The major quality that singles were looking for in another person was emotional maturity. Physical attractiveness was seen as important by 78%, that is much less than the 90% in 2020. This year a large majority valued the other's being open-minded and accepting of differences (83%), as well as being a good communicator (84%). In contrast to the last 2 years, 20% more singles preferred a financially stable partner. More (20%), especially men, wanted to marry.
It appeared that singles wanted security and stability in their intimate relationships. The majority (62%) were seeking meaning and commitment. A similar percent (65%) of those surveyed wanted to find what they were searching for soon, within the next year.
Match's chief science adviser expressed the opinion that these changes may have long-lasting effects on how singles date and form their partnerships.
In a recent edition of Time magazine [2021, 198(nos. 21-22), p.23], there was a report on research done by the dating site Match, released on November 9, 2021. The research suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted priorities in single people's search for romantic partners.