21% of Americans Want a Date Every Week, Survey Finds

When you're in a relationship, date night can easily slip off the calendar. Life gets busy and stressful (more so if you've got kids), so carving out time to actually date your partner isn't always realistic.

Still, a new YouGov survey on dating shows that plenty of Americans wish they went on dates more often than they do.

The data offers a look at which activities Americans have tried and liked for date night (along with ones they haven't tried yet but would like to). Below, I'll walk through the findings and a few lessons we can take from the responses.

Survey Says: It's Probably Time to Take Your Spouse Out

According to the survey, Americans go on dates less often than they'd like. Among respondents, 21% would like weekly dates (or even more frequent ones), but only 8% are actually dating that often.

Likewise, 24% would like a few dates a month, yet just 17% get out that frequently.

At the somewhat more introverted end, 15% would like a monthly date, but only 10% manage it.

For married Americans, 26% want to date weekly or more often, yet only half that share (13%) say they go out with their spouse that frequently. Another 28% want to go on a few dates a month, while 23% say that's how often they actually go out.

Even after years together, dating your partner still matters. Don't let it drop off just because you're settled.

For people in relationships who aren't married, 24% want a date at least weekly, but a mere 9% really go out that often.

Fitting in dates is hard when you're also juggling work or school, social commitments, family duties, health issues, and everything else in life that eats up your time and energy.

Clearly, lots of people care about making time for dates. For those of you in relationships, I'd guess the odds are good your spouse would love it if you planned a date night soon. Need some inspiration? Read on.

The Classics: Dinner Dates Win Over 79%

YouGov asked Americans to name the date activities they'd tried and say whether they'd do each one again.

Dinner dates are a hit: 79% of Americans have had dinner at a restaurant on a date and want to do it again. Another 75% have gone out for lunch at a restaurant on a date and would happily repeat it.

Interestingly, 72% have watched a movie at home as a date and would gladly do so again. Other dates most Americans have tried and want to repeat include:

• A meal at home (69%)
• A trip to the movie theater (65%)
• A visit to a park (64%)
• Breakfast out at a restaurant (61%)
• A fair or carnival (54%)

Respondents could also mark dates they'd never tried but hoped to. Stargazing tops that list: Forty percent of Americans haven't done it on a date but want to.

Some 31% have never been to a comedy show on a date but want to go, and 29% would like to take an art class as a date but haven't yet. Then again, a much larger share (46%) say they haven't tried that one and have no interest.

More date ideas that don't suit everyone: a haunted house (47% have never gone to one as a date and aren't interested), wine tasting (39%), and fishing (46%).

Whether this is your first date or 100th, the right activity choice can turn an ordinary outing into a night you'll remember.

Most of us clearly love classic dates like dinner out or a cozy movie night at home, but the data shows real interest in more unusual experiences too, such as stargazing or a comedy show.

Just 6% of Americans Have Tried Speed Dating

Good news first: 4 in 5 Americans say they've had a “wonderful date.” The less good news: 50% have had a “terrible date.” More women (57%) than men (44%) report this.

Many Americans have been on a double date (44%), stayed platonic friends with someone they first met on a date (38%), and/or agreed to date a person they felt no attraction to (38%).

Online dating is widespread: 36% of Americans have dated someone they met online. Adults aged 30 to 44 are the likeliest to have done it, at 48%.

A little over a third of Americans (35%) say they've slept with someone on the first date. More men (41%) than women (29%) report having done so.

Fewer than a third of Americans have been stood up (25%), stood someone else up (17%), tried a blind date (29%), or given speed dating a shot (6%).

So the data shows dating can be a mixed bag. Some dates are wonderful and others are awful. Sometimes you walk away with a new friend; other times, nobody even shows up.

If some of your recent dates have been less than ideal, try not to get too discouraged. Take some time to rethink what you're really looking for, and don't hesitate to step away from dating for a while if you need a breather.

Takeaways: Be Punctual & Keep Your Phone Out of Sight

YouGov also asked Americans whether various first-date behaviors were acceptable or unacceptable.

*Here's what Americans say you should not do on a first date:*

• Treat service staff dismissively (88% call this unacceptable)
• Criticize what your date orders (87%)
• Keep checking your phone (87%)
• Push your date to get drunk (84%)
• Show up late without warning (84%)

Money talk is probably best skipped on a first date, too. A whopping 75% consider it unacceptable to ask about your date's income, and 56% think it's unacceptable to bring up your own.

Exes are a grayer area. Only 49% think discussing past relationships is unacceptable.

An identical share (49%) object to discussing sex. Women (61%) are likelier than men (37%) to call sexual topics off-limits on a first date. No big shock there.

What about bringing up marriage or kids on a first date? Opinions are split: 45% call it unacceptable, while 36% say it's fine.

And remember, conversation should always go back and forth. Among respondents, 81% say it's unacceptable to dodge every question about yourself, and 78% find it unacceptable when someone talks only about themselves and never asks their date a single question.

Put simply, the data backs up what you likely already knew: on a date, be kind, take an interest in whoever's sitting across from you, and make sure the conversation stays light and fun.

Shake Things Up With a Unique Date

Single or coupled up, you can put this data to work. Already in a relationship? Take this as your nudge to plan a date. To help, our experts have put together lists of first-date ideas, Valentine’s Day date ideas, and more.

Browse through them to find activities you and your partner could try. And if you're single, you now have date ideas that beat “Idk, wanna get a drink?” Plus, the findings on dating experiences and behavior are a handy reminder of what to avoid and what to keep an eye out for while you date.

Methodology

YouGov ran the poll online with 2,221 U.S. adult citizens across two separate surveys, conducted January 14 – 17, 2025, and January 15 – 20, 2025. Respondents were drawn as a random sample from the 2019 American Community Survey, stratified by age, gender, race, education, voter registration, and geographic region. Weighting factors were age, gender, race, education, baseline party identification, current voter registration status, turnout and presidential vote in the 2020 election, and 2024 presidential vote. When the weighting was done, the 2024 presidential vote was estimated at 50% Trump and 48% Harris. Demographic weighting targets were taken from the 2019 American Community Survey. Baseline party identification reflects each respondent's most recent answer from around November 8, 2024, and it's weighted to match the distribution estimated for that date (32% Republican, 31% Democratic). The overall sample's margin of error is roughly 3%.