The invention of dating apps changed the way we meet people.
Nowadays, finding a match on Tinder is so easy that some people date more times than they ever did before.
With this new trend, we cannot help but ask how many couples meet online and what dating apps are most popular in selected countries?
Let’s find out.
How Many Couples Meet Online in 2024?
According to a survey published in February 2020, 39% of all heterosexual couples in the United States met each other online.
Dating apps are the most popular platforms in the country to meet people, ranking above traditional methods, such as meeting through mutual friends and randomly bumping into each other in a bar or restaurant.
How Do People Find a Partner?
For some of our readers who purposely clicked this article to find out how people find a partner, don’t be a hopeless romantic.
Here are some of the ways couples met in 2020:
- Online – 39% of couples met on the internet during the year
- Randomly ran into each other in a bar or restaurant – 27% of couples met each other in a bar or restaurant during the year
- Met through mutual friends – 20% of couples were matched by their common friends during the year
- Work colleague – 11% of couples met at work during the year
- School – 9% of couples met in school or university during the year
- Matched by a family member – 7% of couples, were set up by family members during the year
Dating in 1995
Times have changed. In 1995, only 2% of couples in the United States met online.
The most common way to meet a partner was through mutual contacts — 33% of all couples in 1995 matched through their friends.
Meanwhile, the data is the same for couples to have met at bars and restaurants, and at work, which is at 19%.
Finding an Exclusive Partner Online
Online dating apps have a bad reputation as breeding grounds for casual relationships.
But a recent study disproves this claim.
In an article published by YouGov, a study asserts that 49% of adults on dating apps admit to using these platforms to find exclusive romantic partners.
This means that one in every two swipes you do on your Bumble, you encounter someone who is willing to take you seriously.
But before you start fantasizing about a beach wedding in Barbados with the guy you just matched online with yesterday, the study also found 23% of all dating app users are only on it for casual sex.
Time to pop that daydream bubble.
Using Dating Apps For Fun
Maybe you’re traveling in Asia and feeling lonely in the middle of nowhere, so your definition of having fun is installing a dating app for nothing but entertainment.
No worries because you are not alone. 39% of dating app users admit to installing these platforms for something fun and interesting to do.
This means this chunk of the population is not looking for a serious commitment.
Moreover, 29% of them are just testing the waters to see and experience what everyone is talking about.
Online Couples and Marriage
How many couples meet online and walk the aisle? 14% of couples who met online got married.
This is an impressive statistic, given how badly online dating is portrayed in the media.
On the downside, 8% of couples who met online and got married eventually lead to divorce.
This is a higher percentage compared to offline divorced couples which is only at 2%.
Online dating is also receiving a lot of backlash due to unfortunate events like harassment.
42% of women on dating apps admit they have been contacted by the other party in a way that made them feel uncomfortable.
Consequently, 32% of women have received unsolicited sexually-oriented photos, while 20% of men suffered from the same dilemma.
Online Dating and Emotions
Meanwhile, here is how people describe their feelings after dating online.
- Frustrated – 45% of people who tried online dating admit to having felt this emotion after engaging in the activity
- Pessimistic – 35% of people who tried online dating admit to having felt this emotion after engaging in the activity
- Insecure – 25% of people who tried online dating admit to having felt this emotion after engaging in the activity
- Hopeful – 28% of people who tried online dating admit to having felt this emotion after engaging in the activity
- Optimistic – 29% of people who tried online dating admit to having felt this emotion after engaging in the activity
- Confident – 32% of people who tried online dating admit to having felt this emotion after engaging in the activity
Top Online Dating Platforms in the United States
Below is a list of the top online dating platforms in the United States and their respective market share.
- Tinder – captured 30.2% of the country’s online dating share
- Bumble – captured 20.8% of the country’s online dating share
- Hinge – captured 14.2% of the country’s online dating share
- POF – captured 13.2% of the country’s online dating share
- Grindr – captured 6.6% of the country’s online dating share
- Badoo – captured 5.7% of the country’s online dating share
- OKCupid – captured 3.8% of the country’s online dating share
- Match – captured 3.8% of the country’s online dating share
Top Online Dating Platforms in the United Kingdom
Here are the most popular dating apps in the United Kingdom and their respective active users.
- Tinder – the platform has nearly 900,000 active users
- Bumble – the platform has 700,000 active users
- Hinge – the platform has 510,000 active users
Top Online Dating Platforms in Germany
Here are the most popular dating apps in Germany and their respective active users.
- Tinder – the platform has nearly 1,000,000 active users
- LOVOO – the platform has 833,000 active users
- Badoo – the platform has 725,000 active users
Conclusion
A survey shows 39% of all heterosexual couples in the United States meet online.
Dating apps are on the rise. Many people nowadays prefer to just swipe on Tinder when finding a partner.
It is fast, easy, and saves people all the effort involved in traditional dating.