Whether you are in a relationship, waiting to be in one, or single and happy, we can all agree that relationships are everywhere. You have couples in TV ads, Instagram feeds, your favorite Netflix shows, and people around you.
Now, it’s normal and natural to think about love and relationships. Sometimes, we can’t help but wonder if our opinions and personal experiences are like everyone else’s because (spoiler alert) relationships are different.
Of course, when it comes to perfect relationships, there is no one-size-fits-all. Everyone’s situation is different.
Keep reading these astounding relationship statistics for 2024 to see what relationships look like today.
Relationship statistics you should know in 2024
- 26% of Americans are in a committed relationship (Pew Research)
- 47% of American adults (approximately 95 million people) have been married or in a committed relationship for 5+ years. (Pew Research)
- 21% of American adults (approximately 42 million) have been married or in a committed relationship for less than 5 years. (Pew Research)
- 71% of singles are seeking long-term relationships. (Cosmopolitan)
- The average relationship lasts about 2 years and 9 months before ending. (Daily Mail)
- 50% of singles are not seeking a committed relationship or casual dates. (Pew Research)
- 61% of men are looking for a committed relationship, compared to 38% of women looking for the same. (Pew Research)
- More people seek committed relationships than casual dates (28% vs 20%).
- 40% of the first serious relationships last between 1-5 years. (Bustle)
- The ‘in-love’ phase in a relationship lasts about one year. (Business Insider)
- 94% of women believe in true love, compared to 88% of men who feel the same. (Her)
Relationship statistics by age
According to Pew Research Center (2020),
- 63% of singles between 18-29 are interested in a relationship, while 37% are not looking for a relationship.
- 61% of singles between 30-49 are looking for a relationship, while 39% are not.
- 49% of singles between 50-64 are interested in a committed relationship, while 50% are not.
- 22% of singles over the age of 65 are interested in a relationship, while 75% are not looking.
Teenage relationship statistics
Teenage relationships are normal and play an important role in their overall development. Typically, these relationships are short-lived and involve less commitment than adult relationships.
So, what do teen relationships look like?
According to a survey by the Pew Research Center on teenage romance,
- 35% of teens between 13-17 have experienced dating (casual and serious relationships). In addition, 8% of these meet a romantic partner online, while 25% meet in person.
- 14% of teens are currently in a serious relationship. They have a boyfriend, girlfriend, or significant other.
- 55% of teens have flirted with or expressed interest in a potential partner in person. In comparison, 50% of teens have done so through social media by sending friend requests, liking or commenting, sending flirtatious messages, or sending funny memes or videos.
- 50% of teen boys are more likely to view social media as a safe space for emotional connection than 37% of teen girls.
- 85% of teens in relationships expect to hear from their partner at least once daily. 11% of these expect to hear from their partner hourly, 35% to hear once every few hours, and 38% to hear once a day.
- Texting, calling, and in-person hanging out are the main ways teen daters stay in touch with their partners (92%, 87%, and 86% of teens, respectively).
In addition,
- 38% of teens are frequent daters. (Journal of School Health)
- 66% of teen daters have not had sex, while 30% of teen daters have had sex. (Pew Research)
- Teen dating hit its lowest level in 2016. (SRCD)
- Teens who don’t date are less likely to be depressed. (Journal of School Health)
- About 1 in 12 high school students experience physical dating violence. (CDC)
- About 1 in 12 high school students experience sexual dating violence. (CDC)
How long do teen relationships last?
According to a study by the University of Florida:
- 12-14 year olds’ relationships last for about 5 months.
- 15-16 year olds’ relationships last for about 2 years.
- 16-18 year-olds’ relationships last for about 1.8 years.
College relationship statistics
College opens up the doors to new experiences, including new relationship experiences. These relationships bring not only emotional and physical satisfaction but excitement as well.
Let’s take a look at these statistics.
- 63% of college men and 83% of college women prefer a serious relationship to short-term casual dates. (American Psychological Association)
- Less than 15% of college students participate in the hook-up culture more than twice a year. Hookups involve anything from kissing to sex. (Slate)
- 20% of students between 19-21 in their first years in college fall in love for the first time, compared to 8% of those between 22-25 that do the same (Bustle)
- 78.2% of college students report that their sexual partner is either a spouse or a significant other. (Time)
- 73% of college students have been in love at least once. (Cosmopolitan)
- 75% of college students have experienced a long-distance relationship. (Refinery 29)
- Nearly 40% of college students are virgins. (The Cut)
- 28% of college relationships that last after college are between students from the same institution. (Online Divorce)
Gen Z and millennials relationship statistics
According to The Knot 2020 study, here’s the breakdown of data on how millennials and Gen Z meet and fall in love.
- 16% of Gen Z couples meet through dating sites or apps (Tinder, Bumble, etc.) compared with 26% of millennial couples.
- 25% of Gen Z couples who meet and fall in love met through school, either college or grad school, while 18% of millennials met in the same way.
- 17% of Gen Z in relationships meet in high school, while 6% of millennials meet through this option.
- 5% of Gen Z in relationships have known each other since childhood, compared with only 3% of millennials.
- 11% of Gen Z meet through the workplace, while 18% of millennials meet the same way.
- Only 6% of Gen Z meet in social settings like bars, concerts, and parties, while 11% meet in this way.
- Gen Z prioritizes achieving financial independence, building a successful career, owning a home, and later love.
Age-gap relationship statistics
- The average age gap between couples in heterosexual relationships is approximately 2.3 years. (Psycom)
- In western countries, about 8% of straight couples have an age gap of 10+ years, increasing to 25% in gay unions and 15% in lesbian unions. (The Conversation)
- About 1% of male-female relationships have an age gap of 28 years or more. (Psycom)
- Couples with a lesser age difference are less likely to get divorced than those with a huge age gap. 95% of married couples with a 20 years age difference are more likely to divorce, compared to 39% of couples with a 10-year age difference and 18% with a 5-year-old difference. (Market Watch)
Long-distance relationship statistics
A study from Study Finds shows that:
- 58% of adults in long-distance relationships have been successful in long-distance dating.
- The first 4 months of a long-distance relationship are the most challenging.
- Long-distance couples exchange an average of 343 texts per week (or 49 texts per day) and spend 8 hours per week talking on the phone or via video call.
- 55% of long-distance couples say that the time spent apart from their significant other makes them feel closer, and 51% say that it makes their moments together more intimate.
- 70% say they talk to their partners more while living apart.
More data from long distance relationship statistics show that
- About 14 million people in the US are in a long-distance relationship.
- 3.75 million people in long-distance relationships are married.
- 32.5% of all long-distance relationships are college relationships.
- 10% of all marriages have at some point been long distance relationships.
In addition, more facts and figures from Relationships Advice show that
- 75% of all engaged couples have been (currently or previously) in a long distance relationship.
- 40% of couples in long distance relationships have cited work as the main reason for the distance relationship, while 31% cite studying as the reason.
- There is a 21% chance that a long distance relationship will end within the first 6 months, compared to 30% with geographically close relationships.
- The average length of a long distance relationship is 2.86 years, compared to 7.25 years of geographically close relationships.
- 70% of long distance relationships end due to unplanned changes, while 66% end due to a lack of planning for the future.
According to Kiiro, 66% of couples in long-distance relationships say that the lack of physical contact is the most challenging part of these types of relationships. Other challenges that these relationships face include:
- Worrying that their partners will meet someone else- 55%
- Feeling lonely- 50%
- Expensive to visit each other- 45%
- Growing apart- 43%
- Lack of communication- 40%
- Time difference- 33%
- Different opinions on the mode of communication- 24%
How many relationships does the average person have?
The journey to find “The One” can be long and rocky. You have to kiss a thousand frogs before finding your prince (or princess). Right?
Let’s see…
According to Her, here are some stats to show you the pathway to meeting your prince or princess.
| Men | Women | |
| Number of relationships | 8 | 7 |
| Disaster dates | 4 | 4 |
| Blind dates | 3 | 2 |
| Online dates | 3 | 2 |
| Relationships that are less than one year | 4 | 3 |
| Relationships that are 1+ years | 2 | 2 |
| Partners lived with | 1 | 1 |
| Falling in love | 2 | 2 |
| Heartbreak | 2 | 2 |
| Long distance relationships | 1 | 1 |
Relationship deal breakers
When considering a partner, there are things you want and expect from them, such as a sense of humor, independence, etc.
Also, there are things you never want to experience, which are the dealbreakers.
Different people have different dealbreakers. According to Bustle, here are the top 10 biggest deal breakers, broken down by percentage.
- Disheveled or unclean appearance – 67%
- Lazy – 66%
- Too needy – 63%
- Lack of sense of humor – 54%
- Lives more than 3 hours away – 49%
- Bad sex – 47%
- Lack of self-confidence – 40%
- Too much TV/video games – 33%
- Low sex drive – 33%
- Stubborn – 33%
What percentages of relationships break up?
As with many things, relationships end for different reasons. Let’s take a look at some breakup statistics.
- Although every relationship is different, the average break-up time for most relationships is 3 months. (Bustle)
- 70% of Americans have dumped a long-term partner, while 75% have been dumped. (YouGov)
- Women are more than twice likely to end a relationship than men (30% vs 12%). (YouGov)
- Despite most people embracing communication through technology, 97% of Americans believe it is always or sometimes appropriate to end a committed relationship with someone in person rather than through devices. (Pew Research)
- 51% believe it is acceptable to break up through a phone call
- 14% through text message
- 14% through email
- 11% through private messages on a social media site.
When do most relationships end?
According to Marie Claire, the following are the most common breakup points of the year:
- Mondays
- Valentine’s Day
- Spring Break
- April Fools Day
- Summer
- 2 weeks before the holidays
What is the 37% relationship rule?
The 37% rule is a mathematical trick to help you know when to stop dating and settle down. The rule dictates that you are supposed to date and reject the first 37% of your entire pool of potential partners. The idea is not to engage too soon or wait too long.
So, you set aside all your potential suitors, calculate 37%, and then date the next person on the list. To apply this rule, you must know how many people would make the cut as potential suitors, which is quite impossible. Therefore, you’ll just have to estimate.
This rule might be crude or calculated, depending on your outlook.
Conclusion
Relationships can be complex and challenging. Just two people meet by chance, fall in love, and continue pursuing their dream of happiness. Happiness can sometimes last a week, a month, a year, five years, or until death.
The truth is, there is no perfect way to define what it means to be in a relationship. But these statistics show you the apparent state of modern relationships.
We hope that, despite the negatives, love still wins.
