Women from small towns are taking to dating apps faster as they search for partners from big cities

• Female daters from smaller cities and towns are choosing to date men from metropolitan cities, says a report by dating app QuackQuack.
• There has also been a positive increase in Gen X (people born between 1965 and 1981) and Boomers.
• Tier 2 men, especially the ones who have moved to metropolitan cities, like to share nostalgia for the suburbs.

The women of Bharat (or Tier 2 India) are dating more casually now – i.e. for more ‘reasons than love’, according to findings released by virtual dating app QuackQuack. Moreover, the app has seen a swell in female users from Tier 2 cities compared to Tier 1 cities. The reason for this, the app says, is an up-and-coming trend in the virtual dating world – Urbanising.

So, what is urbanising?

In economics, urbanising means developing a rural area, generally near a city. However, in the world of dating it has a slightly different meaning. It means daters from smaller cities and towns are choosing to date someone in the cities and migrate for advantages in career, lifestyle etc.

QuackQuack says that more female daters from smaller cities and towns are choosing to date and marry men from metropolitan cities. The verdict on this is also divided. While 23% of women found it opportunistic, 41% of women and 36% of men believed it to be harmless.

The difference between GenZ and millennials daters

GenZ, the app says, has rejected the concept of soulmates but millennials still romanticise the idea. In other words, daters between 18 to 22 are more open to experimenting with their relationship preferences, choosing open relationship, casual, serious, etc.

Users between 22 to 28 are seen picking both casual and long-term relationships, depending on their match, but the people above 28 generally prefer long-term exclusive relationships and dating that can lead to marriage.

Interestingly, there has also been a positive increase in Gen X (people born between 1965 and 1981) and Boomers, a slang for people in their 50s and older, with more divorcees being reported.

Some other interesting observations

QuackQuack says that it has seen a more than 50% rise in the number of women from the eastern cities of India.

The app has also highlighted an interesting trend in the way Tier 1 India dates compared to Tier 2 cities. While Tier 1 users have no specific preference when it comes to location, Tier 2 men, especially the ones who have moved to metropolitan cities, are seen matching specifically with Tier 2 women based on shared nostalgia for the suburbs.

According to the data, 36% of men and 9% of women matched with people from the new city through the app to learn more about the local culture, find out the best restaurants around town, local hangout spots, traffic scenes, the easiest way to commute within the city and more.

QuackQuack says it has 25+ million users under its belt currently and that targeting Tier 2 cities with vernacular ads and brand campaigns has proved beneficial.