2021 Valentine's Day Forecast: Singles Are Hopeful They'll Find "The One" This Year

New survey from Plenty of Fish reveals 57% of singles are serious about finding love this year, 40% believe Valentine's Day is the perfect time to spark a new relationship

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Plenty of Fish

Feb 04, 2021, 08:00 ET

VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- New insights from dating app Plenty of Fish found that singles are feeling optimistic about dating this year, with more than half (57%) believing they'll find "The One", and over 40% noting that Valentine's Day is the perfect time to start a fresh relationship. These findings, among others, were revealed in a new survey by Plenty of Fish and OnePoll,* underscoring how 2020 led to fundamental shifts in dating.

Dating, Actually

New Valentine's Day survey from Plenty of Fish finds singles are optimistic about finding "The One" this year.

Singles are breathing a sigh of relief on Valentine's Day this year: seven in 10 are feeling less romantic pressure to have big plans for the holiday. With pandemic protocols still in place, singles are planning for more low-key activities – almost 50% of millennials plan on celebrating at home with their "Quaran-team" (roommates, family and friends). For other singles, the top Valentine's Day activities include having a virtual date (over one-third) or meeting up in safer settings like the outdoors (more than 50%).

Spending a year learning to date from a distance has led singles to adjust their dating perspectives and priorities, including:

Small gestures, big impact: Once taken for granted, singles have had a change of heart – 58% say that romantic gestures are more important to them now than they were pre-pandemic. More than one-third say they are most looking forward to holding hands, first kisses and a flirty smile from across the room (sans mask) once the pandemic ends.
Ex-O-Ex-O: With lots of time to reflect over the past year, nearly two-thirds of singles are feeling more open-minded by willing to date someone they may have previously overlooked and 55% would consider getting back with an ex once life returns to normal.
Ghosting is so 2020: Singles are feeling optimistic that frustrating dating habits – including ghosting – will end. Thirty-nine percent of singles think people will be less likely to ghost potential partners after the pandemic.
The DL on dealbreakers: With the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine, over half of singles agree that not having intentions of getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is enough to turn potential partners away.

"Though romance may look a bit different this Valentine's Day, singles remain open-minded and optimistic about finding 'The One,'" said Stefan Harvalias, Head of Global Marketing at Plenty of Fish. "We believe that 2021 will be an exciting year for dating – singles are eager to spark new connections, and aren't afraid to explore creative ways to form meaningful connections."

The press kit can be found here. Join the conversation on social by following Plenty of Fish on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and blog The Latest Catch.

The 2021 Dating Forecast: Singles Are Hopeful They'll Find "The One" This Year Study + Methodology
2,000 U.S. casually dating singles ages 18-65+ were polled in Jan. 2021 by OnePoll, in a study commissioned by Plenty of Fish

About Plenty of Fish
Plenty of Fish, a Match Group (NASDAQ: MTCH) company, is one of the largest global online dating companies and is available in 11 languages and more than 20 countries. Unlike many dating offerings today, Plenty of Fish offers a less prescriptive, low-pressure user experience that allows singles to discover what they're looking for.

SOURCE Plenty of Fish