Match.com just put out its 12th annual "Singles in America" study on dating trends. It's massive, but we went through and cherry-picked the best stuff we saw. Here are a few interesting stats on dating in 2022 . . .
1. Dating now costs an average of $130 a month. That includes $12 on dating app subscriptions . . . $39 on new clothes . . . $40 on your appearance and grooming habits . . . and $39 on actual in-person dating activities.
2. Casual first dates are the way to go. 84% prefer a casual date like coffee over something like a nice dinner.
3. Inflation and the economy are making cheapness seem kinda sexy. 23% say they're more appreciative of frugal people than they used to be. And 30% are more open to doing FREE stuff on a date now.
4. 73% of single people are looking for a long-term relationship. Or they're at least open to it. 10% said they only want to date casually, maybe FOREVER.
5. Long-distance isn't a deal-breaker, especially for young people. 58% of young people would date someone who lives more than a three-hour drive away.
6. Even if you don't find "the one," dating can help you grow and mature. 46% of women and 63% of men say dating helps make them a better person.
7. First impressions aren't everything. 49% said they've fallen for someone they weren't initially attracted to. That's the highest it's been in a decade. Only 38% said that ten years ago.
8. Good looks didn't make the list of the top five traits people want. #1 is someone you can trust and confide in. Being emotionally mature, and being funny also ranked higher than looks.
9. Politics might NOT be a deal-breaker right now. 46% said they'd date someone with "very different" political views. But 31% said having NO opinion is a deal-breaker . . . and 37% said too strong of an opinion is too.
10. Age matters less than it used to. 30% of singles have dated someone at least 10 years older than them, up from 19% a decade ago. And 29% have dated someone at least 10 years younger, up from 21%.
11. Kissing has made a big comeback since covid. 61% say they'd make out with someone on a first date again.
12. And finally, the metaverse is now in play: 3% of single people have GOTTEN IT ON with a date in virtual reality.
(SinglesInAmerica.com / PR Newswire)
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