Online Dating Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Platform (Application, Web Portals), By Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2028

Report Overview

The global online dating market size was valued at USD 3.7 billion in 2021 and is projected to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.9% from 2022 to 2028. The significant growth in the popularity of online dating apps, such as Tinder Match Group and others across the young population, is one of the major factors that propel the market growth during the forecast period. Social networking sites are now playing a crucial role in navigating and documenting romantic relationships among people, which further encourages the use of online dating apps and portals. Moreover, growing smartphone users coupled with internet penetration further provides an ample opportunity for the growth of the market. However, the growing online fraud and data breaches through dating apps are further projected to hinder the market growth.

The number of single individuals has been increasing across the globe. Nowadays, individuals globally look for specific characteristics for finding their partner. Such characteristics include similar interests, like-mindedness, and others, and online dating helps them find people with the aforementioned characteristics, owing to which adoption of online dating is increasing. Service providers of online dating also provide innovative services, better experiences, and meet the expectations of the customers. Online dating is easy to use, convenient, quick and requires less effort. Moreover, it enables one to limit the number of people who can contact them by using the various available features. Hence, it is highly adopted and propelling the market growth.

The rising number of users of online dating sites, such as Tinder, Bumble, Grindr, and others, is further projected to contribute to the market growth. Tinder has significant popularity in the online dating category, having over 6.7 million average subscribers as of the fourth quarter of 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic has further increased the number of users of online dating platforms across the globe. The restrictions by the governments of several countries on traveling and the closure of shops, malls, and cafes have further encouraged the adoption of online dating platforms across the globe. This has led to substantial growth in subscriptions on various online dating platforms across the globe. For instance, Bumble's dating app users increased to 1,142.1 thousand in 2020 from 855.6 thousand in 2019. Therefore, the significant increase in the number of users of online dating across the globe during the pandemic further accelerated the market growth.       

Platform Insights

Based on the platform, the global online dating market is further classified into applications and web portals. The application segment contributed to a market share of over 80% in 2021. The global market share is further supported by the significant usage of mobile apps for online dating among young people. Moreover, the growing popularity of various dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble, Badoo, and others across the globe further contributed to the market share. For instance, the average number of subscribers of Tinder increased to 10.4 million in 2020 from 7.9 million in 2018. Therefore, the growing number of subscribers shows the rising popularity of such online dating apps that further contributed to the highest market share.

The web portals segment is forecast to expand with a significant CAGR of 6.2% during the forecast period. The rising internet users coupled with significant usage of online dating websites across the globe further contribute to the growth of the market. Online dating websites are developed to match couples with specific interests. For instance, eHarmony is one of the leading online dating websites that has around 15 million matches. Additionally, the significant advancements in website advertising tools and consumer interest tracing tools are further projected to contribute to market growth.    

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific is forecast to expand with the highest CAGR of 7.7% from 2022 to 2028. China and India are positively contributing to the growth of the market. The major factors that propel the market growth in the region include the growing trend of online dating sites and apps among the young population in emerging economies. Additionally, substantial growth in the smartphone penetration coupled with growing digitalization in China and India further propel the market growth. Additionally, the growing number of users of online dating apps across China, India, and other emerging economies is further projected to provide ample opportunity to the market.

North America is estimated to hold a major market share of more than 35% in 2021. The U.S. is positively contributing to the growth of market revenue. The presence of well-established online dating platforms such as Tinder, Bumble, Badoo, and others is one of the driving factors for market growth. For instance, in North America, the average number of subscribers of Match Group online dating service providers was 4.1 million in 2018, which further increased to 4.9 million in 2020. Growth in North America’s average subscribers was primarily driven by Tinder, Hinge, BLK, and Chispa online dating apps.    

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The online dating industry is always changing and updating. To stay head-on, market players tend to launch new strategies more frequently. Key players are focusing on increasing investments in an advertisement through social sites to increase the user base in the market. Moreover, major players are targeting new regions and demography to increase the user base and expand their number of theatres by either entering the new market solely or collaborating with local companies across the globe.

Players operating in the market are also undertaking major business initiatives such as mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, agreements, the launch of new features, global expansion, and others. For instance, in February 2022, Bumble announced its first acquisition. Bumble acquired Fruitz, which is a French dating app. As a result of this strategy, Bumble expanded its footprint into Canada and Western Europe. In addition, in May 2018, Badoo announced the launch of a new feature in its application. This application enables the user to chat face to face in live video. Some of the prominent players in the global online dating market include:

• Match Group, LLC (Tinder)

• Bumble Inc.

• Grindr LLC

• eHarmony, Inc.

• Spark Networks, Inc.

• The Meet Group, Inc

• rsvp.com.au Pty Ltd.

• Coffee Meets Bagel

• Cupid Media Pty Ltd.

• Elite Singles

• The League App, Inc.

Online Dating Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2017 to 2028. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global online dating market report based on platform and region:

• Platform Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

  • Application

  • Web Portals

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

  • North America

    • U.S.

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • France

    • U.K.

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

  • Central & South America

    • Brazil

  • Middle East & Africa

    • South Africa