U.S. Singles Face Romance Slump as 69% Rarely or Never Go on Dates

3 articles · Updated · The Atlantic · Aug 3

69% of single respondents in a 2025 YouGov poll said they rarely or never date, part of a broader U.S. drop in courtship, partnership and sex despite abundant apps and paid singles events.
The slump is tied to four forces the report identifies: worsening gender relations, economic insecurity, social changes that raised expectations for partnership, and technology that connects people while making in-person meeting harder.
Young adults have pulled back most sharply: the share of 25-to-34-year-olds in marriages or cohabiting partnerships fell by nearly 10 percentage points for college graduates and more than 20 points for non-graduates from 1980 to 2022.
Money and timing intensify the strain, especially for people nearing 40 and hoping for children; one 2025 study found higher-income people were more likely to enter relationships or feel ready for one.
As marriage rates fall globally, some singles are opting for friendship-centered lives, solo parenting or co-parenting arrangements, suggesting the romance slump is reshaping family formation rather than simply ending the desire for love.