By Lauren Thomas
The percentage of people who have never been married rose steadily over the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st
For people in the dating market, the years since the COVID-19 pandemic hit have been tough.
Many of the places where people usually socialize and meet partners, like entertainment venues, bars and restaurants, or even get-togethers with friends, were unavailable or limited during the pandemic. Figuring out where and how to meet up safely with a date posed logistical challenges, with many people turning to video calls as a substitute. And while online dating and apps have been common for years, usage and engagement skyrocketed on these platforms during the pandemic with few alternatives available.
Today, nearly two-thirds of people who are single and looking for a partner report that dating has become harder since the COVID-19 pandemic began. And while the share of adults looking for a relationship has not changed significantly in that time, nearly one-third of those who have stopped dating recently cite COVID-related concerns as a reason why. At a time when loneliness and isolation were high, romantic companionship became harder to come by.
COVID-related challenges in the dating scene have come in an era when more people are delaying or forgoing marriage. The percentage of people who have never been married rose steadily over the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st. In 1950, 20% of women and 26.4% of men had never been married, and today those figures are 30.6% and 36.6%, respectively. Over time, increases in women’s educational attainment and labor force participation rates have made marriage less of an economic imperative, while liberalizing social attitudes have made other romantic and family arrangements more acceptable.
Marriage and long-term commitments remain a goal for many single adults, however. For these individuals, the difficulties in finding a partner extend beyond the disruptions to dating in COVID and the long-term changes in attitudes toward marriage. For people in many parts of the country, the pool of available mates is limited by demographic factors.
