While nearly 90% of Americans believe cheating is morally wrong, up to 40% admit to having cheated. Thailand leads with a 51% rate.
The workplace remains the most common setting for affairs, with 31% of them starting there as of 2024.
A person who has cheated before is three times more likely to do so again.
In this article, I break down the latest infidelity statistics, uncover which gender cheats more, along with age-based cheating patterns, and country-wise insights to help you understand how relationships are evolving worldwide.
Infidelity Statistics: A Quick Look
- 40% of Americans admit to cheating on a partner. Source: Comparecamp
- 67% of male cheaters have cheated more than once. Source: PRnewswire
- Thailand has the highest global infidelity rate at 51%. Source: WPR
- 18–29 married women cheat more than men. Source: IFS
- 60–75% marriages survive infidelity with therapy. Source: Human Life International
How Common Is Cheating In A Relationship?
- 44% of people said they had cheated during the relationship being studied.
- 30% said they know for sure that at least one of their partners had cheated on them.
- 18% said they suspected a partner might have cheated, even if they weren’t entirely sure. Source: NLM
- Different Researches Reveal varying patterns of infidelity occurrences:
- 20% of married men and 13% married women reported having sex with someone other than their spouse. Source: IFS
- 67% men and 53% women who cheated on their partner admitted having done this more than once. Source: PRnewswire
- Despite the prevalence of infidelity, people around the world have different opinions about it.
- More than 90% of Americans view infidelity as morally wrong.
- Despite this, an estimated 30% to 40% of Americans admit to cheating on their partners.
- Fewer than 3% of American adults believe extramarital sex is morally acceptable. Source: Comparecamp
- Almost a quarter (23%) of men in the US believe that falling in love with another person is not considered cheating.
The following table presents views of US adults regarding various scenarios in a monogamous relationship:
| Sr. No. | Actions | Men | Women | US Citizen Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Having sex with another person | 90% | 96% | 93% |
| 2 | Sending nude photos of themselves to another person | 85% | 94% | 90% |
| 3 | Another person sending suggestive online messages to another person | 76% | 89% | 83% |
| 4 | Falling in love with another person | 77% | 87% | 82% |
| 5 | Kissing another person | 73% | 88% | 81% |
| 6 | Lying about spending time with another person | 75% | 85% | 80% |
| 7 | Forming an intense emotional attachment to another person | 66% | 80% | 73% |
| 8 | Holding hands with another person | 56% | 71% | 64% |
| 9 | Flirting with another person | 52% | 57% | 55% |
| 10 | Sharing your most private thoughts and feelings with another person | 40% | 52% | 46% |
Source: ACS
Infidelity Demographics
- The percentage of men that cheat is highest in married (20%), unmarried (23%), and even in ever-married statuses (34%).
- Women show the lowest instance of infidelity in marriage, with just 13%.
The following section outlines what percentage of men cheat and what percentage of women cheat in different relationship statuses.
Who Cheats More Men Or Women?
- Among unmarried individuals, 23% of men and 19% of women report cheating, showing infidelity isn’t limited to marriage.
- The gender gap is smaller (4 points) than among married (7 points) or ever-married adults (10 points), suggesting marriage may widen the disparity.
The comprehensive breakdown of cheating statistics by gender:
| Sr. No. | Relationship Status | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Married | 20% | 13% |
| 2 | Unmarried | 23% | 19% |
| 3 | Ever-married adults | 34% | 24% |
Source: PRnewswire, DIS, PSY
- A survey conducted by Superdrug Online Doctor, including 2000 Europeans and the United States, revealed the following outcomes:
- European women were more likely to cheat than men (65.6% vs 59.8%).
- In the instances of cheating two or more times, it was men who topped the charts (40.2% vs 34.4%).
- Men in the United States, on the contrary, led while cheating once (68.2% vs 59.9%), while women led while cheating two or more times (40.1% vs 31.8%).
| Sr. No. | Gender | Once | Twice or More |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Male | 59.8% | 40.2% |
| 2 | Female | 65.6% | 34.4% |
In the US, females are 5.7 percentage points more likely to cheat repeatedly than their UK counterparts.
| Sr. No. | Gender | Once | Twice or More |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Male | 68.2% | 31.8% |
| 2 | Female | 59.9% | 40.1% |
Source: Superdrug
Infidelity By Age
- According to the latest available data, men generally cheat more than women; however, among married couples aged 18 to 29, women cheat slightly more, with 11% admitting to infidelity compared to 10% of men.
- Women in their 60s are prone to cheating the highest (16%), while for men, it is in their 70s (26%).
Here’s a tabular presentation of % who reported having sex with someone other than their spouse while married.
| Sr. No. | Age Group | Men (%) | Women (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18–29 | 10% | 11% |
| 2 | 30–39 | ~14% | ~14% |
| 3 | 40–49 | ~18% | ~17% |
| 4 | 50–59 | ~22% | ~15% |
| 5 | 60–69 | 24% | 16% |
| 6 | 70–79 | 26% | 13% |
| 7 | 80+ | 24% | 6% |
Note: The percentages for age groups 30-39, 40-49, and 50-59 are estimates based on available data.
Source: IFS
Infidelity By Country
- As per the latest data available, Thailand leads with 51% Infidelity, meaning more than half of the couples are involved in cheating, or have cheated at some point in their married life.
- Following Thailand are the countries from Europe, mainly Denmark (46%), Germany (45%), Italy (45%), and France (43%).
Here’s a tabular presentation of the top 10 countries with the highest infidelity rates.
| Sr. No. | Country | Infidelity Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thailand | 51% |
| 2 | Denmark | 46% |
| 3 | Germany | 45% |
| 4 | Italy | 45% |
| 5 | France | 43% |
| 6 | Norway | 41% |
| 7 | Belgium | 40% |
| 8 | Spain | 39% |
| 9 | United Kingdom | 36% |
| 10 | Canada | 36% |
Source: WPR
Reasons For Infidelity
- As of 2024, 31% of affairs begin at workplaces, making it the leading factor in infidelity.
- 9% of low-management or non-management employees report infidelity.
- 24% of middle management employees admit to cheating.
- 37% of upper management individuals report being unfaithful.
Source: PRnewswire
According to the Superdrug Online Doctor Survey, the most common reason given was when they were with a friend, cited by 40.60% of the total female respondents and 32.90% of the male respondents.
The table below shows the most common reasons, along with the percentage of citations by gender.
| Sr. No. | Reason | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | They were a friend | 40.60% | 32.90% |
| 2 | At work | 33.30% | 28.60% |
| 3 | Out and about | 17.50% | 21.80% |
| 4 | In a bar | 12.40% | 19.50% |
| 5 | On social media | 7.10% | 7.30% |
| 6 | On a dating app or website | 4.70% | 14.90% |
| 7 | On a business trip or vacation | 4.20% | 6.90% |
| 8 | At school | 0.70% | 0.30% |
| 9 | On a website specifically for cheating | 0.20% | 3.00% |
Source: Superdrug
Do Cheaters Cheat Again?
Statistics on cheaters cheating again reveal recurring patterns.
- Someone who has cheated in the past is 3X more likely to cheat again.
- A person who has been cheated on before or suspected of being cheated on in a past relationship is 2-4X more likely to get cheated on again. Source: NLM
- 67% of men and 53% of women who cheated did so more than once, per Truth About Deception. Source: PRnewswire
As per research in the US, confession timelines following infidelity reveal interesting patterns:
- 47.7% confessed within one week.
- 26.6% confessed within a month.
- 25.7% admitted within six months.
- 47.9% confided in a friend.
Source: PsychologyToday
- Serial cheaters average 2.18 affairs (men) versus 1.72 (women) in lifetime surveys of 5,783 people. Source: Dr. Kathy
Do Relationships Survive After An Extramarital Affair?
- Survival rates after an extramarital affair depend on multiple factors:
- 60-75% of marriages can survive with couples therapy.
- 15.6% of relationships survive without professional intervention. Source: CouplesAcademy
- 25% of marriages stay together after infidelity discovery. Source: TorrenLaw
- 57% of couples survive infidelity when properly supported. Source: Brainmagzine
Consequences Of Cheating Statistics
- 20-40% of the total divorces that take place are due to infidelity. Source: MichaelRobbins
- 88% of divorced couples identified infidelity as a key reason for their divorce (NIH). Source: PRnewswire
- A 2021 survey by the Health Testing Centres reported:
- 24% of the marriages impacted by infidelity decided to stay together.
- 47.5% of the relationships affected by infidelity set new rules, such as password sharing, to minimize recurring issues. Source: PsychCentral
- According to Divorce Magazine, 60–75% of couples stay together after infidelity, not out of love, but due to fear of being alone, financial concerns, and other reasons. Source: Human Life International
