For Match’s 11th annual Singles in America study, researchers surveyed over 5,000 singles between the ages of 18 and 98 across the U.S. In addition to the shift toward an interest in emotional maturity, the study also found that singles are looking for stability and security in long-term partners—and that they’re far less concerned this year with finding someone who is physically attractive than they were in the past. In 2020, 90% of singles ranked physical attractiveness as an important quality, while this year only 78% did. And beyond emotional maturity, being open-minded and accepting of differences was important to 83% of respondents and being a good communicator was a high priority for 84%.
A majority of singles reported being eager to be off the market—and the sooner, the better. The study found that only 11% of singles want to date casually, while 62% said they’re looking for meaningful and committed relationships. Urgency has also become a factor: 65% of those surveyed, especially Gen Z and millennial singles, said they wanted a relationship within the next year.