Everyone knows that your relationship isn’t a real-ationship until it’s FBO (Facebook Official). And while some might view online dating as the shameful lovechild of the Lonely Hearts Club and Gumtree.com, it’s undeniable that this growing industry is becoming a 21st century solution to that most feared creature: the Saturday Night In.
In July 2009, Debby (fondly known as "Dobby" around the QuirkStation) wrote a post on the increase in usage of online dating websites - and the stats were quite remarkable. Below are some more recent facts and figures on the popularity of love on the 'net and its success for people from all over the world.
Meet your online date for a cup of coffee, who knows if it will turn out to be true love. Image Credit: javaturtle
From Match.com: Match.com Releases Study on Trends in Online Dating (April 2010)
- 17% of couples married in the last 3 years, or 1 in 6, met through an online dating site.
- 20% of single people, or 1 in 5, have dated someone they met through an online dating site.
- 20% of people in a new committed relationship met through a dating website.
- Core user profiles for online dating sites are men and women aged 28-45, although the 50-plus audience is growing rapidly.
From Forbes.com: The Top Online Meat Markets (August 2009)
The top three dating sites in 2009, according to a Nielsen online survey, which measured unique visitors:
- eHarmony.com – 4.25 million unique visitors, up 48% from 2008.
- Yahoo Personals – 4.1 million unique visitors.
- Match.com – 3.4 million unique visitors.
From EasierLifestyle: 62% of People Have Searched for an Ex Online (December 2009)
Although many people may still be reluctant to try online dating themselves, a recent results from a PhoneFling study on Easier.com shows that:
- 62.4% of people have searched for an ex online.
- 86% of people know someone who has used an online dating site.
- 71.5% of respondents flirt more on social networks and websites than they would face-to-face.
- The primary concerns for people using online dating sites are the security of their personal information and whether they can trust potential dates to be honest in their profiles.
From The Guardian: Internet Dating Unplugged (June 2009)
- Of the 15 million singles in Britain, 5 million are looking for love online.
- 20% of married people in the UK between the ages of 19 and 25 met their spouse online.
- However, a Bath University study shows that a relationship started online lasts an average of 7 months.
From The Sydney Morning Herald: One in Four Adults Finds Mate Online (April 2010)
- One in four adults have found a partner online and 38% are considering online dating.
- 38% said that they would never consider online dating an option.
- 72% of over 3000 respondents said that they were looking for serious, long-term relationships. 18.5% said marriage.
- Men are slightly more likely to use online dating sites than women in Australia. This is uncommon as in the UK and Canada, women are more likely to make use of online dating sites.
- Online dating is not just for the youth market – over 80% of respondents aged 46 and older said they would go on a date with someone they met on a dating site, compared to just 61.8% of 18-22 year olds.
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