The Kinsey Institute released new data from its annual Singles in America survey, the nation's most comprehensive and longest-running annual study of single adults. Now in its 15th edition, Singles in America has surveyed more than 80,000 people across the United States thanks to funding from Match, creating one of the richest datasets available for understanding shifting relationship patterns, population demographics, and social trends.
The latest 2026 survey included a large sample of approximately 5,000 U.S. single adults aged 18 and older. Kinsey Institute researchers examined current attitudes, behaviors, and experiences across areas such as singlehood, dating, relationships, marriage, and children, as well as the wider social and economic context in which relationships take place, including finances, work, gender roles, mental health, social media, technology, and politics.
The demographically representative 2026 survey included 120 questions, ranging from "What makes a relationship feel meaningful?" and "What has driven your readiness to find a relationship?" to "Would you use AI to help you in your dating life?" and "What do you think healthy masculinity looks like?"
9 key findings include:
There is renewed interest in committed relationships and marriage. After steadily rising to a peak of 32% in 2021, the share of respondents who said they don't want a relationship declined to 24% in 2026. At the same time, respondents who said they would like to get married in the future increased from 33% in 2010 to 45% in 2026, although the ideal age for marriage and the ideal length of dating before marriage both increased. Approximately a third (30%) of respondents said they would be open to long-term committed relationships with no intention of marrying.
Love at first sight is rising, but so is the slow burn. Belief in love at first sight increased dramatically from 41% in 2010 to 62% in 2026, and those saying they have experienced it increased from 30% to 47%. However, nearly half of singles (49%) say they have fallen for someone they did not initially find attractive, up from 30% in 2010. The top reasons include having great conversations, sharing common interests, and becoming best friends; however, showing self-improvement such as becoming more emotionally mature, more attractive, more financially stable, and setting life goals gained in importance over this same period. Singles also appear to be more willing to try a second date if the first isn't exciting (35% in 2021 to 41% in 2026). At the same time, U.S. singles are becoming clearer about what they want: the share with a "checklist" for a long-term partner rose from 25% in 2021 to 34% in 2026, while fewer reported falling in love with someone who did not meet most of their checklist. In addition, 50% of Gen Z report screening or researching dates online before meeting them in person, most commonly through social media (60%) but also via Google search (37%) and background checks (29%), among other methods.
"There's an interesting tension in the data: singles today have clear expectations for a partner, but love still has the ability to surprise them," said Dr. Justin Garcia, Executive Director of the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University and co-lead for this study. "Nearly half have fallen for someone they weren't initially attracted to, and conversation, shared interests, and values can change how they see someone. Knowing what matters to you doesn't mean knowing exactly who you'll fall for."
Economic insecurity is influencing relationships in different ways. More than half of singles (52%) felt the difficult economy made them more interested in finding someone to share their life with, nearly double the 27% who said so in 2013. At the same time, economic insecurity appears to be affecting readiness for relationships, with a rise in the number saying they need to reach a certain point in their career and income level, build cash reserves, pay off debt, or own a home before pursuing a long-term relationship compared to 2019. When asked about their top three stressors in day-to-day life, concerns about the economy or finances was the most selected response, with 54% feeling this way. Conversely, when asked what would make their lives happier, more money was the most selected response and chosen by 56% of respondents as part of their top three.
Most singles under 50 did not say they want children in the future. Just 38% of singles aged 18-49 said they want children, with a notable gender gap between men (42%) and women (32%). One half of respondents said financial stability is a top factor in deciding to become a parent and more than a third said their financial situation (40%) and the state of the world (34%) are reasons that their timeline for having children has shifted later. More than half (51%) of respondents said they believed women should be the primary caregiver for children, up from 34% overall in 2013. Among Gen Z men, 70% said they believed this (although in their own relationship 72% felt it was acceptable to be a stay-at-home parent.) Social media was the most commonly reported influence on attitudes around gender roles in romantic relationships by Gen Z, higher than opinions of friends or family or experiences in past relationships.
Openness to fertility treatments and alternative options for having children are declining sharply. Willingness to consider fertility treatments such as IVF fell from 44% in 2017 to 18% in 2026 and egg freezing from 33% to 17%. Willingness to consider adoption also fell from 53% to 27% over the same period.
Differences are no longer dealbreakers, but politics is more complicated. Despite a rise in checklists and selectiveness, singles (especially men) appear more flexible and willing to date people with very different views on religion, social issues, and finances. Since 2019, willingness to fall in love with someone with different religious views increased from 43% to 57%, social issues from 44% to 56%, and approaches to finances from 49% to 56%. Political differences, by contrast, changed little overall. Yet, political labels have become more likely to be dating dealbreakers, especially among Gen Z. Compared with 2015, more singles now identify being a Republican, Democrat or Independent as a reason they would rule out a potential partner, with these views becoming substantially stronger within the last year or so.
Stability is a sought-after trait. When considering someone for a committed relationship, "someone I can trust and confide in" was the most selected response chosen by 39% of all respondents as part of their top three, along with 28% seeking someone who is emotionally mature. Mutual respect (53%), open communication (52%), and a feeling of safety and security (40%) were the most cited hallmarks of a healthy relationship. Older singles (aged 39 and older) also say that they value honesty, reliability, and emotional connection more as they have gotten older. Approximately half of all Gen Z and Millennials want a partner who has been to therapy.
Our data show that singles are becoming more flexible regarding what a good relationship can look like over time," said Dr. Amanda Gesselman, a Senior Research Scientist at the Kinsey Institute and co-lead for this study. "The milestones that used to define a relationship in our society have become less essential. Instead, singles are placing more value on what kind of person they want their partner to be and are open to a more individualized future once they find that person. Across ages, genders, and sexual orientations, nearly everyone is looking for a long-term partner they can trust, laugh with, and experience strong sexual chemistry with."
Rejection is becoming more subtle. Only 35% of U.S. singles reported being willing to let someone know face-to-face and 37% via text if they were not interested in seeing them again. Actions such as offering to split a check, ending the date with "it was nice to meet you," and offering a handshake or hug instead of a kiss became increasingly common ways to signal lack of interest in future dates, while behaviors such as slowly fading away or ghosting held steady over time. However, when asked "how do you want a date to let you know they are not interested in seeing you anymore?" 60% said say they would prefer some form of direct communication face-to-face.
AI is becoming part of dating. Nearly 4 in 10 U.S. singles (39%) have already used AI in their dating lives, most commonly to improve communication, find better matches or generate message ideas. Use is heavily concentrated among younger adults as 67% of Gen Z singles have used AI for dating, compared with 46% of Millennials, 24% of Gen X, and 5% of Boomers. Men were also more likely to have used AI compared to women (47% versus 30%). However, 34% considered using AI to alter dating profile photos to be a dealbreaker and 30% objected to someone using AI for all their conversations. While 30% believe AI could improve human connection, 66% say it could not replace it.
Find the full 2026 dataset with all the findings at https://news.iu.edu/kinseyinstitute/live/news/52787-15th-annual-singles-in-america-study-released
About Singles in America Methodology
Conducted by the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, the 15th annual Singles in America study surveyed a demographically representative sample of approximately 5,000 U.S. singles ages 18 years and older who are not married, living with a partner, in a domestic partnership or in a committed relationship. All data were independently collected online between March and April 2026 through a nationwide and representative survey panel. The study included more than 100 questions about dating, attraction, relationships and other aspects of social life, with findings analyzed across age and gender. More information is available at kinseyinstitute.org/research/sia.html
About the Kinsey Institute
