Dating industry size

In 1970, just 28 percent of American adults were single; today, the share is 47 percent, according to the Census Bureau.

Thanks to the growth of such sites, the industry has expanded at 3.5 percent a year since 2008--right through the recession--to become a $2.1 billion powerhouse.

Analysts expect the acceleration to continue over the next five years.

The field is already crowded, with almost 3,900 companies running dating sites, according to a report last fall from business research firm IBISWorld.

The report projects the industry to add about a hundred companies per year over the next four years.

Related: Cheatin’ Hearts Online Cost Businesses $17M a Day That means making a dent as a new player will be harder than ever since many will have to build a database of users from scratch, says IBISWorld analyst Jeremy Edwards.

To survive, they’ll need a novel marketing strategy and a focus on untapped potential daters—sites targeting niche markets have higher rates of membership growth, according to the report.

Dating Service Market" report sections include: Industry Size and Growth https:// Industry size and growth section provides three years of historical performance data and a five-year forecast for the market overall and by market segment, with segments for which data is separately reported including websites and apps, independent matchmakers, date coaches, phone chat lines, radio station datelines, brick-and-mortar firms, singles organizations and events, and speed dating.

Date Coaching https:// Dating coach section provides information on what coaches do and how they operate, typical fees charged for their services, how they work in conjunction with matchmakers, estimated market size and forecast basis, and profiles of leading dating coaches (e.g., Evan Katz, Susan Bradley, Matt Titus, Susan Rabin, Lisa Shield, David Wygant, Barbara Elgin, and Lauren Francis).

When it comes to finding love, “there’s a lid for every pot,” as the saying goes.