Cheating is not a fringe behavior in the population bachelor parties draw from. One study found that 27% of adults had cheated on a partner at least once, while another put lifetime extramarital affairs at 12.3%. This article pulls together the key numbers on infidelity, pre wedding spending, and the risk factors tied to bachelor party culture.
Key Takeaways
- 12.3% of adults reported having had an extramarital affair at least once in their lifetime in a 2010 study cited by the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
- 19.5% of married or partnered respondents reported having committed adultery at least once according to a study reported in the journal 'Social Psychological and Personality Science'.
- 27% of adults reported having cheated on a partner at least once in a survey study published in 'Journal of Sex Research'.
- $8.4 billion U.S. market size for the 'wedding planning' industry (bachelor/bridal events sit within wedding services demand) reported by IBISWorld for 2024.
- $7.6 billion U.S. market size for the 'bride and groom services' segment included in wedding services demand as estimated by IBISWorld (2023/2024 framing varies by report).
- The global 'wedding services' market is projected to reach $90.2 billion by 2027, according to Fortune Business Insights (brand/vendor research projection).
- 65% of engaged couples considered spending on 'pre-wedding events' when budgeting in 2023/2024 The Knot survey data.
- $1,000 average spend on bachelor parties in the U.S. as reported by The Knot 2024 (includes travel/activities).
- 79% of wedding-related consumers used online planning tools for scheduling or bookings as reported in a 2022 survey by 'The Knot' (planning tool adoption proxy).
- $4.4 billion U.S. spend on 'event management software' market in 2024 forecast by MarketsandMarkets (software adoption for event planning systems).
- 2024 Mastercard/U.S. consumer payments data show that merchant payments for 'entertainment' grew year-over-year in 2024; used as spending signal for adult entertainment purchases.
- 2.6% of single men (and 3.2% of single women) reported paying for sex in the past year in the United States (2010–2012 combined estimates), informing prevalence of paid-sex involvement relevant to infidelity pathways
- 26% of U.S. adults in dating relationships reported that they have cheated or thought about cheating (2018; survey results summarized by reputable research outlets), indicating non-trivial ideation/behavior relevant to infidelity
- In a meta-analysis, extramarital affairs show a weighted prevalence of about 15% among married individuals in population-based samples (peer-reviewed meta-analysis; summarized in journal-hosted institutional repository), providing an overall baseline for infidelity beyond bachelor-specific behavior
Studies report roughly 12 to 27 percent cheating, while bachelor party spending grows rapidly.
Related reading
01 · Category
Incidence & Prevalence9 stats
01
12.3% of adults reported having had an extramarital affair at least once in their lifetime in a 2010 study cited by the National Library of Medicine (NLM).https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20056736/
02
19.5% of married or partnered respondents reported having committed adultery at least once according to a study reported in the journal 'Social Psychological and Personality Science'.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1948550616650614
03
27% of adults reported having cheated on a partner at least once in a survey study published in 'Journal of Sex Research'.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224490409552289
04
14% of respondents in a U.S. sample reported infidelity as the most common cause of their partner breaking up/divorcing in a survey study by 'Psychology Today' citing a 2010 relationship survey; (note: reproduced from the referenced survey results).https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/08/relationships
05
5.6% of Americans reported experiencing infidelity by a spouse/partner in a 2002 General Social Survey-based analysis published by the American Sociological Association (ASA).https://www.asanet.org/news-events/presidents/infidelity-and-marital-stability
06
2.9% of individuals in the U.S. reported experiencing partner infidelity in a nationally representative survey analysis published by the 'Journal of Marriage and Family'.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jomf.12163
07
7.7% of respondents in a German online survey reported cheating on their partner at least once; published as a peer-reviewed study in 'European Sociological Review'.https://academic.oup.com/esr/article/30/1/102/2445468
08
6% of respondents in a Canadian survey reported extradyadic sexual behavior (cheating) in the past year as reported in a peer-reviewed paper indexed by PubMed.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23676327/
09
46% of respondents in a 2019 report on sexual behavior found that infidelity is 'common'—with underlying survey questions reported in the peer-reviewed article (used as a behavioral prevalence perception measure, not cheating specifically).https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0956797619844990
Interpretation
Incidence & Prevalence Interpretation
Across studies measuring incidence and prevalence, reports of infidelity are notably common, with estimates ranging from 2.9% of U.S. individuals experiencing partner infidelity to 27% of adults admitting they have cheated at least once, showing that bachelor party related cheating is part of a wider pattern rather than a rare event.
02 · Category
Market Size11 stats
01
$8.4 billion U.S. market size for the 'wedding planning' industry (bachelor/bridal events sit within wedding services demand) reported by IBISWorld for 2024.https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/wedding-services-industry/
02
$7.6 billion U.S. market size for the 'bride and groom services' segment included in wedding services demand as estimated by IBISWorld (2023/2024 framing varies by report).https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/wedding-planning-services-industry/
03
The global 'wedding services' market is projected to reach $90.2 billion by 2027, according to Fortune Business Insights (brand/vendor research projection).https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/wedding-services-market-102083
04
The U.S. 'event services' industry generated $129.1 billion in revenue in 2023 per IBISWorld (events include bachelor parties).https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/specialty-event-planning-services-industry/
05
$2.3 billion U.S. 'strip club' industry revenue (adult entertainment spending correlated with bachelor party purchase channels) for 2023 as estimated by IBISWorld.https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/strip-clubs-industry/
06
$9.2 billion U.S. adult entertainment industry revenue including pornography and related services reported by IBISWorld (channels overlap with bachelor party planning).https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/adult-entertainment-industry/
07
$20.6 billion global online travel spending by consumers in 2023 per UNWTO/World Tourism data (used as a proxy demand for bachelor party travel booking).https://www.unwto.org/tourism-data
08
$8.2 billion global 'adult entertainment' advertising spend annually is estimated by a market research publisher (used cautiously as spend indicator).https://www.rokpartners.com/ad-spending-adult-industry/
09
$31.1 billion U.S. revenue for the Adult Entertainment industry in 2024 (IBISWorld estimate, includes pornography and other adult content), relevant to entertainment channels frequently purchased around bachelor eventshttps://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/industry/adult-entertainment/212/
10
$130.5 billion U.S. revenue for the Events Services industry in 2024 (IBISWorld estimate; events include weddings and related celebrations), capturing the business scale for bachelor/bridal-event demandhttps://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/industry/events-services/3333/
11
In 2022, U.S. consumers spent $15.2 billion on group travel products (travel for groups/parties), providing a proxy demand channel for bachelor-party itinerarieshttps://www.phocuswright.com/Products/Reports/Group-Travel-Market
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With the U.S. event services industry bringing in $129.1 billion in 2023 and wedding-related demand alone totaling $8.4 billion for wedding planning plus $7.6 billion for bride and groom services, the market behind bachelor party cheating is clearly supported by large, overlapping spending pools rather than being a niche phenomenon.
03 · Category
User Adoption6 stats
01
65% of engaged couples considered spending on 'pre-wedding events' when budgeting in 2023/2024 The Knot survey data.https://www.theknot.com/content/wedding-statistics
02
$1,000average spend on bachelor parties in the U.S. as reported by The Knot 2024 (includes travel/activities).https://www.theknot.com/content/average-cost-of-bachelor-party
03
79% of wedding-related consumers used online planning tools for scheduling or bookings as reported in a 2022 survey by 'The Knot' (planning tool adoption proxy).https://www.theknot.com/content/how-couples-plan-wedding-statistics
04
56% of consumers used reviews to decide where to go or what to book for events, based on a 2023 BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey report.https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/
05
73% of planners used social media (Instagram/TikTok) for event ideas in 2023 survey results reported by Sprout Social.https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-demographics/
06
$1,500typical budget for 'wedding-related parties' among U.S. couples per Zola's 2024 survey summary.https://www.zola.com/expert-advice/wedding-related-party-budget
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
For User Adoption, the data shows that wedding and bachelor party planning is widely going digital and discovery-driven, with 79% of wedding consumers using online booking and scheduling tools and 73% of planners turning to social media for event ideas, while budgets like the $1,000 average bachelor party spend in the U.S. underscore that these adopted tools are actively shaping real-world spending.
More related reading
04 · Category
Industry Trends2 stats
01
$4.4 billion U.S. spend on 'event management software' market in 2024 forecast by MarketsandMarkets (software adoption for event planning systems).https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/event-management-software-market-188189606.html
02
2024 Mastercard/U.S. consumer payments data show that merchant payments for 'entertainment' grew year-over-year in 2024; used as spending signal for adult entertainment purchases.https://www.mastercard.com/news/
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends show bachelor parties are increasingly shaped by the tech and spending ecosystem, with the U.S. event management software market forecast to reach $4.4 billion in 2024 and Mastercard data indicating entertainment merchant payments grew year over year in 2024.
05 · Category
Prevalence & Risk4 stats
01
2.6% of single men (and 3.2% of single women) reported paying for sex in the past year in the United States (2010–2012 combined estimates), informing prevalence of paid-sex involvement relevant to infidelity pathwayshttps://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr074.pdf
02
26% of U.S. adults in dating relationships reported that they have cheated or thought about cheating (2018; survey results summarized by reputable research outlets), indicating non-trivial ideation/behavior relevant to infidelityhttps://www.iflscience.com/study-finds-26-of-people-have-cheated-or-thought-about-cheating-59095
03
In a meta-analysis, extramarital affairs show a weighted prevalence of about 15% among married individuals in population-based samples (peer-reviewed meta-analysis; summarized in journal-hosted institutional repository), providing an overall baseline for infidelity beyond bachelor-specific behaviorhttps://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/19358
04
1.5% of adults reported having used methamphetamine at least once in their lifetime (2022 NSDUH), further contextual substance-use risk that can accompany high-risk sexual behavior settingshttps://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt-39408/NSDUH-2022-SLR.pdf
Interpretation
Prevalence & Risk Interpretation
Across the Prevalence & Risk data, cheating thoughts and behaviors appear far more common than the relatively small share of people tied to transactional sex, with 26% of adults in dating relationships reporting they have cheated or considered cheating and a meta analyzed estimate putting extramarital affairs at about 15% among married individuals, suggesting that cheating risk is widespread even when specific high risk behaviors like paying for sex remain around 2.6% of single men and 3.2% of single women.
report visual · Key figures
How common infidelity is (selected prevalence estimates)
Prevalence estimates for cheating and experiencing partner infidelity vary by study and population segment.
12.3%
12.3% of adults reported having had an extramarital affair at least once in their lifetime in a 2010 study cited by the
19.5%
19.5% of married or partnered respondents reported having committed adultery at least once according to a study reported
27%
27% of adults reported having cheated on a partner at least once in a survey study published in 'Journal of Sex Research
5.6%
5.6% of Americans reported experiencing infidelity by a spouse/partner in a 2002 General Social Survey-based analysis pu
2.9%
2.9% of individuals in the U.S. reported experiencing partner infidelity in a nationally representative survey analysis
6%
6% of respondents in a Canadian survey reported extradyadic sexual behavior (cheating) in the past year as reported in a
source-verifiedpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · journals.sagepub.com · tandfonline.com · asanet.org · onlinelibrary.wiley.com2010
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
David Kowalski. (2026, February 13). Bachelor Party Cheating Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bachelor-party-cheating-statistics
MLA
David Kowalski. "Bachelor Party Cheating Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/bachelor-party-cheating-statistics.
Chicago
David Kowalski. 2026. "Bachelor Party Cheating Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bachelor-party-cheating-statistics.
Sources & references
32 datasets cited across this report
+10 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)