Singles in America: Match.com Releases Its Fourth Annual Comprehensive Study on Singles

DALLAS, Feb. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Match.com, the world's largest online dating site, today released findings from its annual 'Singles in America' study -- the most comprehensive national study of single Americans.  Now in its fourth year, the report illustrates the ways in which singles of all ages are leading the way toward more intimate partnerships and dramatically altering traditional beliefs about sex, love and attachment.  For the first time, the study also examines the significant impact of singles on the economy and how much they spend on their dating lives.

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"It's thrilling for me, as an anthropologist, to dig deep into singles' collective psyche with this annual survey, and watch singles of all ages lead the way toward a less prejudiced society," said Dr. Helen Fisher.  "Men are far more loving -- and committed -- than most believe. Women are galloping toward self-expression and independence. Older people are still 'hip.' New sexual and social taboos are emerging. And both sexes are entering new relationships slowly -- with the aim to make them last. Today's singles are forging new patterns of courtship and marriage in deeply humane and exciting ways. I'm genuinely optimistic about the future of romance, sex and partnerships."

Key takeaways from the 2013 study include:

FIRST DATES
First Dates are More Serious than They Appear: 51% of singles said they have imagined a future together while on a first date (56% men and 48% women). 

First Dates Are Found Online: Meeting online is the number one way singles met their last first date (31%), ahead of meeting through a friend (25%). Singles are more than 3x more likely to have met their most recent first date online than through work (8%) or a bar/club (6%).

Tattoos vs. Shoes: Men are more likely to judge dates by their tattoos (62%) than their shoes (25%); women are more likely to judge dates by their clothes (68%) than their cars (40%).

God, Government, and Ex-girlfriends: When out on a first date, both sexes agree that they would rather not discuss past relationships (72%), politics (62%) or religion (54%).

When It Comes to Sex, What's Appropriate? Men find kissing (85% of men vs. 70% of women), oral sex (39% of men vs. 7% of women) and sexual intercourse (37% of men vs. 8% women) to be more appropriate on a first date than women.

It's All about the Benjamins: Singles spend nearly $61.53 per month on dating-related activities, totaling approximately $738.36 each year per individual. With 111 million singles in the U.S., this amounts to some $82 billion annually.

SINGLES' VIEWS ON MODERN RELATIONSHIPS
Breaking Barriers: 75% of singles would date someone from a different ethnic background, while 70% of singles would date someone of a different religious background and over half of singles approve of partners having children out of wedlock (54% of men; 52% of women).

Gay Marriage Progress Report: 65% of singles approve of same-sex marriage (61% of men and 69% of women), but 58% of gay men and 56% of lesbians say they're uncertain or do not want to get married at all.

Put A Ring On It: 79% of singles in their twenties and 62% of singles in their thirties say they want to get married; overall, 50% of men and 55% of women are eager to wed. Those who want to marry say they want a committed partner to share their life with (86%), emotional security (52%), and for people to know how much they love their partner (42%). Only 14% of singles want to get married for financial security reasons. 

Singles are Cautiously Optimistic about Marriage: 89% of singles believe they can stay married to the same person forever, but 36% of singles want a prenuptial agreement first (41% of men; 33% of women).

It's OK to Be Child-Free: 91% of singles approve of married couples choosing NOT to have children (88% of men and 94% of women).

SEX AND THE SINGLE AMERICAN
We Want More:  While 60% of singles had sex at least once last year, over 2/3 of singles desire more sex in 2014 (62%).

Every Day? No Way!  The ideal frequency of sex for both men and women with a familiar partner is 2-3 times per week (36% of men, 41% of women).  Only 15% of men and 12% of women say they'd ideally want to have sex every day, however, both sexes agree that 10 p.m. is the ideal time to have sex (65% of men, 69% of women). 

Planes, Trains… and Boats? Singles have had sex in their car (63%) and in their parents' house (56%); only 4% of singles said they've joined the mile high club. However, singles hope to have sex on boats (50%), trains (34%) and planes (31%).

Redheads Have More Fun! 44% of singles achieve orgasm 90-100% of the time while having sex with a familiar partner.  But who's having the most orgasms? 

• By Region: Singles in Miami have the most orgasms (60%)
• By Occupation: Singles who work in computers and electronics fields have the most orgasms (64%)
• By Hair Color: Single women with red hair have the most orgasms (41%), followed by blonde women (36%)
• By Smartphone: Singles with Android phones have the most orgasms (55%)

Who's Faking It?  72% of women have faked an orgasm and 64% of them say it's OK to do so. Conversely, only 37% of men have ever faked an orgasm and more than half of men think "it's completely wrong" (51%).

To Lie or Not to Lie?  21% of women and 23% of men have reduced or exaggerated the number of former sexual partners.  While men would prefer not to know how experienced their partner is (56%), 74% of men would be comfortable dating a woman who had had more previous sexual partners than they did themselves.

Casual Sex Doesn't Stay Casual for Long:  31% of singles have had a one-night stand turn into a committed partnership, and 28% of singles have had a 'Friends With Benefits' relationship turn into commitment.

30 and Feelin' Flirty: More than any other age group, singles in their 30s had the most sex last year, are more likely to have had a 'Friends with Benefits' relationship (59%) and approve of sex before marriage (88%).

DATING DO's AND DON'Ts
DO: Date around. Dating more than one person at a time isn't taboo for women; in fact, 72% of women think it's OK to casually date more than one person simultaneously (vs. 60% of men).

DO: Know the rules of texting…and sexting. Ladies: work hard, text less. Men do not want to be bothered with texts during working hours (45%). Men: keep your selfies to yourself. Women do not want to receive sexy photos (75%) or selfies (61%). And patience is a virtue for both sexes: 59% of both men and women do not want to receive more than one text before they can reply. 

DO: Ask him out. 92% of single men are comfortable with a woman asking them out on a date.

DON'T: Be more than 15 minutes late. 35% of men and 39% of women believe you only can be up to 15 minutes late for a date, while 11% of singles think being late is always unacceptable.

"The single population is an incredibly influential and powerful part of our society, and we're committed to evolving America's understanding of the singles psyche and spawn further academic research," said Amarnath Thombre, President of Match.com.  "Now in our fourth year of Singles in America, we continue to gain an even deeper understanding of our audience, identify new dating trends and spot shifting attitudes about modern relationships.  We are especially excited to see online extend its lead as the #1 way to meet first dates, ahead of friends and work."

For additional detailed findings on what U.S. singles are looking for in sex, love and romantic partnerships, visit:www.SinglesinAmerica.com.

About Singles in America
Singles in America (SIA) was funded by Match.com and conducted by Research Now in association with renowned anthropologist Dr. Helen Fisher and evolutionary biologist Dr. Justin R. Garcia of The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction at Indiana University.  The 2013 study is based on the attitudes and behaviors taken from a representative sample of 5,329 U.S. singles between the ages of 18 to 70+, and remains the most comprehensive annual survey of single Americans.  For more information, visit www.SinglesinAmerica.com

About Match.com:
Founded in 1995, Match.com was the original dating website and pioneer of the online dating industry. Today, 18 years later, Match.com operates leading subscription-based online dating sites in 25 countries, eight languages and five continents and is responsible for more dates, relationships and marriages than any other website.  Match.com is an operating business of IAC (Nasdaq: IACI) and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.  For more information, visit http://www.match.com.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/65470-match-dot-com-singles-in-america-fourth-annual-study-on-singles

SOURCE Match.com