Match Group Study Finds 76% of U.S. Singles Believe Love Can Last Forever

Match Group’s 2026 Singles in America study found that 76% of U.S. singles believe romantic love can last forever, up from 73% last year. Conducted with the Kinsey Institute, the annual survey also points to a broader shift: Singles are becoming more intentional about where they invest their time, emotions and trust.

For 15 years, Match Group and the Kinsey Institute have tracked the state of singledom in the U.S. This year’s results suggest singles haven’t given up on love. They’re just becoming more selective about how they pursue it.

“This year, singles are telling us they are more intentional and romantic than ever,” Stephanie Danzi, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Match Group, explained in the study. “They’re thoughtful about where they invest their time and emotions. That clarity is shaping how people approach relationships today: intention is the new romance.”

“This year, singles are telling us they are more intentional and romantic than ever.” -Stephanie Danzi, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Match Group

Today’s singles want authentic love based on real connection, even if finding IRL love takes twice as long as a swipe on a dating app. This doesn’t mean singles aren’t open to convenient or technological ways to connect, but that they’re willing to try new ways to find love. 

In-person singles events. Hobby groups. The gym. Workspaces. These places are no longer restricted to their intended purposes. When singles walk into these spaces, there’s a small voice in their head: “Will I meet someone here?” 

This open-mindedness highlights this generation’s willingness to welcome new connections. Yes, we’re still recovering from technology-induced social isolation, systemic loneliness, and the behavioral quirks that come with them.

But this survey of nearly 5,000 singles shows that modern daters are more optimistic about love than they used to be. Last year, 73% of surveyed singles said they believe romantic love can last forever; this increased to 76% in 2026. 

Have Singles Lost Faith in Love?

The ways we look for love might change, but our desire to look for love in the first place isn’t going anywhere: 76% of respondents still believe that romantic love can last forever. 

Seventy-two percent are interested in or open to dating or a relationship. But there’s a notable gap between what we’re interested in, and what we actually do to fulfill this interest: Only 16% are actively seeking a long-term relationship. Forty-five percent are not actively looking for love, but wouldn’t say no if it happened organically. 

This points to a growing trend: Singles aren’t spending energy on just anyone. If they seek out a matchmaker, it’s probably because they’re tired of the dead-end relationships found on dating apps. Singles want an altogether more specific, intentional, and personalized dating experience. 

It’s no wonder singles are returning to real-life matchmakers. These professionals can help singles refocus their energy from overwhelming apps to just a few high-quality matches. 

Singles are telling us that they’re truly ready to commit. More than half of both Gen Z and Millennial respondents (57% and 51%, respectively) told Singles in America that they would start dating their perfect match as soon as possible. 

The younger the person, the more likely they are to take a chance on a seemingly “perfect” match: only 41% of Gen X and 28% of Boomers agree with Gen Z and Millennial respondents. 

Do People Still Experience Love at First Sight?

Some daters just can’t help but be swept up by the idea of love at first sight. Sixty-two percent believe in it, while nearly half (47%) of respondents say they have experienced it themselves. 

But just because people believe in love doesn’t mean they aren’t also willing to slow down, take a breath, and analyze what love and attraction really means. 

At dating platforms and matchmaking firms everywhere, professionals are asking themselves the same question: “What actually sparks attraction?” Pheromones and brain chemistry are only part of the story. 

Nearly half (47%) of survey respondents said that great conversations are what initially sparked romantic interest. Shared interests (41%) and shared values (35%) are also major pathways to attraction.

This is an important reminder that, when you boil it down, daters aren’t looking for bells and whistles from dating pros, but for a way to have genuinely meaningful connections. 

Sometimes, it really is as simple as “hello.” All daters want is a little help making that “hello” go as far as possible. 

Singles Don’t Only Want Romance — They Want Emotional Safety 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, these qualities are rooted in something that has become increasingly important to daters: a sense of emotional security. Singles in America lists feeling respected (61%), feeling listened to (56%), and being able to share feelings without judgment (54%) as major qualities that make singles feel emotionally safe. 

For these daters, their partner’s passionate and public declaration of love is not quite as romantic as, say, their partner actively listening to their story about their workday. 

“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.” -Dr. Justin Garcia, Executive Director of the Kinsey Institute

Modern singles are realizing that “love at first sight,” while ideal, is not the only route to happily ever after. 

In fact, nearly half of respondents (49%) said they’ve fallen in love with someone they weren’t initially attracted to. “Knowing what matters to you doesn’t mean knowing exactly who you’ll fall for,” said Dr. Justin Garcia, Executive Director of the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University.

“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,” Garcia added. 

We tend to have sky-high expectations when we sign up for dating apps or hire a matchmaker, but this finding proves that our expectations may limit our experiences. 

We have to give people chances beyond first impressions if we want to double our chances of finding true love. After all, 41% said they’d consider going on a second date with someone even if the first date left them wanting more. The lesson? If you’re patient with love, you might just be rewarded for it. 

What’s More Important Than Passion to Modern Daters?

There was a time when we defined “fairytale romance” as one marked by whirlwind milestones and deep passions. But modern singles crave a much more stable kind of love. To them, a “fairytale romance” is more about peace and emotional safety (34%) than about passion and excitement (14%). 

After all, the former is built on true connection; the latter is usually built upon surface-level impressions that might fade over time. 

Last year’s Singles in America study revealed a widening gap between what men and women want from a relationship. This gap was once again highlighted by 2026’s study, which showed how 40% of female respondents prefer peace over passion, compared to just 9% of male respondents. 

You can track how our definitions of romance have changed across the generations. Seven in 10 Boomers say small, everyday acts of affection matter more than big romantic gestures, while 52% of Gen Z prefer bigger romantic gestures. 

This could easily point to a maturity difference — perhaps older daters understand the value of a small but meaningful gesture more than younger daters — but it also suggests that Gen Z is not quite as jaded by love as we like to think they are. 

Dating fatigue is still a major problem for the dating industry, but that doesn’t mean that young people have lost their faith in love. It’s dating that’s the issue — not love itself. 

Financial Transparency is a Vital Trust Signal 

Talking about money was once a relationship taboo, but now, it’s a sign of stability. Financial openness has never been more important to relationship success, with 71% of singles agreeing that being open about money is a vital way to build trust. 

Financial goals (49%), spending habits (46%), and saving or budgeting (45%) are among the topics singles associate with financial conversations.

Financial transparency and independence is also an increasingly common conversation between couples, judging by the 70% of respondents who said they’re open to a prenup or similar agreement. 

Money talk can be emotionally charged, but that doesn’t mean we should keep our financial habits to ourselves. Talking about it allows us to understand other viewpoints, which can turn former obstacles into opportunities for love. Case in point: 56% say they could still fall in love with someone with different financial habits. 

Still, singles would rather be on the same page with their partner when it comes to financial matters. Eighty-nine percent of respondents — one of the largest percentages in the survey — agree that both people in a relationship should have equal say in financial decisions.  

Different money habits, unrealistic expectations, and miscommunication are no longer obstacles, but important compatibility markers.

This overwhelming majority may pertain to finances, but it actually reveals an entire generation in the midst of a metamorphosis. Things like money habits, unrealistic expectations, and miscommunication are no longer obstacles, but important compatibility markers. 

If Singles in America asks the question “What is the state of singlehood right now?”, then the answer is clear: “We’re ready to put real effort into finding real love.”