Quick Answer
How many relationships start online in 2025?
39% of heterosexual relationships and 60% of same-sex relationships start online.
Meeting a potential partner over the internet has become widely popular due to its convenience, versatility, and the availability of a higher number of choices for potential mates.
In this day and age, the click and swipe-right nature that these apps have made users feel that relationships, once considered among the most complicated pursuits one could engage in, are fun and easy, after all.
Tune in and find out how many relationships start online in 2025.
We will also go in-depth on the most popular dating apps used per region of the world.
By the end, you will be able to answer a question you ask yourself often but do not dare to say out loud, “do I have a chance?”.
Let us dive right in!
How Many Relationships Start Online in 2025?
What percentage of relationships start online?
According to a joint study conducted by Stanford University and University of Mexico sociologists participated by American adults, about 39% of male-female relationships in the United States start online.
The probability is higher for same-sex couples in the same geographic location which came at 60%.
There has been a shift in trend which lessened the chance of building relationships through connections from friends and dating within one’s community.
In the last 22 years leading to the year of the study, relationships that started from meeting through friends have declined 13% from 33% in 1995 to 20% in 2017.
The biggest recipients of this shift in consumer preference are online dating applications which amass billions of revenue year after year.
Most Popular Dating Apps per Region
While there are only a handful of dating apps making rounds on our friends-night-out conversations, there are many kinds of these platforms.
Some of these are popular in one location and almost non-existent in others.
Check out this list on the world’s most popular dating apps, according to every region of the world.
- North America – Tinder app
- South America – Badoo app
- Europe – Tinder, Badoo, and Lovoo (Lovoo dominated in countries like Switzerland and Germany, while Tinder maintained a strong presence in France and Sweden. Meanwhile, other European countries namely Portugal and Italy are avid Badoo users)
- China – Momo app
- India – Tinder app
- Southeast Asia – Baidoo and Tinder (Baidoo has captured the entire Malaysian borders while Tinder has a solid presence in the Philippines)
- Middle East – Whoshere app
- Australia and Oceania – Tinder app
- Russia – Frim app
Tinder and Baidoo Rivalry
From the data shown above, we can observe that Tinder and Baidoo are respectively switching places on the top spot for the most popular app used in one country or region.
On the one hand, Baidoo is a clear winner in terms of the highest number of downloads worldwide, having recorded 400 million registered users as of late.
On the other, Tinder has maintained a stronghold in the region housing the world’s biggest economy, North America, where it now goes head-to-head with another rising dating app, Bumble.
Similarly, none of these apps are available in countries like Russia and China which practice strong censorship of their citizens’ online activities.
Each country respectively has its homegrown dating apps namely Frim and Momo.
Number of Dating App Users from 2015 to 2021
With the availability of a wide number of applications to choose from, global dating app users have also experienced exponential growth over the past years.
The number of patrons peaked in 2021 as governments imposed strict lockdowns to curb the spread of the virus.
These mobility restrictions prevented people from their chance of meeting in person, thus turning attention to online dating.
- 2015 – 198 million users
- 2016 – 217 million users
- 2017 – 241 million users
- 2018 – 250 million users
- 2019 – 283 million users
- 2020 – 293 million users
- 2021 – 323 million users
Online Dating: A Lucrative Industry
Online dating statistics show that is a billion-dollar industry that rakes a huge amount of profit from paywalls and advertisements.
Below is a list of dating app revenues from 2015 to last year.
- 2015 – $1.36 billion in annual revenue
- 2016 – $1.46 billion in annual revenue
- 2017 – $1.75 billion in annual revenue
- 2018 – $2.38 billion in annual revenue
- 2019 – $3.00 billion in annual revenue
- 2020 – $3.82 billion in annual revenue
- 2021 – $5.61 billion in annual revenue
2021 has seen a record-breaking annual revenue which is almost twice 2019 figures.
During the same year, the number of online dating users peaked at a historic high.
This is all thanks to the pandemic which fueled a bigger interest in other sources of entertainment, including connecting with people even in the comforts of one’s home.
Online Dating Success Rate
While there is still no data available on a wider scale, online dating has a success rate of between 10% to 12% in the United States.
This ‘success rate’ is in the context of a relationship leading to exclusivity and commitment, or engagement and marriage in the end.
This is still a low threshold, but considering that meeting through online apps had just become a thing in the last decade, there is already a big potential there.
Advantages of Online Dating
Meeting with a potential partner online is a convenient way to build a lasting relationship with another person.
This is especially helpful for people who have busy schedules or undergoing social anxiety and could not do the first move in the real world.
The ease of use found on dating apps is among their biggest advantages.
You swipe right on a person you feel attracted to, and when the other responds with the same gesture, you are in to start a conversation.
It is not like you have to go through all the jitters of having to start a conversation with a cool guy you met at the bar, only to see yourself shying away in the end.
Similarly, dating apps solicit a user’s interest and match them accordingly.
This is why people find more fluid conversations through these platforms as they can talk about a common interest that would otherwise be difficult to find on the draw-lots nature of real-world dating.
Security is a Huge Pitfall
However, online dating platforms are also breeding grounds for exploitation, particularly those that are sexual.
Remember, using these apps means you are meeting with strangers you know nothing about.
Make sure to get to know the person first before agreeing to meet.
Conclusion
39% of heterosexual relationships and 60% of same-sex relationships start online.
This high probability is supported by the growing number of dating apps available to users which can conveniently talk and get to know another person without undergoing the stress involved in the traditional dating scene.
While online dating has many advantages, there are also pitfalls involved in meeting someone online.
There had been a long list of sexual offense cases involved in these apps.
Remember, treat everyone you meet online like a stranger, because they are.
