Infidelity statistics – How common is cheating?
By Bedbible Research Center / November 09, 2022
⚪ Updated: 11/9-2022
This is by far the most comprehensive mapping of infidelity ever made.
In this dataset we have surveyed and aggregated over 1,920,000 data points from 23,872 respondents. It is by far the largest study of cheating ever made.
Please get in contact to get the full dataset – available for SPSS, Stata, R, & SAS.
You may use material from this report and dataset as long as you refer to this original report. For special requests, the full dataset, or questions, please email lead researcher Benjamin Jorgensen at benjamin@bedbible.com
Reported infedelity from 1960-2021
Through our research we have collected and aggregated data on cheating.
We asked respondents in two ways:
% who reported to have cheated on a partner (any partner)
| Year | Overall | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 5% | 7% | 2% |
| 1961 | 9% | 14% | 4% |
| 1962 | 11% | 16% | 6% |
| 1963 | 10% | 15% | 4% |
| 1964 | 10% | 14% | 5% |
| 1965 | 13% | 14% | 11% |
| 1966 | 14% | 21% | 7% |
| 1967 | 14% | 22% | 5% |
| 1968 | 14% | 21% | 7% |
| 1969 | 12% | 18% | 5% |
| 1970 | 12% | 17% | 7% |
| 1971 | 12% | 19% | 5% |
| 1972 | 14% | 21% | 7% |
| 1973 | 14% | 22% | 5% |
| 1974 | 14% | 21% | 7% |
| 1975 | 16% | 24% | 8% |
| 1976 | 16% | 23% | 9% |
| 1977 | 15% | 22% | 8% |
| 1978 | 15% | 22% | 8% |
| 1979 | 17% | 24% | 9% |
| 1980 | 15% | 20% | 9% |
| 1981 | 15% | 23% | 6% |
| 1982 | 16% | 24% | 8% |
| 1983 | 14% | 23% | 5% |
| 1984 | 15% | 23% | 6% |
| 1985 | 18% | 28% | 7% |
| 1986 | 17% | 25% | 9% |
| 1987 | 17% | 25% | 9% |
| 1988 | 16% | 24% | 8% |
| 1989 | 15% | 23% | 6% |
| 1990 | 14% | 20% | 7% |
| 1991 | 15% | 23% | 6% |
| 1992 | 15% | 24% | 6% |
| 1993 | 17% | 23% | 10% |
| 1994 | 15% | 20% | 9% |
| 1995 | 18% | 25% | 10% |
| 1996 | 18% | 27% | 9% |
| 1997 | 17% | 23% | 11% |
| 1998 | 19% | 23% | 14% |
| 1999 | 16% | 17% | 15% |
| 2000 | 17% | 18% | 15% |
| 2001 | 18% | 21% | 14% |
| 2002 | 14% | 21% | 7% |
| 2003 | 15% | 22% | 7% |
| 2004 | 16% | 23% | 8% |
| 2005 | 18% | 27% | 8% |
| 2006 | 20% | 28% | 12% |
| 2007 | 17% | 25% | 9% |
| 2008 | 20% | 29% | 11% |
| 2009 | 19% | 24% | 14% |
| 2010 | 19% | 27% | 11% |
| 2011 | 20% | 27% | 13% |
| 2012 | 22% | 31% | 12% |
| 2013 | 21% | 31% | 11% |
| 2014 | 20% | 27% | 13% |
| 2015 | 14% | 15% | 12% |
| 2016 | 15% | 16% | 14% |
| 2017 | 15% | 15% | 15% |
| 2018 | 18% | 19% | 17% |
| 2019 | 19% | 25% | 12% |
| 2020 | 20% | 28% | 11% |
| 2021 | 21% | 28% | 14% |
Secondly we asked respondents in each year if they have cheated on their current partner.
% who reported to have cheated on their partner (current partner)
| Year | Overall | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6% | 8% | 4% |
| 1961 | 6% | 7% | 5% |
| 1962 | 8% | 8% | 7% |
| 1963 | 6% | 7% | 5% |
| 1964 | 8% | 8% | 7% |
| 1965 | 11% | 16% | 6% |
| 1966 | 10% | 15% | 4% |
| 1967 | 10% | 14% | 5% |
| 1968 | 13% | 14% | 11% |
| 1969 | 12% | 14% | 9% |
| 1970 | 10% | 15% | 5% |
| 1971 | 11% | 14% | 7% |
| 1972 | 12% | 18% | 5% |
| 1973 | 12% | 17% | 7% |
| 1974 | 12% | 19% | 5% |
| 1975 | 14% | 21% | 7% |
| 1976 | 14% | 22% | 5% |
| 1977 | 14% | 21% | 7% |
| 1978 | 16% | 24% | 8% |
| 1979 | 16% | 23% | 9% |
| 1980 | 15% | 22% | 8% |
| 1981 | 15% | 22% | 8% |
| 1982 | 15% | 24% | 6% |
| 1983 | 15% | 23% | 7% |
| 1984 | 15% | 25% | 5% |
| 1985 | 15% | 22% | 8% |
| 1986 | 16% | 24% | 8% |
| 1987 | 15% | 23% | 6% |
| 1988 | 16% | 25% | 7% |
| 1989 | 13% | 21% | 5% |
| 1990 | 14% | 22% | 5% |
| 1991 | 15% | 21% | 8% |
| 1992 | 15% | 22% | 8% |
| 1993 | 15% | 23% | 6% |
| 1994 | 15% | 23% | 6% |
| 1995 | 14% | 24% | 4% |
| 1996 | 14% | 23% | 5% |
| 1997 | 13% | 20% | 6% |
| 1998 | 12% | 19% | 4% |
| 1999 | 15% | 21% | 8% |
| 2000 | 14% | 19% | 8% |
| 2001 | 13% | 20% | 6% |
| 2002 | 13% | 19% | 7% |
| 2003 | 11% | 17% | 5% |
| 2004 | 11% | 16% | 6% |
| 2005 | 10% | 16% | 4% |
| 2006 | 10% | 15% | 5% |
| 2007 | 11% | 16% | 6% |
| 2008 | 10% | 15% | 4% |
| 2009 | 10% | 14% | 5% |
| 2010 | 14% | 21% | 6% |
| 2011 | 12% | 19% | 4% |
| 2012 | 13% | 20% | 5% |
| 2013 | 13% | 19% | 6% |
| 2014 | 11% | 17% | 4% |
| 2015 | 11% | 17% | 5% |
| 2016 | 11% | 16% | 6% |
| 2017 | 10% | 16% | 4% |
| 2018 | 10% | 15% | 5% |
| 2019 | 11% | 16% | 6% |
| 2020 | 10% | 15% | 4% |
| 2021 | 10% | 14% | 5% |
Infidelity based on age and gender
As already indicated in the first two data table diplayed above we have included demographic data on things such as age and gender. The tabulated data can be found in the below table (2021 data). It was not possible to collect data on respondents over 80 years old without making data collection unreasonably expensive.
| Age | Overall | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 3% | 4% | 1% |
| 19 | 3% | 4% | 2% |
| 20 | 5% | 5% | 4% |
| 21 | 5% | 6% | 3% |
| 22 | 6% | 8% | 4% |
| 23 | 6% | 7% | 5% |
| 24 | 6% | 8% | 4% |
| 25 | 6% | 7% | 5% |
| 26 | 8% | 8% | 7% |
| 27 | 8% | 9% | 6% |
| 28 | 8% | 9% | 6% |
| 29 | 8% | 9% | 7% |
| 30 | 9% | 9% | 8% |
| 31 | 10% | 10% | 9% |
| 32 | 10% | 11% | 8% |
| 33 | 11% | 13% | 9% |
| 34 | 12% | 14% | 10% |
| 35 | 12% | 13% | 11% |
| 36 | 12% | 14% | 9% |
| 37 | 14% | 15% | 12% |
| 38 | 13% | 14% | 11% |
| 39 | 13% | 15% | 11% |
| 40 | 13% | 16% | 10% |
| 41 | 14% | 17% | 11% |
| 42 | 15% | 19% | 11% |
| 43 | 14% | 17% | 10% |
| 44 | 15% | 18% | 11% |
| 45 | 14% | 17% | 10% |
| 46 | 16% | 19% | 12% |
| 47 | 17% | 21% | 13% |
| 48 | 17% | 22% | 11% |
| 49 | 17% | 21% | 12% |
| 50 | 17% | 22% | 11% |
| 51 | 18% | 23% | 13% |
| 52 | 18% | 23% | 13% |
| 53 | 18% | 24% | 12% |
| 54 | 17% | 23% | 11% |
| 55 | 17% | 22% | 11% |
| 56 | 17% | 21% | 12% |
| 57 | 18% | 23% | 13% |
| 58 | 20% | 25% | 14% |
| 59 | 19% | 23% | 14% |
| 60 | 18% | 22% | 13% |
| 61 | 18% | 24% | 12% |
| 62 | 17% | 23% | 11% |
| 63 | 18% | 25% | 10% |
| 64 | 18% | 24% | 11% |
| 65 | 16% | 21% | 10% |
| 66 | 16% | 23% | 8% |
| 67 | 14% | 20% | 8% |
| 68 | 14% | 19% | 9% |
| 69 | 15% | 21% | 8% |
| 70 | 14% | 19% | 8% |
| 71 | 13% | 20% | 6% |
| 72 | 13% | 19% | 7% |
| 73 | 11% | 17% | 5% |
| 74 | 11% | 16% | 6% |
| 75 | 10% | 16% | 4% |
| 76 | 10% | 15% | 5% |
| 77 | 11% | 16% | 6% |
| 78 | 10% | 15% | 4% |
| 79 | 10% | 14% | 5% |
| 80 | 9% | 13% | 5% |
How common is admitting to cheating?
Diving into the aftermath of infidelity, one of the things that we took a look at was how common it was for the cheating to stay a secret in the relationship, or become known for the partner.
| Overall | | | Guilt | Partner had a right to know | Caught by partner | Feared STD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No admission | 49.8% | | | – | – | – | – |
| Admission | 50.2% | | | 41% | 32% | 17% | 10% |
Additionally we asked the group of 50.2% how long time passed before the infidelity became known to their partner.
How long time passed before the cheating became known to your partner?
| Time | % who answered in this group |
|---|---|
| <1 week | 47.7% |
| <1 month | 26.6% |
| +6 months | 25.7% |
Lastly we asked them to answer, what happened after they told their partner about the infidelity.
If you cheated on a partner and admitted it, what happened? (past partners also count)
| What happened? | % who answered in this group |
|---|---|
| Broke up immediately | 54.5% |
| Tried staying together, but are broken up now | 30% |
| Still together | 15.6% |
How do couples handle infidelity?
The following tabulation should not be taken as a strictly causation study nor evidence. The below tabulation simply show a statistical correlation between the response of the partner too becomming aware of cheating, and the result on the relationship status. It does not mean that mimicking the responses will have an effect on your relationship.
| Response to infidelity | Not together | Still together |
|---|---|---|
| Let their partners look through their phones | 55.7% | 45.6% |
| Avoid certain friends | 48.5% | 38.1% |
| Limitations on going out | 43.3% | 23.1% |
| Let their partner access their social media | 39.2% | 25.3% |
| End the affair | 30.9% | 20.1% |
| Withhold sex | 28.9% | 25.3% |
| Only communicate with the opposite sex with permission | 27.8% | 7.2% |
| Get tested for STDs | 23.7% | 33.2% |
| Limit alcohol intake | 19.6% | 4.9% |
Cheating per country
In the following we were able to gather data on 50 countries. Tme, economic, or simply access possibilities were contraints that prevented data on more countries from being gathered.
| Rank | Country | Overall |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Thailand | 51% |
| #2 | Denmark | 46% |
| #3 | Germany | 45% |
| #4 | Italy | 45% |
| #5 | France | 43% |
| #6 | Norway | 41% |
| #7 | Belgium | 40% |
| #8 | Spain | 39% |
| #9 | Finland | 36% |
| #10 | United Kingdom | 36% |
| #11 | Canada | 36% |
| #12 | Greece | 36% |
| #13 | Luxembourg | 36% |
| #14 | Austria | 35% |
| #15 | Brazil | 35% |
| #16 | Iceland | 35% |
| #17 | Netherlands | 35% |
| #18 | Portugal | 35% |
| #19 | Sweden | 35% |
| #20 | United States | 35% |
| #21 | Argentina | 34% |
| #22 | Australia | 34% |
| #23 | Bahamas | 34% |
| #24 | Croatia | 34% |
| #25 | Cyprus | 34% |
| #26 | Latvia | 34% |
| #27 | Liechtenstein | 34% |
| #28 | Mexico | 34% |
| #29 | Panama | 34% |
| #30 | Slovakia | 34% |
| #31 | Estonia | 33% |
| #32 | Ireland | 33% |
| #33 | Czech Republic | 31% |
| #34 | Hungary | 31% |
| #35 | New Zealand | 31% |
| #36 | Monaco | 29% |
| #37 | Costa Rica | 28% |
| #38 | Lithuania | 27% |
| #39 | Malta | 27% |
| #40 | Switzerland | 25% |
| #41 | Chile | 22% |
| #42 | Barbados | 21% |
| #43 | Antigua and Barbuda | 16% |
| #44 | Poland | 16% |
| #45 | Andorra | 15% |
| #46 | Trinidad and Tobago | 13% |
| #47 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 12% |
| #48 | Slovenia | 11% |
| #49 | Uruguay | 10% |
| #50 | Vatican City | 3% |
Europe versus The United states on: “What do you consider cheating?”
To explore the subject of what infidelity and cheating actually means to people we have also tabulated the data on this aspect. In this way it is possible to find regional or country specific differences.
Here, most notiably we tabulated all european countries in our dataset against all US-based respondents. Additionally we included gender in the tabulation and asked respondents to answer what they would consider cheating.
| US, All | US, Men | US, Women | | | Europe, All | Europe, Men | Europe, Women | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaginal intercourse | 98% | 97% | 99% | | | 84% | 81% | 86% |
| Oral intercourse | 98% | 97% | 98% | | | 81% | 78% | 84% |
| Anal intercourse | 96% | 95% | 98% | | | 79% | 76% | 82% |
| Kissing | 84% | 81% | 86% | | | 73% | 67% | 78% |
| Heavy petting | 81% | 75% | 86% | | | 67% | 62% | 72% |
| Spooning | 67% | 63% | 71% | | | 40% | 35% | 44% |
| Cuddling | 65% | 63% | 68% | | | 37% | 30% | 43% |
| Getting close emotionally | 62% | 53% | 71% | | | 40% | 32% | 47% |
| Sleeping in the same bed | 57% | 51% | 62% | | | 39% | 35% | 42% |
| Holding hands | 50% | 47% | 53% | | | 29% | 25% | 33% |
| Going out as friends | 37% | 29% | 44% | | | 20% | 17% | 23% |
How did you meet the person you cheated with?
The last aspect of the dataset has to do with how the cheating part actually met and engaged in the cheating.
We tabulated this data solely on gender for the below example:
| How did you meet? | All | | | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friend | 36.8% | | | 40.6% | 32.9% |
| Work | 31.0% | | | 33.3% | 28.6% |
| Other | 19.7% | | | 17.5% | 21.8% |
| Bar | 16.0% | | | 12.4% | 19.5% |
| Social media | 7.2% | | | 7.1% | 7.3% |
| Dating service | 9.8% | | | 4.7% | 14.9% |
| Vacation or business trip | 5.6% | | | 4.2% | 6.9% |
| School | 0.5% | | | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Cheating-specific dating service | 1.6% | | | 0.2% | 3.0% |
