In preparing for a radio interview, I came across several useful articles containing information about the worldwide dating industry. Time magazine’s We Just Clicked is fantastic, lots of information about online and offline dating around the world. Chock full of useful information, it contains current information about the worldwide dating industry and looks at cultural differences and their impact on how dating sites operate in different countries. The article starts with the usual Match, Chemistry and eHarmony stats, then goes on to shed light on the Indian and Asian matchmaking market.
Here are some of the data you might find interesting.
After booming growth in the early part of this decade, with industry revenue increasing by more than 70 percent a year-over-year, the online dating category has slowed down. The market grew 10 percent in 2006, to $649 million, and is projected to grow 8 percent annually until 2011, according to Jupiter Research.
Of the 92 million unmarried Americans 18 and older counted by the Census last year, about 16 million have tried online dating, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project. In 2003 online daters increased 77%. With sites charging $35 a month on average, revenues popped accordingly. Growth has ebbed of late to about 10% a year, say analysts, partly because of the competing popularity of social-networking sites. You can flirt on Facebook too–and for free.
Of the 14 million Chinese Internet daters, only 500,000 pay subscription fees; thus industry revenues are estimated at just $24 million, according to iResearch.
Now in 35 countries, the Dallas-based Match.com says 30% of its 1.3 million members live outside the U.S., accounting for 30% of its $350 million 2007 revenues (the bulk of its 15 million members just browse for free).
eHarmony poses 436 questions to users in order to find them the best match. It has since accrued 17 million members, 230 employees, $200 million in annual revenues and 30% yearly growth. That’s not to mention marriages at a rate of 90 a day, unions that so far have produced 100,000 children (a disproportionate number of them named Harmony).
