OkCupid Celebrates Two Decades of Connections

Twenty years of data shows what’s next for dating and relationships around the world

For the past two decades, OkCupid has matched daters on what matters to them through our matching questions, which have been answered 10 billion times. During that time, there’s been tens of billions of Likes sent, billions of Matches made, tens of billions of Messages exchanged, and hundreds of millions of photos sent. And from our #BlackLivesMatter profile badge to our I’m Pro Choice profile badge, there have been more than 6 and ½ million badges added to daters profiles over the past few years, signaling to other users what’s important to them.

INDE-DATING

While millions of Gen Z and Millennial daters on OkCupid are looking for a partner, they’re still proudly independent. When we asked nearly 1 million daters on our app, nearly 8 in 10 people said they consider themselves independent — and those who do are receiving (5%+) and sending (17%+) more Likes on our app compared to people who say they aren’t. Last year, there was a 181% increase in mentions of “independent” on OkCupid profiles leading into cuffing season (October to November), and we’re confident this trend is going to lead to healthier, more successful relationships in 2024. Focusing on yourself allows you to build your self-esteem, assess your own emotions, and fulfill your personal needs, leading to being able to bring your best self to a relationship.

POLI-DATING

Gen Z and Millennial daters are increasingly interested in discussing politics with their matches. Recently, nearly 20 million people on OkCupid said they enjoy discussing politics, and with more than 60 countries holding elections in 2024, this is set to become the most political year yet — in politics AND in dating. Globally, nearly 8 in 10 (79%) daters on OkCupid said they are open to discussing politics with their partner.

TRALATIONSHIPS

Honesty has always been an indicator of a strong relationship, but younger generations are prioritizing it even more. Because Gen Z and Millennial daters have grown up with social media, we’re seeing them embrace a culture of authenticity, honesty and transparency when it comes to their dating lives. They aren’t as guarded or private as Gen X, and transparency has become paramount to any relationship they enter into. When asked about the main quality they look for in a partner, honesty (33%) was the most popular response followed by respect (25%), open-mindedness (23%) and a sense of humor (19%). And mentions of “honesty” and “transparency” increased over 30% on OkCupid profiles during 2023.

DATEHEISTS

In 2024, singles are pushing shared religion lower on their priority list than previous generations. The percentage of daterson OkCupid who said religion is important to them dropped from 55% in 2022 to 50% in 2023, and we expect this trend to continue as more and more people meet online and date outside their cultures.

VIDEODATING

In 2024, singles will value their time even more. We asked more than 2 and ½ million daters on OkCupid if they video chat with a date before meeting them in-person. In 2017 when we first added this question, only 16% of respondents say they want to video chat before meeting. This jumped to over 20% in 2020, and though we expected this to remain a pandemic trend it’s actually increased as restrictions eased and has hovered between 21% and 23% recently. People want to make sure they vibe with someone before spending money and time meeting up with them in person. And those who are looking for a video date first get 15% more Likes and 90% more Matches on OkCupid.

Now that you’ve learned about our 2024 dating trends, it’s time to update your dating profile! People who complete their OkCupid profile get 200% more matches, so what are you waiting for? Download OkCupid today.

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OkCupid Celebrates Two Decades of Connections was originally published in OkCupid Dating Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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