The Demographics of Dating

If you’ve taken a questionnaire before, chances are you’ve been asked about your relationship status. This answer can change for individuals from year to year, but it doesn’t make it any less important, whether it be for a government census or for a survey panel’s profile. But how do you and your relationships compare to the wider world? Here are some facts about current US dating habits and romantic relationships and how they affect market research.

Single vs. Married

According to Pew Research, 3 in 10 US adults are single- that is, never married, not living with a partner, and not in a committed relationship. This number is higher for young men, older women, LGBTQIA+ Americans, and black adults. For most of these groups, this number increases to almost, or over, half of their respective populations. For all single people, half report that they are not looking for any sort of dating, while only 10% are specifically seeking committed relationships. Another fourth are looking for anything, whether it be more casual or more serious dating.

Singles gave a few reasons for flying solo. Nearly half of all singles, and just over 60% of singles under the age of 50, claim that they have other priorities than dating, whether that be work, upholding friendships, traveling, or more. Other reasons include being too busy to date, enjoying being single, feeling unlucky in their dating life, or being unwilling to put themselves back out there after ending a previous relationship. There is also a driving belief that dating, whether in-person or online, is difficult. 75% of singles and daters claimed that they found it more difficult or very difficult to find people to date in 2020 than in 2019. Many report having negative experiences while dating, such as harassment, unwanted sexual advances, or ghosting. 

However, things may be changing from a few years ago. According to the CDC, marriage rates were up significantly in 2022 from previous years, with over 2 million marriages in the United States that year. Conversely, in 2020, the year of bad dating, marriage rates were just over 1.5 million. That year, marriage rates hit a 20-year low of 5.1 marriages per 1,000 people, likely due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the countrywide lockdowns. Compare that to 2022, where the rate was 6.2 marriages per 1,000 people. While that may not be as high as the early 2000s, where rates were as high as 8.2, it does show that marriage rates are steadily increasing. 

Why Surveys Care

It may not seem like an important question to ask, but it is very helpful for researchers to know your relationship status. For government censuses and official polls, knowing your relationship status helps them make an assessment of the martial status of the general population and estimates about the current state of marriage and the future of marital trends. These in turn are used to help federal programs and agencies forecast marriage needs, such as programs that have spousal benefits, marital tax policies, financial assistance programs, and policies and programs that focus on the well-being of the family. 

For businesses and private market research firms, marital status is just as important. For much the same reason as official censuses and polls, private research relies on marital status to understand past marriage trends and predict future ones. However, rather than putting these estimates to work in policy or programs, they are instead put into products and product generation. A downward trend in marriage rates throughout the country would help a flower shop prepare for a financial hit, while a rise in marriage would tell a dress or suit making factory that they will need more raw materials than normal. Additionally, married and cohabitating couples have different spending habits and needs than singles. If hundreds of thousands of couples suddenly break apart, it would have a significant impact on the overall economy. 

Because it can be a variable demographic, constant updates are necessary for greater information on a population. Notifying panels of a change in your relationship status, from single to married or vice versa, helps researchers get a better understanding of you and the groups you exist in. More importantly, you can be placed in surveys that you weren’t eligible for before, increasing your earning potential. Changing your relationship status on ACOP.com is easy; just go to your account profile and retake your profile survey with the “Launch Survey” button. Soon, you’ll be inducted into a whole new world of surveys!