One in five Filipinos has stopped dated entirely since pandemic

Tinder, Grindr & Bumble the most popular apps

How are Filipinos forming connections in the age of social distancing and staying at home? Latest YouGov data looks at how the pandemic has impacted dating and in people’s search for love.

Prior to the pandemic, about half (52%) didn’t go on a single romantic date in the past six months. The remaining two in five (42%) went on more than one date, of which 33% went on a date with between one to two people. Mid-income (monthly household income between PHP 20,000 to PHP 99,000) are the most likely (40%) to have dated at least two people prior the pandemic, compared to about a quarter (28%) low-income earners (monthly household income below PHP 20,000).

Since the pandemic however, one in five (20%) say they have stopped dating completely and a similar amount (22%) say they have been going on less physical dates. However, an equal amount (20%) have instead turned to virtual dates, either by starting to go on or going on more virtual dates. For a lucky one in eight (12%) the pandemic has not changed their dating habits at all, and for a quarter (25%) the pandemic not played a part in their search for love, with them saying that they didn’t date before the pandemic and still don’t. A small percentage (5%) have actually gone on more physical dates.

Dating apps also have played a big part in Filipino’s love lives during the pandemic. While one in twenty (5%) spend less time on dating apps now, one in seven (14%) have either started using, spending more time on, or downloaded new dating apps.

Pre-COVID days, almost two in five (38%) had downloaded dating apps. Of all the dating apps on the market, Tinder reigns the most popular, with a quarter (23%) of Filipinos having downloaded it. This is followed by Grindr (7%), Bumble (7%) and OkCupid (6%).

About one in ten (12%) Filipinos have downloaded a new dating app since the pandemic. Again, Tinder is the app that takes the lead, with one in twenty (5%) downloading the app for the first time, followed by Bumble (3%) and OkCupid (3%).

While dating apps have gained popularity, not many are confident they will improve one’s chances of finding love. Slightly under a quarter (23%) agree with the statement ‘dating apps improve my chances to find the right partner for me’. Over a quarter (28%) disagree, and about half (50%) are undecided.

*** Results based on 1,012 Filipinos surveyed on YouGov Omnibus