MOST YOUNG SINGLES NOT ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR ROMANTIC PARTNERS

PEW RESEARCH - Most young singles in America do not describe themselves as actively looking for romantic partners. Even those who are seeking relationships are not dating frequently. About half (49%) had been on no more than one date in the previous three months.

These findings emerge from a national survey conducted last fall by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. The survey found that dating in America is, indeed, affected by online matchmaking activity. But in analyzing our findings, we discovered another story: Large numbers of single Americans are not actively looking for relationships and even significant numbers of those looking for partners are not that active on the dating scene.

While the majority of American adults (56% or 113 million people) are not in the dating market (they are married or living as married), the number of potential romance-seekers is still huge. Fully 43% of adults (87 million people) say they are single.

About a quarter of unmarried Americans (26% or about 23 million adults) say they are in committed romantic relationships. Single men are more likely than single women to report being so situated. Yet among the uncommitted, relatively few say they are in the market for relationships.

Among all singles, just 16% say they are currently looking for a romantic partner. That amounts to 7% of the adult population. Some 55% of singles report no active interest in seeking a romantic partner. This is especially true for women, for those who have been widowed or divorced, and for older singles. Yet even among the youngest adults, the zest for romance is somewhat muted: 38% of singles ages 18-29 say they are not currently looking for a romantic partner, compared to 22% in that age cohort who are looking for partners.

No doubt many reasons underlie the relatively small size of the active dating population. One suggested by this survey's findings is the type of community in which singles live.

When singles who are actively looking for partners were asked about the dating scene where they live, a majority of those actively seeking dates (55%) said it was difficult to meet people. Only 43% said it was easy, while 2% said they didn't know.

Moreover, when asked to describe the dating possibilities where they live, a plurality, 47%, said there were very few single people in their town they would be interested in dating. Another 41% said there were lots of single people in their town that seemed interesting but 10% said they didn't know much about the local singles scene.

57% of city dwellers who are looking for dates say there is plenty of dating potential in their communities compared with 38% of date-seeking suburbanites and only 21% of date seekers residing in rural settings.

Whatever the reasons, few of today's seeking singles describe themselves as active on the dating scene. Asked how many dates they had been on in the past three months, singles who said they were in the dating market reported the following:

- 36% said they had been on no dates in the previous three months.

- 13% had been one date.

- 22% had been on 2-4 dates

- 25% had been on 5 or more dates.
In our sample of internet users, we found that those who are in serious long-term relationships or marriage are equally as likely to have met through friends or in a work or school setting. Still, bars remain a relatively popular place for long-term relationships to begin. Here is a rundown from the survey of how the internet users in marriages or long-term relationships first encountered each other.

- 38% met at work or school.
- 34% met through family or friends.
- 13% met at a nightclub, bar, café, or other social gathering
- 3% met through the internet.
- 2% met at church.
- 1% met by chance, such as on the street.
- 1% met because they lived in the same neighborhood.
- 1% met at a recreational facility like a gym.
- 1% met on a blind date or through a dating service.