Which Countries Use Online Dating The Most?

You might assume that online dating only takes place in bigger countries or countries with larger populations, however, that is not the case at all. If you look hard enough you can probably find a successful online dating story from pretty much every corner of the world.

Meeting New People

Ever since MySpace was launched in 2003 people have started to become more familiar with the concept of meeting people online. Although MySpace saw people fighting for the right to be in someone’s Top 8 on their friend’s list, it was the launch of Plenty of Fish, OkCupid and Badoo a couple of years later that really got online dating into the limelight.

However, when these websites were first launched there was still a bit of a taboo about meeting people online and as such, lots of successful relationships, although formed on social media, lied about where they met. Very different to 2021, where this isn’t the case and people from all over the world use the internet to meet new friends and start new relationships.

Where Are People Dating From?

A recent survey by Betway looked at the popularity of various dating apps on the iPhone store and how popular they were in various countries. This showed that much of the world is into dating online but that the popularity of apps definitely varies depending on which country you are in. For example, if you’re in Asia then you will find that only 9 Asian countries have a dating app in the top 100 most popular iPhone apps. This is compared to the USA and UK where dating apps are much more popular.

The truth is that although they do vary in popularity, dating websites are now accessible in pretty much any part of the world. We know that places like Nigeria have seen a massive increase in the number of people that use an internet-ready smartphone, and this will have undoubtedly helped to open up the chance to online date for many residents of Nigeria too.

Meeting People From New Countries

One of the best things about choosing an online dating platform is that it opens up the opportunities for dating to everyone – no matter where they are from. Before the internet people were much more limited to who they could meet and how they could meet them. Of course, holiday romances were always possible but otherwise, it was mostly a matter of meeting people that lived much more locally. With places such as Brazil and Russia showing that dating apps like AmoLatina or Anastasia Date are popular in their country, it is now much more possible to meet someone that lives a little further away if you want to. Of course, a dating app can make it easy for you to meet someone that lives further away but they can’t help with the dynamics of making a long-distance relationship work, so it is something that you should give thought to before you dive too far in.

How the World Dates Online

With the aid of dating apps and websites, more and more people are searching for and finding partners. With a population that uses online dating services at a rate of 21.9%, the United States ranks first worldwide. With a projected market size of $2.5 billion in 2023, it is also the nation where the industry earns the greatest income.[1]

Although the United States dominates the industry, online dating is also very common in other European nations, including the UK with 19.1% and France with 12.7%. Despite usage being lower than population in China and India, with 9.1% and 5.8%, respectively, the sheer scale of the populations in both nations leads into earnings that much exceed those made in European nations. Almost three quarters of the revenue from online dating services comes from the countries’ sizable online matchmaking businesses.

Table on the Rates of Online Dating and Revenue per Country

COUNTRY PENETRATION RATE REVENUE
United States 21.9% $2,477M
United Kingdom 19.1% $342M
France 12.7% $191M
Germany 11.8% $312M
South Africa 10.2% $23M
Brazil 10.0% $135M
Japan 9.5% $393M
China 9.1% $1,547M
India 5.8% $398M

*based on https://cdn.statcdn.com/Infographic/images/normal/24165.jpeg 

Conclusion

More and more people are using dating apps to connect with others and create international relationships. And the good news is that there are many opportunities available for people wishing to make significant connections with people around the world, make new friends, and extend their horizons. In this post, we learned about the top dating sites, the typical origins of users, and the top nations where these sites are most popular.

References

[1] Buchholz, K. (2023). How the World Dates Online. Statisca.com. Available at: https://www.statista.com/chart/24165/online-dating-penetration-rate-revenue-selected-countries/#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20is%20the%20clear%20market%20leader%2C%20but%20online,or%20France%20(12.7%20percent). [Accessed February 28, 2023]