Singles in America:
Match Releases Largest Study on U.S. Single Population for Eighth Year

72% of singles would date someone from a different political party
Meeting online is the #1 place where singles meet
62% of Hetero singles would be open to a threesome
Sex with a Robot is considered cheating by nearly 50% of singles
Ages 60+ having the best sex
Nearly half of singles have had a “Friend with Benefits” relationship turn serious

And much more…

(Dallas, TX) Feb. 1, 2018 – Match, the world's largest relationship company, today released findings from its eighth annual Singles in America study – the nation’s largest, most comprehensive annual survey of 5,000+ single people living in the U.S. The 2017 survey captures surprising data and trends on shifting gender norms, the evolving rules of casual dating, the complications presented by technology and social media, as well as attitudes about love, sex, and relationships across generations.

“Singles are fundamentally redefining courtship in healthy and creative ways,” says Dr. Helen Fisher, biological anthropologist and Chief Scientific Advisor to Match. “Some hang out for months before they kiss; some hop into bed immediately; and many begin with the traditional first date. Courtship is expanding--and all these tactics are proving successful for launching love. Moreover, the first date is taking on important new significance: where it used to be just a casual look-see, now the first date often signals the official beginning of a romance. And singles want to define every step toward love--with a host of new rules on social media. Most exciting to me, 72% of singles would date ‘across the aisle.’ For most singles, romance is more important than politics. I’m not surprised. The human brain is built to love.”

Key takeaways from this year’s study include:

THE FUTURE OF DATING

Today, more than half of U.S. singles have tried online dating or dating apps. In fact, in 2017, the internet was the #1 place where singles met their last first date.

Friends? Sex? First Dates? Three paths to romance: Today's singles are looking for something serious (69%) and they have an array of ways to get there. 1) 40% build the friendship first, known as hanging out, where they skip the sex and haven’t gone out on an official first date. 2) 55% of singles have had a Friends with Benefits relationship. 3) 44% of singles have gone out on an official first date. And many singles pursue a combination of all three strategies at one time or another.

Hanging Out: “Hanging out” has become a new path to find companionship and 29% of singles who have been hanging out with someone has had that relationship turn serious. Many singles believe that a wider array of behaviors are appropriate when hanging out than when on an official first date, including:

• Asking you out the day of is more acceptable when hanging out (48% approve when hanging out versus 27% approve on a first date)
• Splitting the bill is more permissible when hanging out (48% approve versus 29% who approve of this on an official first date)
• Inching toward physical intimacy. Only 37% of singles say kissing is OK when hanging out, while 64% believe this is appropriate on a first date.

Friends with Benefits: 55% of singles have had a Friends with Benefits relationship and 45% have had one turn into a committed relationship. However only 19% actively seek out Friends with Benefits relationships (27% of men and 12% of women), and 88% of women and 73% of men say “it just happens.” Most are friends first, before the benefits (71% of men and 80% of women). Most singles agree that:

• Close friends of your Friends with Benefits are off limits to date (62%) and 69% of singles agree that close friends can’t be told about your relationship.
• One must disclose all other current sexual partners: 61%
• Birth Control or Condoms must be used: 92%

The First Date. 44% of singles went on a first date in 2017 and today, there’s new significance placed on this occasion. Singles have stricter rules about what is appropriate on an official first date compared to when in a Friends with Benefits relationship or Hanging Out, including:

• Asking you out 2-3 days in advance is appropriate first date behavior (54% approve compared to 27% approve of asking you out the day of).
• Having a first date at a nice restaurant is more acceptable on a first date (59% of singles approve compared to only 22% believe fast food is OK for that first date).
• Perfect Ending: Half of singles approve of just a peck on the cheek while on the first date and 64% of singles approve of kissing.

The More, the Merrier: 40% of singles have dated more than one person at a time. And it’s not just Millennials. Gen Xers are 129% more likely and Boomers are 224% more likely than Millennials to have dated more than one person at a time. It’s not just men either. More women (69%) than men (51%) have dated several people simultaneously. And few singles (19%) who had dated multiple people at the same time do it because they want to have sex with multiple partners.

New Etiquette on Social Media: Nearly two-thirds of singles use social media at least once a day, although women use it more than men (72% of women; 59% of men). But there are rules emerging:

• Before the first date - Create Boundaries: Less than one-fifth of singles say it’s OK to friend someone on Facebook (19%), follow them on Instagram (17%), add them on Snapchat (19%), or Like a photo or post (20%) before the first date.
• After a few dates - Start to be more Social: 36% of singles say it’s time to start following a date on Instagram; while another 33% say they’ve already started; 75% of singles are also friends on Facebook and 76% are direct messaging.
• Committed Relationship - Making it official: 52% say it’s acceptable to friend their friends, 66% say it’s time to make it Facebook official (although 13% say they’d never do this), 66% say it’s acceptable to change your profile picture to a photo of you two; and 64% say changing your phone screen to a couple photo is fine when in a committed relationship.