Report Highlights. Over half of young Americans have used dating apps, which illustrates the growing role such apps play in how relationships are formed today. According to the Pew Research Center, 53% of American 18 to 29-year-olds and 37% of 30-to-49-year-olds^[1] report using dating apps. Here are some noteworthy statistics:

• 53% of American 18-to-29-year-olds have turned to dating apps as a key way to meet people.^[1]
• 37% of 30-to-49-year-olds are also active users of dating apps.^[1]
• 26% of singles aged 50 and above are exploring dating apps.^[1]
• 30% of U.S. adults have used a dating app.^[1]
• 51% of gay and bisexual adults report using dating apps.^[1]

Dating App Usage Statistics

• Globally, 381 million people used dating apps in 2024, and this number is projected to increase to 452.47 million by 2028.^[2]
• 17% of the U.S. population used online dating services in 2023, equating to nearly 60 million users.^[3]
• User penetration in the online dating market in Europe is projected to reach 8.8% in 2025 and is expected to increase to 9.9% by 2029.^[4]
• In Asia, user penetration will be 3.9% in 2025 and is expected to hit 4.3% by 2029.^[5]
• User penetration in South America will reach 6.7% in 2025 and is expected to hit 7.1% by 2029.^[6]
• Belgium has the highest user penetration rate in the online dating market, projected at 18.5%.^[4]
• Roughly a third of online dating users (35%) say they have ever paid to use one of these platforms.^[1]

Demographics of Dating App Users

• Younger adults (18–29) are the largest user group, with roughly half having tried at least one dating app.^[1]
• LGBTQ+ adults are more likely to use dating apps, with 51% reporting usage compared to 28% of straight adults.^[1]
• Men are slightly more likely than women to have tried online dating, with 34% of men and 27% of women reporting usage.^[1]
• Tinder’s U.S. user base is overwhelmingly male — 75.8% men vs. 24.2% women.
• People with a college education are more likely to use dating apps than those with a high school education or less.^[1]
• Urban dwellers represent most dating app users.^[7] 
• Never-married adults are the biggest users, with 52% having tried dating apps, compared to just 16% of married adults.^[1]

User Experiences and Success Rates

• Only 21% of U.S. adults believe that dating apps’ matching algorithms can predict true compatibility.^[1]
• 41% of online dating users report positive experiences, 32% report negative experiences.^[1]
• Approximately 10% of heterosexual couples met through dating apps as of 2021, while for same-sex couples, this figure is higher, with 24% meeting online.^[1]
• 44% of dating app users seek a serious relationship, while 24% use the platforms primarily for hookups.^[1]
• In 2019, around 12% of U.S. adults reported marrying or entering a committed relationship with someone they first met online — up significantly from just 3% in 2013.^[7]
• 20% of partnered adults under 30 met their spouse or partner online.^[1]
• Paid dating app users report more positive experiences (58%) compared to free users (50%).^[1]
• 54% of women feel overwhelmed by the number of messages they receive while 64% of men feel insecure about the lack of messages they receive.^[1] 
• Women were more likely than men to report a negative experience.^[1]

Challenges and Downsides of Online Dating

• Only about four in ten U.S. adults overall (42%) say online dating has made the search for a long-term partner easier.^[8]
• Americans lost $1.3 billion to romance scams in 2022 — making it the costliest form of consumer fraud that year.^[9]
• Online dating algorithms favor popularity, often recommending attractive users more frequently.^[10]
• 56% of women under 50 who have used dating apps report receiving unsolicited sexually explicit messages or images.^[1]
• 43% say someone kept contacting them after they said they were not interested, and 37% have been called offensive names.^[1]
• 52% of online dating users say they have encountered someone they believe was trying to scam them.^[1]
• Men under 50 are particularly vulnerable, with 63% reporting a suspected scam encounter.^[1]
• The share of U.S. adults who believe online dating is “very” or “somewhat” safe has dropped from 53% in 2019 to 48% in 2022.^[1]
• Women are more likely than men to say online dating is unsafe.^[1]
• 11% of women under 50 have received physical threats on dating platforms.^[1]

Popular Dating Apps

• With an estimated 75 million monthly active users worldwide as of late 2022, Tinder retains the top spot in global market share among dating apps.^[11]
• 76% of Americans are aware of Tinder, making it the most recognized online dating brand in the U.S.^[3]
• Bumble is second to Tinder in U.S. brand awareness, at around 31%.^[3]
• Grindr holds a 60% awareness rate, making it the most recognized dating platform among gay, bisexual, and trans individuals.^[3]
• Match.com remains a popular option, especially for older demographics; about 10% of Americans age 50+ have tried it.^[3]

Financial Aspects of Dating Apps

• Revenue in the online dating market is projected to reach US$3.17bn in 2025.^[12]
• Approximately 35% of online dating users have paid for services or features on these platforms. This includes 45% of users with upper incomes, 36% with middle incomes, and 28% with lower incomes.^[1]
• The U.S. remains the country with the largest online dating revenue, followed by U.K.^[12] 
• In the online dating market, the number of users is expected to amount to 462.5m users by 2029.^[12]
• User penetration will be 5.2% in 2025 and is expected to hit 5.7% by 2029.^[12]
• The average revenue per user (ARPU) is expected to amount to US$7.83.^[12]

Additional Resources

For further reading on related topics, check out these articles:

Domestic Violence Statistics by State 2024

Teen Dating Violence Statistics 2024

Domestic Violence Statistics 2024

LGBTQ+ Sexual Violence Statistics 2024

Child Sexual Abuse Statistics in the U.S. 2024

It Was Never About Clothes: Student’s Haunting Photos Confront Assault Myths

FAQs

References

1. Key findings about online dating in the U.S. (2023, February 2). Pew Research Center.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/02/02/key-findings-about-online-dating-in-the-u-s/

2. Number of online dating service users worldwide, by segment (forecast). (2024). Statista.
https://www.statista.com/forecasts/891146/eservices-dating-services-online-user-by-segment-worldwide

3. Online dating: Statistics & facts. (2023). Statista.
https://www.statista.com/topics/2158/online-dating/#topicOverview

4. Online dating market outlook in Europe. (2024). Statista.
https://www.statista.com/outlook/emo/dating-services/online-dating/europe

5. Online dating market outlook in Asia. (2024). Statista.
https://www.statista.com/outlook/emo/dating-services/online-dating/asia

6. Online dating market in South America: Revenue and user statistics. (2024). Statista.
https://www.statista.com/outlook/emo/dating-services/online-dating/south-america

7. Castro, Á., & Barrada, J. R. (2020). Dating apps and their sociodemographic and psychosocial correlates: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(18), 6500.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186500

8. Anderson, M., Vogels, E. A., & Turner, E. (2020, February 6). The virtues and downsides of online dating. Pew Research Center.
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/02/06/the-virtues-and-downsides-of-online-dating/

9. Federal Trade Commission. (2024, February). Love stinks when a scammer is involved [Blog post]. FTC Business Guidance Blog.
https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2024/02/love-stinks-when-scammer-involved

10. Dolan, E. W. (2024, January 15). Popularity over fairness: How online dating platforms prioritize users. PsyPost.
https://www.psypost.org/popularity-over-fairness-how-online-dating-platforms-prioritize-users/

11. Iqbal, M. (2025, February 3). Tinder revenue and usage statistics (2025). Business of Apps.
https://www.businessofapps.com/data/tinder-statistics/

12. Online dating market outlook worldwide. (2024). Statista.
https://www.statista.com/outlook/emo/dating-services/online-dating/worldwide