Where Do Most People Meet Their Spouse? Here's What Our Data Says

We get it, it sounds odd to talk about love through the lens of statistics. But, when it comes down to it, where do most people meet their spouse? Our official data, collected from the Knot 2023 Jewelry and Engagement Study*, points to a specific place—with the stats to back it up.

While you may have likely guessed that online sites and apps are the most popular method of dating, The Knot 2023 Jewelry and Engagement Study* data gets even more specific. So, where do most people meet their spouse? We found the exact app according to married couples sampled*.

Read through the comprehensive overview below.

In this article:

• Where Do Most People Meet Their Spouse?
• Finding Love on a Dating App
• Finding Love Through Mutual Friends
• Finding Love at School or Work
• Finding Love at a Bar
• How to Meet Your Spouse, Partner, Boyfriend/Girlfriend, etc.

Where Do Most People Meet Their Spouse?

Most people meet their spouse through online dating, according to The Knot 2023 Jewelry and Engagement Study*. The latest online dating statistics support how this method of meeting has been on a steady incline since 2015, with over one in every four couples now getting married after meeting online.

To get a bit more granular, the top five most popular ways and places that married couples in our study* met are:

• 1. Online dating site or app
• 2/3. Friend of a friend or friends in common (tied with below)
• 2/3. At school (tied with above)
• 4. Through work
• 5. In a social setting

So if you're wondering how to meet someone or where do most people meet their spouses, data points to online dating as nearly 30 percent of surveyed married couples* reported meeting online.

Finding Love on a Dating App

When it comes to meeting someone online, swipe right on Hinge. The "designed-to-be-deleted" online dating app accounted for 35 percent of all couples who met on apps and eventually got married*.

25 percent of couples, meanwhile, found success with Tinder. Rounding out the top three apps was Bumble with 20 percent of to-be-weds finding a partner through the female-founded, entrepreneurial brand.

Finding Love Through Mutual Friends

While dating apps reign supreme, many couples found their partner through their personal network. Closely trailing online dating was the narrative of to-be-weds finding each other with the help of mutual friends. 15 percent of couples met via this commonality, whether an introduction was facilitated through a direct friend or friend of a friend.

If you're looking to meet someone without online dating, tapping your inner circle is a great alternative. (Ahem, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle *allegedly!*)

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Finding Love at School or Work

Tying with friends in common, another 15 percent of our married couples surveyed* stated that they met their partner through school—be it college, grad school or further professional studies.

Meanwhile, another significant slice of the chart shows couples citing work as their meeting ground (literally). 10 percent said they met through work—whether they were colleagues or met a work-related function or event.

This means that a collective of 25 percent of all married couples surveyed* actually found their future partners while just going about their day-to-day lives.

Finding Love at a Bar

"Of all the gin joints in all the world…" Envisioning locking eyes over a dim, romantic bar; (espresso) martini in hand? It's possible!

Of those surveyed*, eight percent of engaged couples said they first met in a social setting like a bar, a concert or a party. Should we even dare say… a wedding?

How to Meet Your Spouse, Partner, Boyfriend/Girlfriend, etc.

For those of you in the back, according to The Knot Real Weddings Study*, 29 percent of surveyed married couples had met online, with Hinge leading the charge as the most popular app.

In embarrassing sincerity, I have to vouch for the app myself—no personal incentive given—as I went from chatting with my girlfriend on Hinge, to discussing moving into a fifth-floor walkup together. You know it's love when there's a fifth-floor walkup involved.

*The Knot Real Weddings Study captured responses from 9,318 US couples married between January 1 and December 31, 2023; respondents were recruited via email invitation from The Knot and/or WeddingWire membership. Respondents represent couples from all over the country with various ethnicities, income levels, race, age, sexual orientation and gender identity. To provide the most comprehensive view of 2023 trends, this report also includes wedding statistics from ad hoc studies conducted throughout the year. In a typical year, The Knot Worldwide conducts research with more than 300,000 couples, guests and wedding professionals globally.