The following is excerpted from an online article posted by Relevant
If marriage is supposedly dying, somebody forgot to tell single Americans.
Indiana University’s Kinsey Institute has released new findings from its 15th annual Singles in America study, based on a survey of roughly 5,000 U.S. single adults. Forty-five percent said they’d like to get married someday. In 2010, it was just 33 percent.
The retreat from relationships has eased, too. The share of singles who said they don’t want a relationship at all peaked at 32 percent in 2021. It’s now 24 percent.
They’re also getting more selective. Thirty-four percent now keep a checklist for a long-term partner, up from 25 percent in 2021. Half of Gen Z respondents said they research a date online before meeting them.
All that planning has its limits.
Nearly half of singles, 49 percent, said they’ve fallen for someone they weren’t initially attracted to, up from 30 percent in 2010. Great conversation was the most common reason attraction grew. Shared interests mattered, too.
“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,” said Dr. Justin Garcia, executive director of the Kinsey Institute. “Knowing what matters to you doesn’t mean knowing exactly who you’ll fall for.”
So, yes, dating now apparently involves checklists, online reconnaissance and possibly a therapist.
Marriage still gained 12 points.