Dating apps like Tinder, Match, and Bumble are still growing, but analysts predict that growth will 'slow significantly' in 2019
- Dating apps like Tinder, Match, and Bumble will see their user base numbers in the US increase in 2019, but grow slower than in recent years, eMarketer research analysts predict.
- According to the new report, eMarketer estimates 25.1 million users will use a dating app at least monthly, a 5.3% increase from the amount of users in 2018.
- Analysts say there are more users switching between apps than new users entering the dating-app market.
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Although more than 25 million people are expected to regularly turn to dating apps this year, analysts are predicting a slow-down in growth for many popular dating apps.
In a new forecast on app usage, research analytics firm eMarketer predicts that user growth for dating apps like Tinder, Hinge, Match, and OKCupid, will "slow significantly" in the US in 2019. Dating apps are anticipated to see their collective user base grow by 5.3% this year, compared with a 6.5% increase in 2018.
While an estimated 23.8 million adults used dating apps in 2018, the monthly user base is expected to reach 25.1 million in the US this year. Analysts attributes the slow in growth to a lower number of new users entering the dating app market.
"At this point, we see existing users switching between apps rather than new users trying dating apps for the first time," eMarketer analyst Nazmul Islam said.
When reached for comment about eMarketer's revised forecast, a spokesperson for Match Group (Tinder's parent company) pointed to Tinder's growth in the international market outside of the US.
"Our data shows that half of all singles in the US use or have tried a dating app. There are also huge single populations in the rest of the world where dating products are becoming the new normal," Match Group spokesperson Justine Sacco told Business Insider. "We expect to see both revenue and user growth for our company continue to grow."
Looking forward, eMarketer predicts dating app user growth in the US to slow to a 2.3% increase by 2022, barely topping 28 million.
Nevertheless, the dating app industry as a whole is still seeing its revenue continue to grow. From February 2018 to February 2019, the top 10 mobile dating apps in the US saw around $679 million in gross consumer spending, according to Sensor Tower data. Tinder increased its revenue by 62% during this period with an industry-leading $367 million, while Bumble grew 135% to $117 million.