Major European survey on dating and singles: The LoveGeist
Nearly 11,000 singles from France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway responded to the major survey initiated by Meetic in collaboration with TNS Sofres.
Here are the main findings of the study:
Beautiful encounters, the right remedy for gloom
Good news!
In Europe, 9 out of 10 singles say they’re open to dating! And, with 80% of singles surveyed in France approving of this idea, France is not to be outdone either.
This initial optimistic observation is in line with the result of another question addressed by LoveGeist: for the majority of singles surveyed, dating remains a good memory.
Dating leaves a positive imprint
On average, 85% of singles have good memories of their dates:
– On the podium of best memories, Latin singles with Italy (88%) and Spain (91%) taking the lead.
– At the bottom of the pack, German singles (only 79%) … With the expected result – the beautiful encounter – not being achieved, perhaps they feel this counter-performance is a disappointment?
And in France, how do singles react?
With a result of 86%, the French are in line with the European average and retain a positive image of their past “dates”
What’s also remarkable is that this point of view is shared by both French men and women, and unites all generations of adults surveyed. Only the 18-24 age group shares this view slightly less …
How about keeping in touch?
In France, 2/3 of singles also keep in touch with their past “dates”:
– Of these, for 48% of those surveyed, they go on to become acquaintances.
– Among the other possible choices, 17% of French people surveyed said they had found their “best friend” or even their “sex friend” (16%)
….
In France, men and women are not always on the same wavelength
For 20% of men, it has happened that their former “date” has become their best friend or their sex friend (20%)
For women, the situation is quite different: only 13% of their former dates become their best friends and 14% their occasional “man-hugger”…
37% of them even keep no contact with the person they met on a past date (compared with just 31% of men).
From “going out together” to “being together
When do you consider yourself to be “in a relationship”?
For 4 out of 10 singles, several good dates are a sign that a relationship is taking root and a couple is forming. This seems less certain for 35% of singles, who prefer to talk it through with their partner, just to be sure! Finally, 3rd place goes to the “idealists” who, with 11% of votes, believe that the first date is enough to consider themselves a couple…!
To make yourself understood, dare to talk or prefer the charm of the unspoken?
Above all, avoid misunderstandings … by giving pride of place to the verb:
– More than 1/4 of European singles (28%) choose face-to-face conversation to explain their desire to be in a serious relationship
– 9% of them prefer to talk explicitly about their desire to be “exclusive” with each other
– and 8% who try the very implied “I love you”.
The French Touch of romance
Like European singles, 1/3 of French people opt first and foremost for a long chat, before preferring the more mysterious second choice of a romantic weekend for 14% of them.
But 3rd place sums up the French exception in love!
So, while the Swedes, Germans and Italians (15%, 12% and 11% respectively) rationally ask their partner for exclusivity in their relationship, the French turn their backs on this idea (with just 3% of the vote)
On the contrary to too much pragmatism, at 11% they prefer the softer, more sentimental “Je t’aime” method.
France, a land of sentimental contrasts
To hear “I love you”, it’s better to live in the North-East (14%) than in the South-West (7%) of the country.
But to enjoy a romantic weekend, it’s better to live in the South-West (16%) or South-East (15%) than in the North-East (only 10%)!
They’re not used to using the same method as Elles … and vice versa!
When 17% of men say I love you, only 6% of women do
But 9% of men introduce their partner to their friends to get their message across, while only 4% of women do
Finally, men are more likely than women to suggest moving in together (3% versus 1%).
A romantic and gallant man is worth two
Gentlemen, get ready:
88% of European women say they are won over by chivalry in general.
The power of modern chivalry among European women
For single women in Europe, the trifecta of chivalry is:
– To be escorted home in a car, cab or even on foot (43%)
– To be introduced to acquaintances he might happen to bump into in her presence (39%)
– Not to be interrupted when she talks (36%)
Gallantry varies from country to country
While 97% of French women, and Spanish women for that matter, appreciate the benefits of gallantry, only 79% of Norwegians and 71% of Germans do!
In France, the birthplace of courtesy, gallantry is particularly popular with the over-25s, with 98% of the vote in favor!
What do men think?
In Europe, 87% of men appreciate being gallant, with the Spanish in the lead (97%), closely followed by the French (91%).
On the contrary, it’s interesting to note that only 22% of Germans and even 42% of Norwegians candidly admit that they don’t like being chivalrous!
Gallant but not romantic? A difficult position to hold!
As well as being gallant, 59% of women in Europe expect their dates to be romantic too.
Dutch and Scandinavian women are the most likely to want this, while at the very bottom of the ranking, French women seem a little less demanding, with “only” 55% wanting a romantic attitude.
The restaurant bill: 21st century gallantry, politeness or “fair play”?
“Who’s going to pay the bill?”. When it comes to this fateful, ritual question, women have a few things in common:
– In Europe, only 2% of women plan to pay the entire bill on a first date, compared with 55% of men
– But 49% of women are happy to share the bill…
– In France, 4% of women expect to foot the bill, while almost 2/3 of men are prepared to do so!
– Finally, although almost one in 3 women admits that they expect the other to foot the entire bill, 46% of them envisage sharing the bill… all the same…
Cette publication est également disponible en : Français (French)
