More Singles Turn to Dating Apps, But Inflation Puts Dent in Plans

ZENGER NEWS - A survey by Dating.com found that online dating sites worldwide are attracting 12M new users annually, with ~70% of global singles using online dating services. Yet as online dating app usage has increased, dating behavior in a post-COVID world means people face higher costs when arranging face-to-face meetings. "Two out of three say that cost is an important factor when deciding what to do on a date," said Logan Ury, director of relationship science at Hinge. 41% surveyed Hinge singles reported they were more concerned with dating costs now versus a year ago. Gen Z is more likely to feel cost pressures. In Japan, in a survey of 50K people, Eureka, which owns the dating site Pairs, found that 59% of respondents stopped looking for partners or ceased dating, due to COVID. Online dating site subscribers worldwide spent $4.2B in subscriptions in 2021, up 30% over 2020, according to App Annie. Of the online sites, Tinder is the global market leader, with $1.35B in revenues in 2021.