GEN Z / 2026 SURVEY RECEIPT← Standards calculator
Gen Z dating: the numbers.
Start with who was surveyed.
QUICK ANSWER51%of full sampleSee the source and definition ↓51%of full sample
of surveyed U.S. Gen Z adults reported $0 monthly dating spend
1,133 adults ages 18–29 took an online survey. Results were adjusted to match national totals. February 10–28, 2026; ±3 points.
THE ANSWER
What this answer includes.
In a 2026 survey, 51% of U.S. Gen Z adults ages 18–29 said they spent $0 on romantic dates in a typical month.
What this covers: Ipsos surveyed 1,133 adults online from February 10 through 28, 2026. The researchers adjusted the results so the sample more closely matched national population benchmarks.
What this does not show: The sample included people who were not actively dating, so 51% is not the share of active daters who spent nothing.
Where the data comes from: The cited 2026 Bank of America and Ipsos survey. Each benchmark keeps its survey population and question wording.
DATE SPENDING / 2026BANK OF AMERICA + IPSOS
of Gen Z reported spending $0 a month on romantic dates.
That is a spending answer, not a count of active daters. In the same survey, 45% were single and not actively dating.
YOUR DATE TABMONTHLY → YEARLY
ONE YEAR$600
THE NEXT 14%Your answer is in the survey’s $1–$50 monthly spending group.
These are survey answers, not bank records. Ipsos surveyed 1,133 U.S. Gen Z adults ages 18–29 online from February 10-28, 2026. The survey adjusted the results to better represent the nation. The margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points. Source record ID: bofa-ipsos-spend-2026. Read the report ↗
MORE DETAIL
How to read the answer.
51% reported $0 in monthly dating spend
This is a self-reported monthly spending band from the full survey sample, not transaction data and not a statistic limited to people who went on a date that month. Men and women reported the same 51% figure.
45% were single and not actively dating
That separate status result helps explain why zero spend cannot be interpreted as a typical cost among active daters. Another 11% were single and actively dating, according to the report.
Money is part of relationship expectations
The survey reports that 74% considered financial responsibility important in a partner and 24% said finances had delayed relationship milestones. Those are attitudes and reported effects, not observed financial behavior.
COMMON QUESTIONS
What percentage of Gen Z spends nothing on dates?
In the 2026 Bank of America and Ipsos survey, 51% of the full U.S. Gen Z sample ages 18–29 reported $0 in romantic-date spending in a typical month.
Does that mean half of active Gen Z daters spend nothing?
No. The survey sample included people who were not actively dating; 45% separately reported being single and not actively dating.
How was the Gen Z dating survey conducted?
Ipsos surveyed 1,133 U.S. adults ages 18–29 online from February 10–28, 2026. The results were adjusted to match national benchmarks. The reported margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
MORE ABOUT GEN Z DATING AND COST
Separate dating activity from dating spend.
These pages keep active dating, relationship interest, monthly spend, and financial pressure as separate survey measures.