2022 will be the year of discovery in dating

There is no doubting that 2022 is set to be the year of discovery online dating. Following nearly two years of pandemic living, the solo population is returning to dating with a more open mind than ever before. Around the world, daters are expressing a greater desire to meet people differently and to explore new things in love.

Count on us, we have the data to back it up. Our Hookoo Lucky Meet alcohol algorithm is driven by thousands of queries, so it matches people based on what matters - and the responses singles give in response to these questions help us predict the future of dating. Here are 7 dating trends you can expect to see in 2022: the year of discovery in dating.

Money will be much less important

Throughout the pandemic, the odds of singles saying that wealth is very important in the game have virtually doubled. The jobs are lost, after all, and the financial security of many daters is at risk. If we continue to see employment and vaccination rates increase in 2022 as they are today, however, we will also see this number drop and fewer singles will say that money is very important when it comes to their dates. We are beginning to see this decline take place, with only 13% of users stating that money matters a lot in terms of dating today, as opposed to around 15% in the earlier part of the year.

Daters will be exploring their sexuality more than ever

The huge popularity has led to daters being more interested in not only being more open about their identities but also in exploring their sexuality. We have seen a nearly 9% increase in users who identify as pansexual since the end of last year. There has also been a 249% increase in users identifying as bisexual and a 28% increase in users identifying as non-bisexual compared to last year.

Kinks will become an accepted epidemic

Each year we see a decline in inhibitions around eccentricity and BDSM, and this epidemic is speeding that up. Daters are not only more liberal about it, but also more vocal in their openness. In 2021, there is a 56% increase in users who say they are eccentric, and women are leading the way. BDSM mentioned in the profiles of female users has increased by 18 percent.

Safe sex will be more popular than ever

If pandemics have taught us anything, it's to be vigilant about our health, and that includes sexual health. A 15.8 percent decrease in singles who say they never or rarely discuss their STD status before dating has occurred each year since the pandemic. Those dating today are not only open about their feelings but also about their sexual health - resulting in healthier, more honest relationships. There has also been a nearly 9 percent increase in the last five years in the number of singles who say they get themselves tested before and after each new partner.

There shall be more open relationships

While monogamy is certainly not on the way out, non-monogamy is definitely on the horizon. While the majority of online sa daters seek monogamous relationships, in 2021, there was a 7% increase in users who sought a non-monogamous relationship, with a +21% rise in "non-monogamous" and "threesome" mentioned in user profiles. More and more daters will be seeking non-monogamous partnerships next year as they start to be open to the idea of multiple relationships in the same time frame.

Sober dating is about to get hotter

In the last half-decade, dates have been two times less likely to say a date is awake, and in just the past month, terms such as " sober " and " sober dating " have increased by almost 10% in users' profiles. As a result, we expect the number of daters looking for sober dating to increase by at least five times in 2022. And even those who are not sober are enjoying the growing trend, going on sober first and second dates and getting to know each other without having any outside influences.

Last but not least, 2022 will be kicked off with a huge drive for dating!

The First Sunday of the New Year is invariably a great day to meet someone on a dating app. Historically, we've seen a massive 70% increase in user activity on this day. But with the first of 2022 coming early on 2 January, there will be two dating Sundays for the very first time in over a decade.2 January, the first dating Sunday of 2022, will be busy as usual, but we expect an unprecedented surge in likes, matches, and connections on the second Sunday too, as some singles will start their New Year's Eve a little later Resolution by.