What Does Couple Time Tell Us About the Potential Value of Date Nights? 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Only About Half of Couples Go on Frequent Date Nights

In the second edition of The Date Night Opportunity, we examined the links between one-on-one couple time and relationship quality with data from a new survey, “The State of Our Unions Survey,” of 2,000 married, heterosexual men and women aged 18-55 in the United States. In the survey conducted by YouGov for the Institute for Family Studies and the Wheatley Institute in the Fall of 2022, respondents were asked, “How often do you do the following: Go on date nights where you have a chance to talk, catch up, and do something fun with your spouse?”

• 52% of husbands and wives reported they “never” go out on date nights with their spouses or only went on date nights “a few times a year.”
• 48% had date nights “one or twice a month” or more frequently than that.

Husbands and Wives who Have Regular Dates More Likely to Be Happily Married

Husbands and wives who have frequent date nights were significantly more likely to report being “very happy” in their marriages, compared to those who did not.

• 83% of wives and 84% of husbands who had regular date nights were very happy in their marriages, compared to 68% of wives and 70% of husbands who did not have regular date nights.

Date Nights Linked to More Stable Marriages

In the 2022 State of Our Unions Survey, spouses who had frequent date nights were significantly more likely to report
that divorce was “not at all likely” in their marriage compared to those who do not go on dates or only do so infrequently.

• Wives and husbands in the frequent date nights group were about 14 percentage points more likely to report that divorce “was not at all likely” in the future.
   

Husbands and Wives who Have Regular Dates More Sexually Satisfied

Husbands and wives who had regular date nights reported better communication, more commitment, and greater sexual satisfaction. For example:

• 68% of wives and 67% of husbands who had regular date nights were very happy with their sexual relationship, compared to 47% of wives and 47% of husbands who did not have regular date nights.

To view or download the report (pdf) click here.

To view or download a copy of the press release (pdf) click here.