The Demography and Social Gradient of Online Dating in Italy

Francesco Tata , University of Florence
Daniele Vignoli, University of Florence
Raffaele Guetto, University of Florence

The digital revolution has transformed meeting dynamics and partnership formation. This study examines the socio-demographic characteristics of online daters and partners who first met through Online Dating Services (ODSs) in Italy, where research on online dating remains scarce. It draws on data from a novel, nationally representative survey of 9,004 heterosexual individuals aged 18–45. Initially, the analysis investigates patterns of selection into partnership and online dating based on socio-demographic factors – particularly gender, age, and education. Subsequently, it explores assortative mating patterns among couples who met online. Findings reveal two distinct but interrelated selection processes. Individuals aged 30–45 and those with tertiary education are most likely to be partnered. Conversely, younger and less-educated individuals exhibit lower partnership chances but higher probabilities of using ODSs for partner search. Consequently, the online dating environment is characterised by an overrepresentation of men, younger individuals, and those with low educational attainment. The negative gradient of education does not vary by gender, since low-educated women are also more likely to engage in online dating. Couples who met online predominantly comprise individuals aged 25–34 and those with upper-secondary education. Online partnerships display greater age heterogamy than offline ones, but also higher levels of educational homogamy, which has become prevalent in recent years. Overall, online dating appears to reproduce rather than challenge existing social inequalities. Despite widening opportunities for partner search, the use of ODSs remains socio-demographically stratified, with education emerging as a key determinant of both access to and outcomes of romantic encounters.

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 Presented in Session P8. Demographic Trends, History, Data and Methods