Why Is America Going Through a ‘Dating Recession’?

According to research, a primary cause of the dating slump is lack of self-confidence among young men and women.

Dating has historically served as the first stage of forming long-term partnerships, but surveys show that participation in dating among young Americans has declined in recent years. Janina Steinmetz/Getty Images

Researchers at the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) recently analyzed reports from studies such as the 2025 National Dating Landscape Survey and the Monitoring the Future study, run by the University of Michigan. They reveal a decline in dating so steep that IFS has labeled it “the dating recession.” IFS is known for its empirical take on social and cultural trends and its ability to draw conclusions from raw data and statistics.

In the 1980s, about 87 percent of 12th graders said they went out on dates. Today, that figure has shrunk to 47 percent.