financial statements, company advertising information packages, the actual dating site website, and multiple website measurement services.

I've decided to organize the statistics and facts into two main areas. The first will deal with the general online dating industry as a whole. The second are will be for actual dating services and be divided accordingly.

This is an ongoing project that I plan to add to regularly. If you have any questions or wish to include some information please Contact Us.

THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS WITH MORE INFORMAITON COMING SOON...

Contents

Online Dating Industry

• General

Online Dating Services

• Date.com - Owned by Avalanche, LLC (find info for Matchmaker.com and Amor as well)
• Chemistry - Owned by InterActiveCorp (IAC)
• eHarmony (find info for Compatible Partners as well)
• FriendFinder.com - Owned by FriendFinder Networks (find info for other FriendFinder dating sites as well)
• Lavalife (Coming Soon)
• Match.com - Owned by InterActiveCorp (IAC)
• PerfectMatch.com (Coming Soon)
• PlentyOfFish.com
• SingestNet.com (Coming Soon)
• Spark.com - Owned by Spark Networks (find info for JDate.com and MingleMatch dating services as well)
• Yahoo! Personals
• Zoosk

General Online Dating Industry

2010

• General Information
  • Married couples who met online have an average courtship period of 18.5 months. Married couples who met offline courtship period last on average 42 months. [2]
  • The Better Business Bureau in the US said in 2009 they received 2,660 compaints about dating services. In 2005 they received 824 and only 126 in 2004. [3]
  • The online dating industry is now worth $4 billion worldwide. [4]
  • In 2010 it is estimated that Craigslist will earn $122 million with $88 to $99 million being profit. The Adult Services listings make up 30 percent of the revenue. [5]
  • In the last year 17% of couples who married met on a dating site. [6]
  • 1 in 5 singles have dated someone they met on a dating site. [6]
  • 1 in 5 singles are currently in a committed relationship with someone they met on a dating site. [6]
  • There is an estimated 22.6 million single Catholics in the U.S. [10]
  • The top 3 religions where both the man and the woman in a married couple are from the same religion are: Hindus (90%), Mormons (83%), and Catholics (78%) [10]
  • In 1960, 88% of men aged 35-44 were married, for women it was 87%. By 2007 this percentage had fallen to 69% for men and 72% for women. [10]
  • According to mobile research group Ground Truth, mobile dating saw a 92% increase in users since the summer began. [16]
• North America
  • Women who marry a younger men suffer from a 20% increase in mortality rates when compared to marrying someone with a similar age. [7]
  • 22% of Women age 30 to 44 make more money than their husbands. In 1970 this figure was at 4%. [7]
  • Women on average wait until they are 26 to marry. For men it is 28. [9]
  • In the United States there are 51 million smartphone subscribers. [12]
  • On the mobile phone, application use and surfing the internet increased by over 110% in 2009. [12]
  • Texting generated $80 billion of revenue in 2009 and is projected to generate $126 billion by 2014. [12]
  • Online dating nationwide increased 15% from May 2009 to May 2010. In the Bay area (San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland) it increased 22% in the same period of time. [14]
  • New York State passes an Internet Dating Safety Act. It is the second state to do so. [17]
• Australia
  • Growth predicted by IBISWorld for the dating industry may reach 10 percent in 2010 to $100 million AUD from subscriptions and advertising. [1]
  • Currently there are about 1.5 million online dating accounts in Australia. This is expected to increase to almost 2 million by 2020. [1]
  • The Australian Competition & Consumers Commission (ACCC) released statistics showing that people reported 550 online dating scams in 2009. This is an increase of 30 percent from 2008. [8]
• China
  • As of June 15, 2010 China's soldiers are not allowed to use online dating sites. [11]
• Japan
  • *censored*ui Marriage-Hunting CafĂ© is the government’s new online dating site for Japanese singles. This is a free service aimed at increasing Japan's fertility rate of 1.34 children per woman. [15]
• United Kingdom
  • Someone who has had private education is twice as likely to cheat on their spouse. [13]

References

1. Australian Online Dating Statistics for 2010
2. More Older Couples met through Online Dating
3. Better Business Bureau Complaints on the rise for Dating Sites
4. Zoosk's new iPhone Application and Chat Feature
5. Craigslist Revenue Report 2010
6. Match.com Releases Study on Trends in Online Dating
7. Women Marrying Men - 2 Statistics
8. Cupid Media Advocates Online Dating Safety
9. Young Couples now Waiting to Marry
10. Catholic Singles are Looking to Faith to find Matches
11. No Online Love for Soldiers in China
12. Mobile Dating Statisitcs
13. Private Education Breeds Adulterers - UK
14. Online Dating on the Rise among Bay Area Singles
15. The Japanese Government Gives Cupid A Run For His Money
16. Top Cities in the U.S. for Dating - 2010
17. New York Follows New Jersey with Online Dating Safety Law

2009

• General Information
  • Internet user population passes One Billion. [11]
  • In 2009 the dating industry is expected to top $1.049 billion and is likely to grow at a rate of 10 percent. [14]
  • With free dating sites, it is estimated that at least 10 percent of new accounts created each day are from scammers. [14]
  • On average 10 percent of members pay for the dating service and stay for less than 3 months. [14]
  • The worldwide mobile entertainment industry (think cell phones) is worth $32 billion. In 2010 it is expected to be worth $41 billion. [18]
  • 92% of single parents rather date other single parents. [19]
  • For singles who use dating sites, 33% form a relationship, 33% do not, and 33% give up on dating online. [21]
  • According to Marketdata Enterprises, the online dating industry generates $1.8 billion in revenue annually and the dating coach/matchmaker industry generates $260 million. [28]
  • The mobile phone dating market was worth $330 million in 2007, $550 million in 2008 and is predicted to double by 2013 to $1.3 billion. [33]
  • Adult dating sites are blamed by some for causing the $1.2 billion sex industry to drop $74 million (-6%) in revenue this year. [35]
• North America
  • The virtual gift industry in 2008 is estimated to be worth $1.5 billion. [9]
  • From Forrester Research Inc, in 2008 the online dating industry earned $957 million. This makes it the third highest revenue grossing industry. [7]
  • There are 12 million single parents living with children younger than 18 in the United States. [6]
  • According to Hitwise, there are about 1,400 online dating sites in North America. [3]
  • With the economy downturn in late 2008, divorce rates have dropped. [4]
  • Overall the online dating industry is up this year but the related wedding industry (which is worth $60 billion) is down 24%. [13]
  • Roughly 40 million American singles use online dating and social networking sites to meet new people. [15]
  • Online advertising revenue in the U.S. fell 5 percent for the first quarter of 2009, to $5.5 billion. In 2008 online advertising was worth $23.4 billion (a 10.6% increase over 2007). [17]
  • It is predicted that Americans will spend $1.7 billion on dating services in 2013. [20]
  • According to a poll, 30% of women who met men online had sex on their first date, with 77% not requiring a condom to be used. According to the Centre of US Disease Control, almost 50% of women require men to wear a condom during the first encounter. [21]
  • Singles who are more likely to use dating sites are ones who are more sociable and have high self-esteem. They also put more value in romantic relationships. [22]
  • 2% of Americans get married every year. [23]
  • 49% of Americans know of someone who has found a date online. 28% know more than one person. [24]
  • According to Nielsen, online dating sites generating 27.5 million unique visitors in June, 2009. [25]
  • The third week in September is National Singles Week. Also may be called National Unmarried and Single Americans Week. [26]
  • According to the U.S. Census there are now 95.9 million unmarried people in the U.S. [26]
    • 47% are men and 53% are women.
    • 61% have never been married, 24% have beeen divorced at least once and, 15% are widowed.
    • 15.8 million are seniors (65+).
    • 11.6 million are single parents living with children. 9.8 million of these parents are women.
  • There was 65.8 million marriages last year in the United States. [27]
  • In August the unemployment rate for married people in the United States was 6.3 percent. For single people it was 13.5 percent. [30]
  • The virtual goods industry in 2008 was worth $500 million. For 2009 it is estimated to be worth $1 billion and in 2010, $1.6 billion. [31]
  • 88.7% of people said they are more likely to choose a dating site which offers mobile phone access. [36]
• Europe
  • In the UK there are 8 million singles. In 2008 they went on 24 million first dates with 69% being arranged through online dating and social networks [8]
  • Estimated by 2011 there will be 15 million singles in the United Kingdom and the value of the dating industry at that point will be over ÂŁ1billion (entire?). [4]
  • 58% of Europeans have been victims of online dating dishonesty. Italians at 72%, Germans at 58%, French and British at 55%, and Dutch at 48%. [1]
  • Visits to online dating sites in the United Kingdom grew 13%. This means there are now more than 5 million singles using UK dating sites. The gender split is 50 - 50 and 65% of online daters are over 35 years old or older.[12]
  • With singles over the age of 65 in the United Kingdom, 30% of men live alone and 60% of women live alone. [16]
  • Growth in the online advertising market is expected to decline in 2009 due to the recession. In 2008 it was worth €12.9 billion, a 20 percent increase over 2007. This was not nearly as high as predicted. [17]
  • There are 15 million singles in Britian. A third are looking for love online. [21]
  • In the UK, people married betwen the ages of 19 and 25, 20% met their spouse online. For all ages, the average is 15%. [21]
  • In the UK, the average internet relationship lasts 7 months. [21]
  • In the United Kingdom there was 115,200 divorces in 2008 with 29% the result of adulterous behavior. [32]
  • Every month 7 million UK singles visit a dating site. This is a 27% increase over last year. [32]
  • In the UK, singles aged 55 and older are the most active online daters. 62% have used a dating site and have gone out on average 8.2 dates and had 2.1 long term relationships. On average 2.4 sexual partners where also found. [34]
• Asia
  • Japan - Over 1,600 dating sites registered in the first month of the new regulations law. [2]
  • India - There is estimated 15 million online dating users in India. [10]
  • China - The number of singles who use online dating sites in China is expected to reach 140 million by 2010 (The US is only at 40 million). [37]
  • China - The online dating industry in China is eexpected to be worth 175 million USD in 2010 . [37]
• Australia
  • Singles 50 plus have been increasingly using online dating sites over the last few years. Some dating sites are seeing a 30% increase in these members each year. [29]

References

1. Profile Dishonesty and Online Dating
2. Japan - Over 1,600 Online Dating Sites Registered
3. Do you Need to Join more than One Dating Sites?
4. UK Dating Industry Estimates for 2011
5. Recession - As Online Dating Climbs, Divorce Rates Drop
6. Online Dating when you have Children
7. Top Online Paid Websites by Category in 2008
8. Match.com International more Popular than Ever
9. Date.com Now Offering Virtual Gifts
10. Date.com is Free in India Now
11. Internet Population Passes One Billion
12. Online Dating in the UK on the Rise
13. How the Recession Affects the Relationship & Love Industry
14. An Analysis of the Top Dating Sites
15. The Dark Side of Online Dating
16. Dating Later in Life
17. The European & United States Online Advertising Market
18. Mobile Entertainment
19. Single Parents Prefer to Date Other Single Parents
20. Blinded by Science and Marketing in Online Dating
21. UK Dating 2009
22. Who Uses Online Dating?
23. Behind the Marriage Making Statistics of Dating Sites
24. 49% of Americans knows Someone who Found a Date Online
25. Forbes Top Ten Online "Meat Markets"
26. Unmarried and Single Americans Week
27. Trends of Interracial Dating and Marriage
28. Financially Successful Women are not so lucky in the Dating Game
29. Over 50 Dating taking off in Australia
30. Singles have a Greater Chance to be Unemployed
31. Virtual Goods To Reach $1 Billion In 2009
32. Quickie Dating Site in the UK
33. The Mobile Dating Market
34. United Kingdom's Most Active Daters
35. Is Internet Dating Hurting the Sex Industry?
36. Searching for Exes Online - 62% of People Have!
37. Is Zhenai.com the World's Largest Matchmaking Website?

2008

• Canada
  • 1/3 or 10 million Canadians looking for love. [1]
  • 16% (or 160,000) found love online. [1]
• United States
  • 93 million singles with only 3 million paying to use online dating services (US population is just over 300 million). [2]
  • In November, online dating traffic as a whole was over 22 million with the gender split being 52.4% males and 47.6% females. [4]
  • The average time spent per visit to the top 10 online dating sites in 2008 was 22 minutes and 27 seconds. [4]
  • It is estimated that Americans spent $1.2 billion on dating sites in 2008. [5]
  • Complaints to the Better Business Bureau about dating sites were up 73% in 2008. [6]
• European
  • A 15 percent rise in unique users visiting online dating sites in November 2008 when compared to 2007. [3]
  • A 20 percent rise in total unique users who visited online dating sites in 2008. [3]

References

1. Are Canadians Successful in Finding Love Online?
2. Times Online UK
3. European Dating Sites See Membership Increase in Recession
4. An Analysis of the Top Dating Sites
5. Blinded by Science and Marketing in Online Dating
6. Keep your Expectations in Check for Online Dating Sites

2007

• General
  • Over $350 Million was spend in advertising in 2007. [1]
  • The entire online dating industry revenue estimated for 2007 was $900 million. [3]
  • Revenue projected for the entire industry in 2012 to be $1.9 Billion. [3]
• United States
  • Comscore survey found that 13% of US web users tried a dating service at least once. [4]
  • 2.20 million marriages occurred among all age groups in the year ending March, 2007. [5]
• European
  • Predicted growth in 2011 is 549 million Euros and 6 million paid users. [1]
  • Comscore survey found that 22% of French web users tried a dating service at least once. [4]
  • A 9 percent rise in total unique users in 2007 who visited online dating sites. [3]

References

1. How Much did Dating Sites Spend on Ads in 2007?
2. JupiterResearch
3. JupiterResearch
4. Match.com, GM for France Arnaud Jonglez - OPW Interview
5. eHarmony | Harris Interactive 2007 Marriage Metrics

2006

• European
  • Number of Europeans using online dating sites is 6 percent. [1]
  • 2.8 million paid users. [1]
  • Total revenue for the year is 243 million Euros. [1]

References

1. JupiterResearch

2005

• United States
  • 3 million Americans found a long term relationship and/or marriage through a dating site. [2]
• European
  • Number of Europeans using online dating sites is 4 percent. [1]

References

1. JupiterResearch
2. Behind the Marriage Making Statistics of Dating Sites

1992

• United States
  • In a survey out of Chicago, it found that 68% of adults met their spouse through a family member, friend or other mutual acquaintance. [1]

References

1. Are Men or Women Pickier when it comes to Finding a Mate

Last Updated Thursday, September 02 2010 @ 03:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time|63,627 Hits