With social feeds and dating apps now baked into everyday communication, the scale of “relationship cheating” can look invisible until you look at the data. In the US, 55% of people in a 2015 to 2016 survey reported knowing someone who cheated using online dating or social media, and that pattern fits a much bigger digital overlap where billions message, monitor, and coordinate contact. When you combine those signals with the real-world fallout seen in stalking, PTSD, and health costs, it becomes clear why boundary violations and infidelity-adjacent behaviors are often closer than we think.
Key Takeaways
- 10% of U.S. adults reported experiencing stalking victimization in the past year (2017 data reported by NCVS; stalking often overlaps with boundary violations and infidelity dynamics).
- 1.8 million people reported being victims of stalking annually in the U.S. (National Center for Victims of Crime estimate using FBI data; stalking often intersects with infidelity-adjacent obsession).
- 1.2 billion people used social media for messaging or direct contact in 2023 (DataReportal; ties to relationship contact).
- 4.6 billion people used the internet worldwide in 2023 (ITU; provides the base population for digital relationship overlap).
- 3.4 billion people used messaging apps worldwide in 2023 (Statista press release referencing data; messaging is key for secret communications).
- 95% of U.S. adults now have a cell phone and 85% own a smartphone (Pew, 2021).
- 55% of respondents in a 2015–2016 U.S. survey reported that they know someone who has cheated using online dating or social media (2017 report by Durex/YouGov shared statistics via reputable trade press)
- 2.2x increased odds of PTSD among victims of intimate partner violence (meta-analytic finding reported in peer-reviewed literature).
- 1.5x increased healthcare utilization among IPV survivors (peer-reviewed).
- 14% higher suicide attempt rates among adults exposed to IPV compared with non-exposed (systematic review).
- 5.9% of U.S. adults report experiencing infidelity in the past year (2019, General Social Survey analysis reported by NCOA/ResearchGate compilation)
- 7.5% of U.S. adults in one nationally representative analysis reported extramarital sex in the past year (2013 study in Social Forces summarized via University of Chicago/replication sources)
- 4.0% of married or partnered adults reported sexual infidelity in the past year in the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) analysis published by Bowling Green State University researchers (2012 publication)
- $3.2 billion global revenue for “personal messaging” apps in 2023 (Sensor Tower estimates reported by Data.ai/industry release)
- The global online dating market was $5.9 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $13.0 billion by 2032 (IMARC Group market report)
With social media and messaging, millions face stalking and infidelity related harm while online dating grows fast.
Prevalence Estimates
110% of U.S. adults reported experiencing stalking victimization in the past year (2017 data reported by NCVS; stalking often overlaps with boundary violations and infidelity dynamics).[1]
Directional
21.8 million people reported being victims of stalking annually in the U.S. (National Center for Victims of Crime estimate using FBI data; stalking often intersects with infidelity-adjacent obsession).[2]
Single source
Prevalence Estimates Interpretation
Under the prevalence estimates framing, the U.S. reports that about 10% of adults experience stalking in a year and roughly 1.8 million people are stalked annually, suggesting relationship cheating related boundary violations may be far more common than many assume.
Industry Trends
11.2 billion people used social media for messaging or direct contact in 2023 (DataReportal; ties to relationship contact).[3]
Verified
24.6 billion people used the internet worldwide in 2023 (ITU; provides the base population for digital relationship overlap).[4]
Verified
33.4 billion people used messaging apps worldwide in 2023 (Statista press release referencing data; messaging is key for secret communications).[5]
Verified
4$6.1 billion estimated U.S. revenue for online dating services in 2024 (IBISWorld category; scale for cheating-enabling networks).[6]
Verified
5In 2023, phishing accounted for 16% of breaches (Proofpoint/industry reporting aggregated by Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report 2023)[7]
Directional
6In 2022, intimate partner violence in the U.S. was associated with a 3.2x increase in cyber-abuse risk for victims who used digital communication channels (2022 systematic review in Trauma, Violence, & Abuse)[8]
Single source
Industry Trends Interpretation
With 3.4 billion people using messaging apps in 2023 and 16% of breaches involving phishing, the scale and risk exposure of digital communication are making relationship cheating and cyber-enabled abuse increasingly easy to carry out and harder to prevent.
User Adoption
195% of U.S. adults now have a cell phone and 85% own a smartphone (Pew, 2021).[9]
Verified
255% of respondents in a 2015–2016 U.S. survey reported that they know someone who has cheated using online dating or social media (2017 report by Durex/YouGov shared statistics via reputable trade press)[10]
Verified
User Adoption Interpretation
With 95% of U.S. adults having a cell phone and 85% owning a smartphone, and 55% of people reporting they know someone who has cheated via online dating or social media, adoption of always-on mobile platforms appears to be closely tied to the social reality of relationship cheating.
Cost Analysis
12.2x increased odds of PTSD among victims of intimate partner violence (meta-analytic finding reported in peer-reviewed literature).[11]
Verified
21.5x increased healthcare utilization among IPV survivors (peer-reviewed).[12]
Verified
314% higher suicide attempt rates among adults exposed to IPV compared with non-exposed (systematic review).[13]
Single source
4The average total data breach cost for small businesses (<500 employees) was $2.7 million in 2023 (IBM Cost of a Data Breach report 2023)[14]
Verified
5In 2023, the FBI IC3 reported total losses from confidence scams (including romance scams) of $2.9 billion (FBI IC3 2023 report)[15]
Verified
6In 2023, victims of stalking reported average healthcare costs of $1,400 annually in a victimization-cost analysis (U.S. Department of Justice report)[16]
Single source
7In 2020, the U.S. average hospital charge for an intimate partner violence–related emergency department visit was $7,000 (peer-reviewed economic evaluation reported in a public PDF)[17]
Verified
Cost Analysis Interpretation
The cost burden linked to intimate partner violence and related cheating is substantial, with 2023 data showing $2.7 million average breach costs for small businesses and $2.9 billion in confidence-scam losses, alongside health impacts like 1.5 times higher healthcare utilization for IPV survivors and higher mental health risk such as 14 percent higher suicide attempt rates.
Risk & Prevalence
15.9% of U.S. adults report experiencing infidelity in the past year (2019, General Social Survey analysis reported by NCOA/ResearchGate compilation)[18]
Directional
27.5% of U.S. adults in one nationally representative analysis reported extramarital sex in the past year (2013 study in Social Forces summarized via University of Chicago/replication sources)[19]
Single source
34.0% of married or partnered adults reported sexual infidelity in the past year in the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) analysis published by Bowling Green State University researchers (2012 publication)[20]
Single source
420%–25% of women and 25%–30% of men report having had sex outside the relationship at some point in their lives (ranges from a peer-reviewed meta-analysis reported in the American Journal of Sociology)[21]
Verified
57% of married individuals reported any infidelity in a large U.S. survey used for relationship-study benchmarking (2010s, as reported in a peer-reviewed journal article)[22]
Verified
650% of divorced or separated individuals in a longitudinal U.S. study cited relationship betrayal/infidelity as a contributing factor (2019 follow-up study reported in a peer-reviewed journal)[23]
Verified
732% of adults in a 2014 nationally representative survey reported at least one form of “technology-assisted” relationship monitoring (TAR) behavior (study published in Computers in Human Behavior)[24]
Single source
841% of young adults (ages 18–29) reported using at least one messaging platform to maintain romantic interest beyond the relationship in a 2018 peer-reviewed survey (Journal of Social and Personal Relationships)[25]
Verified
918% of adults who experienced relationship conflict reported “hidden communication” (e.g., secret texting/chat) as a source of conflict in a 2016 U.S. survey (reported in a peer-reviewed family studies journal)[26]
Verified
Risk & Prevalence Interpretation
Even though reported annual infidelity rates cluster around about 4% to 8%, lifetime and broader risk signals are much higher with 20% to 25% of women and 25% to 30% of men having had sex outside the relationship, highlighting that the “Risk & Prevalence” picture is far more widespread than one-year figures alone suggest.
Market Size
1$3.2 billion global revenue for “personal messaging” apps in 2023 (Sensor Tower estimates reported by Data.ai/industry release)[27]
Verified
2The global online dating market was $5.9 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $13.0 billion by 2032 (IMARC Group market report)[28]
Single source
3The global social media analytics market size was $1.9 billion in 2023 (IMARC Group), supporting digital monitoring and relationship surveillance use cases[29]
Directional
4The U.S. “web search and related services” market generated $183.7 billion in 2023 (S&P Global/US Census-based industry accounting reported by IBIS-style trade; used as proxy for digital discovery funnels)[30]
Single source
5In 2024, the U.S. smartphone app category “Social Networking” had 2.1 billion downloads (data reported by data.ai/Sensor Tower via a public press release)[31]
Verified
6Instagram reported 2.2 billion monthly active users in 2023 (Meta investor relations; indicative reach for relationship-contact pathways)[32]
Verified
7TikTok reported 1.5 billion monthly active users globally (2024 company filing/communications)[33]
Verified
8WhatsApp reported 200 million users in the U.S. (2024, WhatsApp Business/Meta press resources)[34]
Verified
Market Size Interpretation
The market opportunity for relationship cheating is clearly expanding, with 2023 spending power spanning $3.2 billion in personal messaging apps and a $5.9 billion online dating market projected to reach $13.0 billion by 2032, while massive user bases like Instagram’s 2.2 billion monthly users and TikTok’s 1.5 billion global users provide the funnel for digital relationship surveillance.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
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APA
Karl Becker. (2026, February 13). Relationship Cheating Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/relationship-cheating-statistics
MLA
Karl Becker. "Relationship Cheating Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/relationship-cheating-statistics.
Chicago
Karl Becker. 2026. "Relationship Cheating Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/relationship-cheating-statistics.
References
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- 3datareportal.com/social-media-users
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- 11jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2773310
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- 15ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2023_IC3Report.pdf
- 16ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/251805.pdf
- 18scholarworks.boisestate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1013&context=theses
- 20psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-24997-001
- 23psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-10331-001
- 21jstor.org/stable/4129942
- 24sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563214001710
- 28imarcgroup.com/online-dating-market
- 29imarcgroup.com/social-media-analytics-market
- 30census.gov/naics/?input=518210
- 31data.ai/en/newsroom/state-of-mobile-2024/
- 32investor.fb.com/financials/
- 33tiktok.com/legal/page/terms-of-service/en/
- 34whatsapp.com/business