How many people actually meet online? Are the Match.com commercials lying or do 1 in 5

relationships start online? Is there a stigma against meeting someone online? Most of what we see

in terms of advertising leads us down the wrong path. What I want to focus on is the truth behind

the online dating claims. So together let’s get down to the nitty gritty and look at some online

dating statistics from various research companies. Warning! This article will get quite technical

at times because statistics are a mathematical science and without maintaining the science aspect

all findings would just be held as opinions but these are online dating statistics not online

dating opinions. At the end of each research document I will breakdown the data in a few easy to

understand sentences.

Match.com and Chadwick Martin Bailey 2009 – 2010 Studies: Recent Trends: Online Dating

Research Study Overview & Objectives:

In 2009 and 2010, Match.com engaged research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey to conduct three

studies to provide insights into America’s dating behavior: a survey of recently married people

("Marriage Survey"), a survey of people who have used online dating ("Online Dating Survey"),

and a survey of single people and people in new committed relationships ("General Survey").

Key Findings:

Marriage Survey

-17% of couples married in the last 3 years, or 1 in 6, met each other on an online dating site.

-In the last year, more than twice as many marriages occurred between people who met on an online

dating site than met in bars, at clubs and other social events combined.

General Survey

-1 out of 5 single people have dated someone they met on an online dating site.

-1 out of 5 people in a new committed relationship (including marriage) met their significant other

on an online dating site.

How did you meet your current/ most recent spouse? (Recently Married Survey: N = 7000)

From the years (respectfully) 2010 / Past 3 Years

Met Spouse Via Online Dating Site 17% / 17%

Through a friend/ family member 27% / 26%

Through work/ school 38% / 36%

Through church/ place of worship 4% / 4%

Through bars/clubs/ other social events 8% / 11%

Other 6% / 7%

Methodology:

For each of the three studies, data was collected through research via an online Consumer

Research Panel:

Marriage Survey: 7000 US adults age 18+, married within the past 5 years

Match.com and Chadwick Martin Baily’s Breakdown

From this information we can gather that Match.com isn’t lying, their commercials speak the truth.

1 in 5 relationships start online. We also learn that 1 in 6 marriages begin from an online dating

site. What’s interesting to note is that online dating is now mainstream. If 20% (1 in 5) of

relationships start from an online dating site then there is growth in an area that was once taboo

and in fact didn’t even exist 15 years ago. Although one can speculate that online dating will

gain more popularity the more people can be open about how they met their significant other without

embarrassment.

So for all those worried about dating online, there are plenty of people already doing it. Don't

be worried and get out there and start dating. The online dating statistics don't lie.