Valentine’s Day: A look at dating apps and marriage rates

Love and ‘app’iness

A look at the world of dating apps and marriage rates in the U.S. in the modern digital world.

There are more than 1,500 dating apps and websites operating worldwide with projected revenue of $9.2 billion this year. However, user retention is declining.

How many people use dating apps?

Approximately 360 million people used dating apps globally in 2024, an increase of about 15 million over the previous year. Tinder has about 90 million users on its platform, more than any other.

When things took off

Online dating was transformed with the introduction of Tinder in 2012 and its swipe left to like and swipe right to dislike functionality. Since then, almost every other dating app has added this method for its ease-of-use.

Before Tinder, online dating users were mostly being matched based on location and preferences. Users would get a few potential matches in one batch and be able to set up meetings through the dating app interface.

Mood swings

According to Adjust.com, an app insight blog, “Looking at dating app installs and sessions from January 2023 to December 2024, it’s clear that user interest has been gradually declining. From January 2023 to December 2024, dating app installs and sessions saw a 13% year-over-year drop. Despite this overall decrease, sessions remained resilient, particularly during key seasonal periods.”

AI getting in the mix

Tidio, an AI customer service software suite, ran a survey (1,191 people) of those using dating apps. One of the things they found was only 12% of the respondents were content with their online-dating experience.

Additionally, when it comes to the frustrations of online daters, they have doubts whether the partner will look like the person in their photo (25%) and they fear they will match with profiles that aren’t real (25%).

It remains to be seen how much technology can be effective when emotions are in the mix.

Double-dating trend

Last summer, several apps were created to lure Gen Z users back with double-dating capabilities. Two friends agree to meet other matches and have more security than meeting an online stranger alone. The apps have had mixed reviews since the launch, but the idea is catching on. There’s something to be said for safety in numbers.

Marriage rate in the U.S.

After reaching a more than 50-year low rate in 2021 of 28 marriages per 1,000 unmarried women, the marriage rate trend reversed direction in 2022 increasing to 31.2 marriages per 1,000 unmarried women. The marriage rate has returned to the level observed in 2018 (Allred, 2019).

More than 2 million women (2,322,727) married in 2022, which is an increase of 269,921 women from 2021 when 2,052,806 women married.

In 1970, the marriage rate for women in the U.S. was 76.5 per 1,000 unmarried women.

In 2022, it was 31.2 per 1,000 unmarried women.

Sources: National Center for Family and Marriage Research at Bowling Green University, The Associated Press, American Weddings Blog, U.S. Census, Tidio.com, Adjust.com, The Pew Research Center