How Dating in Australia Has Changed Over the Last Two Decades

Twenty years ago, an Australian looking for a partner would probably ask a friend to set them up, or hope to catch someone’s eye at a pub. That method still exists, but it now sits far down the list. The Choosi Swipe Right Modern Dating Report from June 2023 found that 62% of active daters meet potential partners through apps and websites. Friends and colleagues account for 47%. The order has flipped.

This tells us something plain about how Australians form relationships now. The pub is still there. So are the mutual friends. But the phone in your pocket does more work than either.

Where Partners Come From Now

The Australia Talks National survey of 54,970 respondents in 2019 reported that 35% of Australians found their partner or spouse online. That figure beat out the 21% who met through friends and the 13% who met at work. By 2024, dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble accounted for 28% of engagements, according to the Australian Wedding Industry Report.

Age matters here. Relationships Australia research shows that 24% of Australians under 44 met their partner online, compared to 6% of those over 44. The gap is large enough to suggest two separate dating cultures operating in parallel.

Tinder holds the top position in the Australian market with a 20% share as of 2022, followed by Bumble at 18%. Sensor Tower data from early 2024 showed Tinder pulling in weekly revenues between $680,000 and $892,000, with roughly 1 million weekly active users. Hinge maintained a smaller but growing base, with weekly active users increasing to approximately 351,000.

Relationship Preferences Beyond the Mainstream

Australians now approach dating with a wider view of what partnership can look like. The same platforms that connect people for traditional romance also host those seeking arrangements outside conventional expectations, including sugar baby dating and other non-standard dynamics. Generational differences play a role here, with younger users more open to defining relationships on their own terms.

Research indicates 52% of Australians aged 20-39 met their most recent partner through online dating. This high adoption rate extends across relationship types. People are less bound by older scripts about how partnerships should form or what they should offer each participant.

How Much Australians Spend on Dating

ING research puts the annual spending by single Australians at $42.8 billion in pursuit of romance. That includes an average of $384 per month per person. Spending on online platforms alone has climbed from $80.7 million per year in 2017 to half a billion now.

A single date costs the average Australian $158. Men report spending more, at $233 per date, while women estimate $101. The Choosi report breaks down pre-date costs at $66.53 on average, with money going toward new clothes (41%), hair services (25%), and shoes (18%).

The average singleton now goes on 3 dates per month. In 2017, that number was 1. More dates mean more spending, and more time invested in the search.

Who Pays and Why It Matters

The old assumption that men should pay for dates is losing ground. More than half of singles (59%) now prefer to split the bill or pay for their own share. Gen Z leads this preference, with 76% expecting to pay their way. Among Gen X singles, that figure drops to 64%.

This suggests a generational turn in expectations around money and partnership. Younger Australians are less comfortable with financial imbalances early in dating. The transaction is becoming more equal, at least in theory.

The Time Sink of Swiping

The Choosi report found that the average user spends 6 hours per week on dating apps, checking in about 5 times daily. That works out to 1,675 checks per year. This is time that once went elsewhere, or did not exist as a category at all.

Nearly half (49%) of Australians use at least one dating app or website. For many, the search for a partner has become a daily routine with its own rhythms and habits.

Marriage Rates and Timing

The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that the crude marriage rate in 2024 was 5.5 marriages per 1,000 people. That figure matches 2023 and sits close to the pre-pandemic rate of 5.6 in 2019. During the pandemic, the rate dropped to 3.8 in 2020, then rebounded sharply to 6.1 in 2022, a record year with more than 127,000 marriages.

Australians are marrying later. The median age for marriage is now 32.5 years for men and 30.9 years for women. The divorce rate fell to 2.1 per 1,000 people in 2024, down from 2.3 the year before. Marriages that do end in divorce last a median of 13.2 years.

Generational Patterns in Relationships

Baby Boomers are the generation most likely to be married or partnered, at 64%. Meanwhile, 61% of Australian Gen Z have never been married. South Australia has the highest proportion of adults in relationships (59%), while Victoria has the most single adults, with 32% of the adult population never having married.

These patterns point to different timelines for partnership across age groups. Younger Australians are waiting longer, or opting out altogether.

The Downsides of App-Based Dating

Ghosting has become common. According to the Choosi report, 73% of Australians have ghosted someone at least once, and 71% have been ghosted themselves. More than 83% of users felt someone did not match their profile, and 58% have been catfished or suspected they were.

International research with contributions from The Australian National University found that people who met partners online reported lower relationship satisfaction and less intense feelings of love compared to those who met offline. The study noted that motivations have shifted over time. Early users sought long-term partners. Modern users increasingly pursue casual arrangements.

Despite these frustrations, 37% of Australians over 18 remain hopeful about finding enduring love. Those currently in serious relationships report going on an average of 31 dates to find their partner.

The Industry Behind the Swipe

The Australian dating services market has grown steadily. IBISWorld estimates industry revenue reached $316.4 million in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 4.4% over 5 years. There are 278 businesses operating in the sector.

Research and Markets reports the online dating service market reached around $123.3 million in 2024 and is projected to grow at 7.5% annually, reaching nearly $253 million by 2034. Statista projects user penetration at 12.3%, with the number of users expected to hit 3.4 million by 2029.

The numbers show that dating has become a substantial commercial sector, with real money flowing through platforms designed to connect people.

What Two Decades Have Produced

Australians are meeting differently, spending more, and taking longer to marry. The tools have changed, and so have the expectations around partnership. The search for connection now happens through screens as often as it happens in person. Whether that produces better outcomes remains an open question. The data does not settle it. The people using the apps will have to.

.Cent Magazine London. Luxury Mindset