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Ever wondered what the average age is for people to find their spouse and soulmate? Our in-depth analysis delves into this intriguing question, presenting a comprehensive look at the average age Americans encounter their lifelong companion.
The findings, derived from a robust dataset of over 6,860 survey participants, might just surprise you. Dive in to uncover the patterns, trends, and insights that paint a vivid picture of love’s timeline in the modern age.
Table of contents:
- When do People Meet Their Spouse and Soulmate?
- The Average Age of Meeting ‘the one for the first time
- The trends for when you meet your partner
- How Many Have Met Their Soulmate at age 18, 20, 25, and 30?
- Other Facts About When People Meet
Key Findings
- People on average met their soulmate and spouse at the age of 26 to 27.
- Men on average started dating their current spouse at 28.5 years, while women do the same at age 24.3 years.
- Married couples on average met 2 years before dating (at 22.4 years, while they on average start dating at 26.4 years).
- 40% of relationships were friends before dating, meaning they had met their soulmate long before dating.
- The trend is that people tend to meet and date their future spouses a lot later in life
- People from The Greatest Generation (born 1900 to 1925 and met their spouse at age 17) on average met their first spouse 12 years earlier than Millennials (born 1981 to 1996, and met their spouse at age 30).
- The average age of remarriage is 36.7 years old.
- 1 in 3 believe they met their soulmate at age 21.
- 2% of all US marriages met as high school sweethearts.
When do People Meet Their Spouse and Soulmate?
- Married couples have on average met and started dating their partner at age 26.4
- Unmarried couples have on average met and started dating their partner at age 26.2
- Unmarried couples have on average started dating at a younger age.
- Men on average meet and start dating their future spouse at age 28.5, while women do the same at age 24.3.
- Men on average meet and start dating their future partner at age 28.4, while women do the same at age 23.9.
- Women are average 4 years younger than men when they start their current relationship (married or unmarried).
| Average age when people met and started dating | All | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average age when meeting current partner (unmarried) | 26.2 | 28.4 | 23.9 |
| Average age when meeting current spouse (married) | 26.4 | 28.5 | 24.3 |
The data shows that there is very little difference between when married spouses and unmarried partners started dating.
Married couples seem to have met when they were both slightly older when compared to unmarried couples.
The Average Age of Meeting ‘the one for the first time
An important distinction is; what is the average age of people the first time they met ‘the one’.
This is not the same age, at which, you start dating.
A few studies have shown that chances are high that you have already met your future partner if you’re not already together.
It is not uncommon for long-term friends or acquaintances to end up in a relationship.
| Average age when met the first time | All | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average age when meeting current partner (unmarried) | 24.7 | 25.3 | 22.1 |
| Average age when meeting current spouse (married) | 22.4 | 23.6 | 21.2 |
The Trends for When you Meet your Partner
In addition to looking at the respondent’s answers, to when they met their current partner we also looked at generational differences. We looked at which generation each respondent where born in and placed them here.
We only looked at spouses – that is, married people. However, we also looked at when they met their current spouse, and secondly at when they met their first spouse (only people who remarried provided differing answers). The 1,765 respondents had remarried and were, therefore, the respondents driving the difference between ‘first’ and ‘current’.
Based on the above we found the average age of when different generations met their first spouse or current spouse.
We find some clear trends:
- People on average meet their first or current partners a lot later in life compared to earlier.
- People from the greatest generation on average met their first spouse 12 years earlier than millennials (age 17 vs. age 30).
- The youngest generation tends to meet their spouses at the age of 28-29.
| Generations | Current spouse | First spouse |
|---|---|---|
| The Greatest Generation (1900 to 1925) | 23.3 | 17.4 |
| Silent Generation (1928 to 1945) | 26.5 | 21.7 |
| Baby Boomer Generation (1946 to 1964) | 27.1 | 25.2 |
| Generation X (1965 to 1980) | 29.6 | 27.8 |
| Millennial Generation (1981 to 1996) | 31.3 | 28.9 |
How Many Have Met Their Soulmate at age 18, 20, 25, and 30?
As part of our analysis, we wanted to see how many percent were already with their current partner at a certain age.
What the data shows is that:
- Over 50% have met their current partner during their 20s.
- 17% met their soulmate before turning 18.
- 24% meet ‘the one’ when they are 21 to 25 years old.
- 15% of people meet their current partner while being 40+ years old.
| Age when meeting current partner | % who have met current partner | (sum) |
|---|---|---|
| <18 | 17% | 17% |
| 19-20 | 13% | 30% |
| 21-25 | 24% | 54% |
| 26-30 | 21% | 75% |
| 31-35 | 7% | 82% |
| 36-40 | 3% | 85% |
| 40+ | 15% | 100% |
Other Facts About When People Meet
The following sections highlight some additional insights we made from the nationally representative survey.
- 1 in 3 believe they met their soulmate at age 21
When asking respondents to answer when they believe to have met their true soulmate, every third of respondents reported that they met their soulmate at the age of 21 years old. They did not report any marital or relationship status with the person. Simply, they believed that at age 21 they had already met ‘the one’.
- 2% of all US marriages met as high school sweethearts
In the survey, when asked if their current marriage is with their high school sweetheart, 2% of all respondents answered yes. In other words, 1 in 50 marriages in the US are old high school sweethearts.
- 2 years is the average time couples have known each other before marrying
Our research suggests that couples who eventually marry have typically known each other for an average of two years before tying the knot. This timeframe allows for the development of a strong emotional bond and compatibility, albeit, it is a short period before committing.
- 28% of married couples graduated from the same college
In our analysis, we found that an amazing 28% of college graduates attended the same college as their spouses. This means that college years could be a prime time for meeting your soulmate.
- 35% believe in love at first sight
When asked about whether or not the respondents knew, or would know when they meet ‘the one’ a whopping third of all respondents answered yes. 41% of men reported believing in love at first sight, while only 29% of women did.
- 36.7 is the average age of remarriage
While love at first sight might have been an illusion the first time around, doesn’t mean that meeting and marriage your soulmate can’t happen later in life. In the study, we found that the average age of remarriage for men is 37.9 years, and for women, it is 35.4 years.
- 40% of couples are friends before dating
Nearly 40% of couples in long-term relationships started as friends before becoming romantically involved. This suggests that many soulmates may already be in your social circle before you realize it.