Dating advice often frames the choice as stability versus excitement, as if every person must want one and reject the other. A September 2026 study from Match and researchers at the Kinsey Institute offers a more useful, if imperfect, picture. Many single respondents emphasized respect, emotional security and honest conversation about money, while also expressing optimism about romantic commitment. The findings invite reflection on what people say they value, but they are survey responses—not proof that all dating behavior has suddenly changed.
Who took part in the study?
The 15th annual Singles in America survey included roughly 5,000 US single adults aged 18 and older and was conducted online between March and April 2026. The Kinsey Institute says the 120-question instrument examined relationships, finances, family, work and social attitudes. The sample was constructed to reflect demographic distributions, while the study was funded by Match.
That sponsorship is worth disclosing, but it does not by itself establish that the findings are false. More important are the questions, recruitment methods, eligible population and definitions. These results describe survey participants who were single under the study's criteria; they should not be extended without caution to every married adult or to societies outside the United States.
Sources: 15th annual Singles in America Study released · Singles in America Study — Research and methods · Match Unveils 15th Annual Singles in America Study
What does 'emotional safety' mean in the responses?
Match's published summary reports that 34% of respondents prioritized peace and emotional safety over passion and excitement, compared with 14% choosing the latter in that question. Respondents also cited feeling respected, being listened to and expressing feelings without judgment as features of safety. Those answers do not mean the remaining respondents rejected emotional security; different response options and question wording matter.
Emotional steadiness is better understood here as a stated relationship preference than as a medical or psychological diagnosis. A person's needs and choices can change across situations. An editorial article should not use a poll result to prescribe one universal romantic style for men or women.
Sources: 15th annual Singles in America Study released · Match Unveils 15th Annual Singles in America Study
Money is entering the conversation earlier
The 2026 summary says 71% of surveyed singles thought openness about money builds trust, and 89% agreed that both partners should share in financial decisions. Respondents identified financial goals, spending and budgeting as areas worth discussing. These results reveal how participants describe desirable communication, not whether their real-world relationships always follow those principles.
Conversations about bills and savings can reflect practical issues such as housing affordability or long-term planning. But the survey alone cannot establish that economic pressure caused a specific change in romantic behavior. Claims about causation would require longitudinal evidence and more detailed analysis.
Sources: 15th annual Singles in America Study released · Match Unveils 15th Annual Singles in America Study
Are singles still interested in commitment?
The research release reported that the share of single participants who said they did not want a relationship had fallen from an earlier peak, while expressed interest in future marriage was higher than at the start of the study's long-running series. Those comparisons show a pattern in the program's reported samples, not necessarily how the same individuals changed their minds.
A separate SSRS survey conducted in January 2026 found 37% of US adults had used a dating app or site at some point and 6% were current users. It measured a different population with a different questionnaire. We should not combine these two surveys into a single timeline or pretend their percentages describe interchangeable groups.
Sources: 15th annual Singles in America Study released · Singles in America Study — Research and methods · The Public and Online Dating 2026
What is not established by these findings?
The study does not prove that dating apps cause relationship dissatisfaction, that women and men want incompatible things, or that emotional safety and attraction are mutually exclusive. Online survey answers may be influenced by how questions are worded and by what participants feel comfortable admitting. Researchers can learn from such results without treating them as predictions for any individual couple.
The practical value is modest but meaningful: people may benefit from discussing what respect, stability, affection and shared financial decisions mean to them, rather than assuming everyone uses those words the same way. The headline isn't that romance has been replaced. It's that many surveyed singles say they want relationships where excitement can coexist with trust.
Sources: 15th annual Singles in America Study released · Singles in America Study — Research and methods · Match Unveils 15th Annual Singles in America Study · The Public and Online Dating 2026
