Today, online dating is ubiquitous and results are mixed. Figure 7.2 shows roughly three in ten U.S. adults report having used a dating app or site at some point, with 9 percent saying they used one in the past year, according to a survey of 6,034 adults (Pew Research Center, 2022, 2023).

Among those who have used online dating, 12 percent say they formed a committed relationship or marriage with someone they met online, and 23 percent report having gone on at least one in person date with a match.

Use of online dating skews younger, with about one in five adults under age 30 reporting they met a romantic partner online, a share significantly higher than those among older age groups.

Success varies depending on who you ask.

Figure 7.3 shows a clear racial divide in perceptions of online dating successes with white adults substantially more likely than Black adults to… [more]