Many singles over 50, 60 and beyond are dating now for the first time in decades.

They were married or in long term relationships and then suddenly found themselves single, and probably hesitant to get out there again.

• They may not know where to start.
• They may be fearful of online dating because they’re convinced it’s overloaded with weirdos, scammers and losers.
• They may have been in a series of bad relationships in the past, and worry that they keep picking the wrong “type”.
• They may be daunted by preconceived notions of what really goes on with mature dating.
• They may be confused about what they really want.
• They may be worried about having sex with a new partner.

It’s no wonder that so many singles shy away from jumping back into the dating game after such a long absence.

Dating Statistics on Sex and Love for Singles Over 50

The dating site OurTime conducted a survey of 1,000 singles over 50, nearly half of which hadn’t been on a date for 5 years. Granted, this is a small study, but the findings may be surprising.

Mature Dating and SEX

Here are some of the studies’ findings about mature dating and sexual practices.

Misconceptions About Mature Daters

• Half of singles over 50 in the study said the biggest misconception about them is that they are NOT interested in sex
• 46% cited the misconception that they are not open to new experiences
• 45% said there is the misconception that their health is deteriorating
• 44% agreed there is the misconception that they are lonely or less social
• 38% experienced the misconception that they have a negative outlook on life, or that they’re not happy.

The Big First Kiss

53% of single respondents over 50 are fine with kissing someone after one date.

Happy or Unhappy with Sex Life

51% of singles over 50 were NOT satisfied with their sex lives. 69% of them wanted to go on 2-4 dates per month. And they would like to have sex 7 times a month.

Dating Practices and Mores Have Changed

• 45% of 50+ singles responding said they were open to “friends with benefits” relationships
• 27% were okay with one-night stands.
• 23% had cheated on someone
• 21% had gone to a date’s house to “watch a movie” and ended up having sex
• 20% were open to dating multiple people at the same time
• Nearly 20% had taken nude photos of themselves and 66% of them had shared the photos, with men doing so more than women (70% vs. 62%).
• 16% were okay with having threesomes
• 17% had ghosted others

Mature Dating and LOVE

Overall, the study showed that, although singles over 50 are nervous about dating, they want to find love and romance badly enough that they’re willing to get back out there.

Men in the study were slightly more hopeful than women about finding true love.

What things about dating are most worrisome to you?

The top dating dilemmas for respondents (in order, starting with most concerning) was:

• Finding people to date
• Actually asking for a date
• Getting to know people before the first date
• The first kiss or sign of affection
• The belief that the right one for them doesn’t exist
• They don’t know how and where to start

Have you thought about your ideal partner and your dating dealbreakers?

Are there things in people you will date that are absolutely unacceptable?

Respondents listed their top 3:

• Someone who smokes
• Someone who is not financially stable
• Someone who is pessimistic.

You may feel it’s risky to get involved with someone who’s never been married, but in the survey, it only concerned 6% of the respondents.

More Mature Dating Statistics

In Cosmo’s article here on Smart Dating Over 60, Mature Dating Statistics Show that Finding True Love is Not Just for the Young, you’ll find stats from various studies about things like:

• Are Mature Adults Serious About Dating?
• Is the Online Dating Pool Full of Desperate, Shady People?
• Men and Women Over 50 Don’t Let Technology Hurt Their Relationships
• The Biggest Users of Online Dating Services
• True Love is the Most Important Reason to Get Married
• Mature Dating is Simply Much More Fun Than During Our Younger Days
• Mature Daters Make Better Decisions About Compatibility
• Mature Daters Are More Honest in Their Online Dating Profiles
• When Dating Gets Serious, Trust but Verify – STD’s for Men and Women Over 55 Are Rising

More About Mature Dating

Mature Dating Over 60 – What Do Women Want?

2 More Ways Your Online Dating Expectations May Be Unrealistic

The Importance of a Growth Mindset in Mature Dating

5 Ways to Overcome First-Date Anxiety and Avoid Embarrassing Mistakes