15 years ago, about 14 million people in the United States were in a long-distance relationship, according to surveys at the time. While those are certainly interesting long-distance relationship statistics, that was way back in 2005. To put things into perspective, here's what else happened in 2005:
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George W. Bush enters his second term as the 43rd President of the United States. We are now on the 45th, with Donald J. Trump (@realdonaldtrump).
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YouTube launches, and the first video, Me at the zoo, is uploaded. Now, over 5 billion videos are watched EVERY DAY.
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Pope John Paul II passed away as the 264th pope.
- The trial of Saddam Hussein began.
- The world witnesses the first case of an HIV cure.
What a whirlwind of a year 2005 was, wasn't it? With the world going through a major recession a few years later, the number of couples in a long-distance relationship is likely to have grown much more. Let's look at some useful long-distance relationship statistics that can help potential LDR couples navigate the turbulent waters of love at a distance.
7 Long-distance Relationship Statistics for LDR Couples to Celebrate!
#1 - You're in good company. Over 2% of the population of the United States is currently in a long-distance relationship - and that's just the married couples. A large portion of that is military couples but the number itself is staggering - 3.75 million LDR couples, or 7.5 million people. That's not counting unmarried people in long-distance relationships. Overall, 14 million couples (28 million people) in the U.S. are in a long-distance relationship. That's 4% of the nation, effectively making it a significant minority group. And remember, that's still old data; the number is likely to be much higher now because of the coronavirus situation and lack of travel freedom.
#2 - It's a '3 out of 4' thing. Did you know that nearly 75% of all college couples surveyed said that they were in a long-distance relationship at one time in their college lives? It has been attributed to the 'high school sweetheart' effect. But, on the flip side, only 2% of high school romances last the distance and mature into long-term relationships or marriage.
#3 - Long-distance relationships (LDRs) have as good a chance of lasting as geographically close relationships (GCRs.) Central Michigan University did a study in which they found that LDR couples exhibited statistics similar to non-LDR couples during the crucial first three months.
#4 - Women are better at LDRs. Studies show that women are more flexible and resilient. They can handle a long-distance relationship (especially the 'distance' part) much better than their male counterparts.
#5 - 2 out of 3 LDR couples remain together 3 months after physically reuniting. That's great news for long-distance couples. It gives you a fighting chance at staying together even after you physically reunite at the end of your geographical separation.
#6 - LDR couples often come out stronger than others. One expert writes: “Most studies have found equal or even
higher levels of satisfaction, commitment, and trust in (long-distance dating relationships) compared to geographically close ones.” That's encouraging, right?
#7 - 10% of all marriages in the U.S. begin as long-distance relationships. That's a massive number considering the fact that there are over two million marriages every year. Couple that with the other LDR statistics and you've got yourself a winner!
Give Your LDR a Fighting Chance
These 7 long-distance relationship statistics show that an LDR is quite common. In fact, it is actually more likely to turn into a lifelong commitment. That's compared to close physical relationships or GCRs. That should put some faith into your own long-distance love. Give it the chance it deserves and it may eventually become the very thing you've been looking for all your life: true love. Here's a great article on
How to Make a Long-distance Relationship Work.
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