SINGAPORE: Users on Singapore’s most popular online dating platform are more likely to be “social daters” seeking new friends instead of “serious daters”, according to a new YouGov survey published earlier in February.

The survey, conducted by market research firm YouGov in January, involved a sample of 1,034 Singapore residents that was representative along age, gender and ethnic lines.

The survey found that only 24% of respondents have ever used an online dating app. Among the dating apps used, Tinder emerged as the front runner, with 59% of dating app users having used the platform.

The kind of relationships users were looking for differed across dating apps.

Only 41% of the surveyed Tinder users expressed interest in finding a future spouse through the app, while 54% said they were looking for a serious or exclusive relationship. Respondents could indicate interest in finding more than one kind of relationship.

According to YouGov, “social daters” made up the largest proportion of Tinder users surveyed, while Tinder had the smallest proportion of “serious daters”, compared with other popular dating apps such as Coffee Meets Bagel and Bumble.

Despite the prevalence of online dating apps, the vast majority of Singapore residents surveyed has yet to embrace them. Around four in 10 millennials reported having used dating apps, while only 3% of baby boomers - those born between 1946 and 1964 - reported using them.

Disinterest in romantic relationships, concerns over fake or misleading profiles and a preference for face-to-face interactions were cited as primary deterrents for non-users. The survey found that 27% of respondents said they were concerned about misleading profiles or catfishing, while 24% said they preferred getting to know people in-person.

Data from the National Population and Talent Division highlights a shift in how Singapore residents forge romantic connections. In 2012, 7% of residents surveyed reported meeting their partners online, but by 2021, this figure had risen to 29%.

Survey findings from the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) add another layer to how dating is changing. According to the IPS survey, which was conducted in 2023, there is a generational shift in attitudes towards marriage and family, with young Singaporeans now less likely to see marriage and parenthood as necessities.

Some 70% of those aged 21 to 34 surveyed by IPS said they do not feel it is necessary to get married, and 72% of this group also said they do not feel it is necessary to have children.

 - ANN