These are the countries that you are most and least likely to be in a committed relationship

Dating and relationships can be a minefield, after all each of us have different approaches when it comes to being in a relationship.

Now, a new study by leading sexual wellness brand Lovehoney has delved into this by looking at current state of committed relationships around the world in 2023 through marriage and divorce rate data.

The percentage of the population ‘in a relationship’ is has also been researched as the study explores where in the world people are seeking ‘conventional’ commitment the most and the least.

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There is also a look at alternative relationship dynamics such as polyamory and throuples.

Here are some of the findings:

10 countries most likely to seek commitment

Hungary is the country where people are most likely to seek long-term, committed relationships.

Hungarians are the most likely to seek long-term, committed relationships.

For every 1,000 Hungarians, 6.7 have tied the knot and only 1.5 of them subsequently un-tied it with a divorce - so it looks like many in Hungary have got their happily ever after.

Nine of the 10 most commitment-minded countries are in Europe.

Portugal and Luxembourg are the second and third most committed after Hungary, with marriage rates far exceeding the rate of divorce in these countries. Meanwhile, Slovenia in fourth place boasts a divorce rate of only 0.8 per 1,000 people.

10 countries least likely to seek commitment

On the other hand, Lativa ranks as the least committed, with the highest divorce rate of all countries studied (2.7 per 1,000 people) as well as the lowest percentage of people in relationships at 47.9 per cent.

The country also has an average marriage rate of just 4.7 per 1,000 people.

Statistically, Eastern Europe appears to be the least committed as Latvia is also joined by Czech Republic in second, Estonia in third and Lithuania in seventh.

Scandinavian countries such as Sweden (4), Norway (5), and Denmark (10) also make the top 10.

Meanwhile the United Kingdom sits as the sixth in the table of least committed countries.

Exploring different relationship types

The Lovehoney study also shows nearly two in five would experiment with an open relationship.

With not everyone seeking ‘conventional’ commitment, the survey looked into the types of relationships people would be open to trying.

It revealed 38 per cent of respondents would try an open relationship, with nearly a third (32 per cent) seeing themselves in a throuple in the future.

A psychologist's take on why alternative relationship dynamics are on the rise

Dr. Justin Lehmiller, social psychologist and research fellow at The Kinsey Institute, suggests that non-committed relationships and alternative dynamics are on the rise because of increased media representation.

“First, we have more mainstream media representation of relationship diversity. It used to be rare that you would hear anything about consensual non-monogamy in the media – and when it was mentioned, it was typically stigmatized," he said.

"Today, however, multi-partner relationships can be found everywhere from reality TV to front-page news. This greater representation has allowed many people to recognize that monogamy may not be the only option.

Dr. Lehmiller also noted how there are increasing expectations of what we want in a partner which could also be a cause of the increase..

“Secondly, expectations for our relationships have grown over time. People today want a partner who will be both their best friend and a passionate lover – someone who can meet any and all needs that might arise now and forever. However, people seem to be increasingly recognizing that it’s difficult – if not impossible – to have such high expectations for just one partner. As a result, some are now considering whether the best solution is to have different partners who can meet different needs."

Read the full study here.

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