The Rise of Singlehood Persists Despite Dating Apps

A widening global trend shows that increasing numbers of adults in wealthy countries are remaining single, even as digital platforms designed to facilitate romantic connections proliferate. Recent demographic data indicate that marriage and long-term partnerships are becoming less common, and analysts say this “relationship recession” has multiple drivers – from technology and social norms to broader economic and cultural shifts.

Across advanced economies, marriage rates have been steadily declining for decades. In 2022, the average crude marriage rate in OECD countries was notably lower than in 1990, reflecting long-term shifts in how adults form partnerships. At the same time, more people live alone, with singlehood now prevalent among many age groups—not just the young. Surveys in the United States show that nearly half of women and half of men in their mid-20s to mid-30s were unmarried in recent years, a proportion that has grown substantially over the past half-century.

While dating apps initially promised to make it easier to meet potential partners, research suggests their impact is complex. Online interaction may widen exposure to more potential matches, but it also enables filtering by an expanding set of preferences. Scholars find that relationships formed online may show lower levels of satisfaction and emotional intensity compared to those that begin offline, even if online dating increases the overall pool of meeting opportunities.

Broader social changes compound these technological effects. OECD research highlights a decline in face-to-face interactions over the past decade, particularly among younger cohorts, even as digital communication increases. Less frequent in-person socialising can reduce the chances of meeting partners organically outside of algorithm-mediated contexts. Economic conditions also play a role: high housing costs and financial insecurity are frequently cited as reasons young adults delay marriage or long-term commitment, even when they desire relationships.

The upshot is a nuanced one for the dating app industry. While platforms remain central to how many people meet, they are not reversing broader trends toward delayed or reduced coupling. However, apps that can find the right balance of features and focuses to facilitate a more reliable method of dating may see success in the near future, given that more and more users seem to be detaching from the regular swipe-and-forget structure.