The data: numbers behind the market.
Benchmarks, downloads, spend, pricing, and survey work, with the caveats that make them usable.
Data coverage collects the numbers operators actually plan against: app downloads, consumer spend, pricing, conversion benchmarks, and demographic shifts. Every figure gets a source and a note on how it was measured.
What we watch on this beat
- 01Whether a number is measured, modelled, or self-reported
- 02The panel or sample behind third-party app estimates
- 03Currency, region, and whether store fees are netted out
Where this connects
Latest in The Data
33 stories
The Week in Dating Business: October 22 to October 28, 2026The Romance Scam Prevention Act is law, states challenge Character.AI's sale process, and Match and Grindr report Q3 results next week.
Korean Dating App Bleet Finds Profile Effort Counts More Than a BonusBleet, the dating app from workplace community Blind, found six photos drew about 7x the interest of one, and large Samsung and SK hynix bonuses made no significant difference.
The Week in Dating Business: October 15 to October 21, 2026Tinder now measures itself in "sparks," Tolan raises $30 million as Character.AI sells to Disney in bankruptcy, and Apple tightens App Store rules on intimate imagery.
South Korea's Matchmaking Agencies Are Up 34% Since 2016 as Marriages ReboundSouth Korea had 2,176 matchmaking agencies in August 2026, up 34% from 2016, per National Tax Service data, as marriages climbed to their highest level since 2018.
The Week in Dating Business: October 8 to October 14, 2026Bumble agrees to a $1.3 billion take-private by Ithaca Holdings, Norway fines Xandr NOK 92 million over Grindr data, and Info Edge's matchmaking billings rise 23%.
Info Edge's Matchmaking Billings Rise 23%, Led by AisleInfo Edge said matchmaking billings rose 23.1% in the September quarter, with Jeevansathi up 18.4% and Aisle up 40%.
The Week in Dating Business: September 30 to October 7, 2026Grindr agrees to buy Freddie for $250 million, eHarmony's Australian ruling is formalized, Feeld's revenue jumps 32%, and Google's Play Store fees go on trial.
Feeld Grew 32% Last Year While the Big Apps ShrankFeeld's 2025 revenue rose 32% to £64 million and pre-tax profit reached £11.4 million, according to its UK accounts.
The Week in Dating Business: September 22 to October 1, 2026Match relaunches Upward, Blackstone sells more Bumble at its lowest price yet, Congress passes a romance scam law, and Singapore builds its own dating app.
44% of Partnered Americans Schedule Sex. Apps Aren't Building It.44% of partnered Americans now schedule sex, rising to 49% among parents and 45% among Gen Z and Millennials; only 29% of Boomers do the same. 64% of couples schedule date nights, but just 18% schedul…
Dua Hits 1.1M Users in Six Years, Proving Diaspora Dating WorksDua has accumulated 1.1 million registered users across the Albanian diaspora since launching in 2020, six years of continuous operation, placing it among the minority of niche dating apps that surviv…
Book Mentions on Dating Profiles Are Up 29%. Hinge Has the Data.Book mentions on dating profiles have surged 29% year-on-year, according to Hinge data. Women are driving the rise at 41%, 12 percentage points above the overall user base. Research from book summary…
Hinge Tops the AI Visibility Index. Old PR Is Now Acquisition.Hinge ranks first in 5W Public Relations' Dating App AI Visibility Index 2026, ahead of Tinder despite having a significantly smaller user base. Platforms demonstrating safety transparency scored 2.1…
Ashley Madison's India Surge Is a Tier-2 Infrastructure StoryIndia has jumped from eighth to third globally for Ashley Madison membership sign-ups compared to the previous year, per the company's May 2026 data. Kanchipuram, a temple city 70 kilometres from Chen…
Three Day Rule's Single-Mother Surge Is One Dataset, Not a TrendSingle mothers now make up 21.5% of Three Day Rule's membership, up from 19.8% year-over-year, a 1.7 percentage point increase. The premium matchmaking service reports a 23% rise in single mother sign…
100,000 Matchmaking Clients Reveal the Age-Gap Divide Apps IgnoreUS men will date partners an average of 14.7 years younger but only 8.76 years older; women accept 14.12 years older but just 7.14 years younger, a near-mirror asymmetry across nearly 100,000 matchmak…
QuackQuack's 60% Archetype Adoption Rate Is a Product Gap, Not a Trend60% of 10,384 QuackQuack users now use personality labels like "Golden Retriever Energy" and "Black Cat Energy" as matching criteria. 43% of users aged 25-35 say these TikTok-born archetypes influence…
87% With Gym Crushes Never Act. Dating Apps Ignore the Opening.36% of Dutch singles have developed a crush on someone at the gym, rising to 61% among Gen Z, yet 87% have never acted on their attraction, citing fear of rejection and lack of confidence. Over 70% of…
Gen Z's Crush Recession Is a Retention Crisis Apps Can't Swipe AwayMatch Group (MTCH) reported Tinder's Paying User count fell 8% year-over-year in Q4 2024 despite ongoing de-gamification efforts. Bumble (BMBL) shares sit 86% below their IPO peak; Hinge grew revenue…
75% of Pet Owners Won't Rehome. Apps Treat Pets as Decor.78% of singles with pet allergies say they would commit to regular medication to keep dating someone they like, versus 75% of pet owners who say they would end the relationship before rehoming their a…
Three Niche Apps Launch as Match Stalls. The Unbundling Is Real.Match Group (MTCH) reported flat year-on-year revenue growth in Q4 2024; Bumble (BMBL) has fallen from $76 at IPO to under $8 per share. Three niche apps launched in April 2025: Howdy for rural single…
Gen Z's Political Filters Are Pricing Out a GenerationOnly 14% of UK Gen Z adults (18-24) would date someone with different political views, half the rate of over-65s (28%) and less than half that of Boomers aged 55-64 (33%). Gen Z women show the steepes…
Grindr Says Users Want Authenticity. Its Marketing Budget Disagrees.83% of UK Grindr (GRND) users say they prefer profile photos showing personality over heavily filtered gym selfies, according to a company-commissioned survey released alongside Pride 2026. Grindr sim…
LGBTQ+ Users Treat Sex as Wellness. Apps Still Write Romance.35% of homosexual UK adults use sex for period pain relief, more than double the 16% rate among heterosexual respondents, per a Lovehoney survey of 2,000 UK adults. 40% of bisexual respondents use sex…
Questions operators ask
Estimates vary widely because analysts count different things: app store spend only, all consumer dating spend, or spend plus advertising. Read any market size figure alongside its definition, or it is not comparable to the next one.
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