Why Canadians aren’t feeling the love | Canada Voices

Dating is top of mind for Canadians in February, as Valentine’s Day approaches and advertisements about love abound. But a new survey suggests making romantic connections is low on people’s priority lists – with only 8 per cent of Canadians saying they’re actively dating right now.

The survey, commissioned by The Globe and Mail and conducted by Nanos Research, polled 1,077 Canadians aged 18 or older to capture the dating climate across Canada. Its results, in line with other research that has demonstrated increasing numbers of single people and decreased dating activities, suggest we may be facing a dating recession.

The Globe asked a number of experts to help interpret the data from the survey.

“We’ve been seeing an increasing rate of people who are deciding to be single, but also decreasing rates of marriage, increasing divorce and more people living alone in Canada,” said University of Toronto PhD candidate Elaine Hoan, who studies singlehood and well-being at the university’s MacDonald Social Psychology Research Laboratory.

The competitive state of the job market likely has something to do with it. With fewer positions available and strong demands for higher education and industry experience, Hoan said many are choosing to focus on careers first and relationships later.

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“Some of the work from our lab shows that as people’s income increases, so does their desire for a romantic partnership, so a lot of people are in this budding phase, amidst a really competitive job market, of trying to secure their education and their finances and career,” she said.

The low number of active daters may also be connected to dating app fatigue and choice overload, Hoan added. According to a 2025 Forbes Health survey, 78 per cent of users reported feeling emotionally, mentally or physically exhausted by dating apps at least some of the time.

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And as the cost of living continues to increase across the country, dating is equally expensive. Last year, a report from the BMO Real Financial Progress Index found that rising cost of living was affecting dating for 56 per cent of respondents, with many going on fewer dates as a result of high prices.

Raha Mirian, a registered psychotherapist and the founder and clinical director of MindSeed in Toronto, said the statistic reflects a general sense of hopelessness about the state of the world. In 2024, Statistics Canada reported that Canadians of all age groups were feeling less hopeful about the future than they were in 2021.

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“People are feeling more despondent,” Mirian said. “They don’t feel as much faith in finding a partner in the same way they might have a few generations ago.”

Among those who are actively dating, however, The Globe’s survey found that most have sincere intentions of making real connections: the majority of dating respondents said they are looking for a long-term relationship, they’re hoping to meet people through hobbies or sports and they’re searching for partners who are honest and kind.

With loneliness on the rise, Mirian said the survey’s results suggest that people are craving real closeness.

“The report really points us back to what people have always needed, which is connection, intimacy and sense of belonging,” she said. “When we’re looking at a world that’s increasingly connected through online presence, there seems to be a real and growing need for deep, authentic, reciprocal connection.”

Here’s a closer look at the rest of the survey results:

Which region is dating the most?

Quebec has the highest number of active daters in the country.

In Quebec, 16.8 per cent said they were actively dating. It was lowest in Atlantic Canada, with only 3.9 per cent of respondents saying they’re currently dating. It was only slightly higher in the Prairies (4.2 per cent), followed by B.C. (5.9 per cent) and Ontario (6.4 per cent).

What personality qualities rank highest?

The top green flags cited by dating Canadians are honesty and kindness.

Professor Geoff MacDonald, who runs the Singlehood and Relationships Research Lab, where Hoan is based, said studies from around the world confirm that people are looking for these same qualities. And it’s a good thing, he said, as these traits tend to be the building blocks of healthy relationships.

“Developing intimacy requires people who are comfortable opening up about themselves, people who are good listeners, people who are able to provide emotional support,” MacDonald said. “ It’s great that this is what people are looking for, and if they’re actually implementing it, they’re going to have better luck with their long-term relationships.”

Rounding out the list of positive qualities not shown in the graphic are good communicator, shared interests, emotional intelligence, intelligence, family oriented and spiritual.

Which personality qualities rank lowest?

The biggest red flags for dating Canadians are narcissism, vanity and dishonesty.

MacDonald said it “jumped out” at him that narcissism was the top trait people were turned off by, and he suspects this wasn’t always the case. The finding may have something to do with how people present themselves on social media and dating apps, he said, since narcissistic people tend to come off as attractive on a superficial level.

“That’s kind of their superpower, looking attractive and flashy and seeming like somebody to connect with,” he said. “Unfortunately, narcissism is, in the longer term, associated with more selfish behaviour, so they’re not as well positioned to be good long-term partners.”

Additional red flags include smoking/substance abuse (13.5 per cent), financially unstable (13.3 per cent) and political disagreement (10.6 per cent), among others.

Where do we go to find love?

Nearly two in three Canadians who are dating would like to meet new people through hobbies and sports.

Meeting people while doing an activity you enjoy is a low-pressure, natural way to determine if you’re compatible with someone, MacDonald said, and it can help you meet someone with whom you already have things in common. Not shown in the graphic are the lower-ranking modes of going to a bar, meeting someone through family and friends, and religious gatherings, which also require getting offline.

”If we’re looking for deeper connection and belonging, it makes sense to look for someone with shared interests, purpose, values and identity,” Mirian said. “These settings offer at least one common pillar for more meaningful connection.”

Which dating apps are the most useful?

The highest percentage preferred Bumble.

Bumble, an app where the woman must message first, may be popular because it addresses some of the common frustrations both men and women experience when online dating, Hoan said.

Men often feel the most difficult part of dating is the beginning stage, when they have to initiate, flirt and get women to respond. Women, on the other hand, often receive messages from men they aren’t interested in, which can create fatigue, and they also experience high rates of unwanted behaviours such as harassment, according to Pew Research. Bumble’s rules may help to rectify both of these issues, Hoan said.

(Other apps mentioned in the survey are Grindr, Plenty of Fish, eharmony and HER.)

Who should pay for the first date?

45 per cent of Canadians say the cost of a first date should be split evenly.

This result reflects just how far women have come in terms of financial opportunities, Hoan said, as well as a push for more egalitarian roles in relationships. But these progressive attitudes are far from unanimous.

“The fact that there’s still a quarter of Canadians that believe that the man should pay is a more traditional sentiment,” Hoan said. “Altogether, this is showing this sort of tension and that we are in this transitional phase right now, where you have these traditional norms fighting with these contemporary changes.”

How much are you willing to spend on a first date?

The average cost dating Canadians agree on: $66.20.

Hoan said this figure likely reflects expectations around high costs of food, inflation and how pricey dining out is nowadays.

“It may also reflect frustration and desperation for wanting to find a partner,” Hoan said. “In this market where they feel like online dating apps aren’t really effective or it’s just a gruelling process to get through, perhaps they might be willing to sink a larger cost for first dates.”

Is anyone using AI for dating advice?

86 per cent said no.

However, there may be some benefits to turning to AI for relationship advice, MacDonald said, especially when it comes to learning basic dating skills such as asking questions and listening. But he said it may be lacking in its ability to help people see their own long-term patterns.

As a therapist, Mirian said she hears from her staff that clients are using AI for everything from dating advice to emotional support.

“AI could feel validating and reassuring in the moment,” she said, “but it doesn’t offer the relational depth, attunement and feedback that comes from real human connection.”