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According to a new UK survey, married couples who met online are six times more likely to divorce during their first three years of marriage than couples who met through friends and family.
The survey, conducted by Savanta for the Marriage Foundation, asked over 2,000 adults aged 30 and up when they first married, where they met their first spouse, and if they were still married.
It discovered that among those who married for the first time after the year 2000 — around the time online dating became popular — 12% of those who met online divorced before their third wedding anniversary. This compares to only 2% of couples who met through friends and family.
According to Harry Benson, the survey report's author, couples who meet online may find it difficult to get information on their spouse's long-term character without the advice of shared friends, family, or other community members.
It's possible they're marrying "as relative strangers," he wrote.
However, as people stayed married longer, things changed. Among those who married 10 or more years ago, those who met at work had the highest divorce rate (24%), compared to 20% for couples who met online, 19% for those who met in a bar or restaurant, and 15% for those who met through friends and family.
The survey also revealed the rise of online dating. In the 1990s, only 1% of couples met their future spouse online. This increased to 7% in the 2000s, then to 28% after 2017, putting it on par with friends and family as the most common way to find a spouse.
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