35% of American singles are opting for coffee dates: ‘Economic factors are impacting different people in different ways’

Faced with rising costs, American singles are putting money squarely at the forefront of their dating lives.

A third, 33% of U.S. adults say the economy makes them hesitant to commit to a serious relationship, according to a recent study by DatingNews.com and the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, a research center dedicated to the study of sexuality, relationships and gender.

That number is even higher for younger generations: 50% of Gen Z say they’re hesitant, as well as 37% of millennials. Many cite inflation, specifically, as a reason for holding back.

“The economic factors are impacting different people in different ways,” says Justin Lehmiller, senior research fellow at the Kinsey Institute. He adds that some people “are more hesitant to enter a relationship precisely because the cost of dating is very expensive.”

The average American spends as much as $168 per date, including grooming and gas money, according to North American bank BMO.