Dating and Relationships Around the World

According to statistics, more than a tenth of people aged 20–39 in the Czech Republic are single. In major cities, singles represent up to 14% of everyone in that age group. There are many ways to meet a suitable partner (at our events, for instance! :-)). Once you've successfully met someone, there’s the usual sequence: falling in love, dating, moving in together, perhaps a wedding, a child (in various orders), retirement, and all those other life certainties and positives. But how does it work in other countries?

Dating

It’s clear that dating in, say, passionate South America happens differently than in Asia. In Japan, "group dating" is the big trend, while in China, people often meet at popular karaoke bars. Even today, parents still have the final say in choosing a partner in many countries—such as Nepal, where society is divided into castes much like in India. In Christian families in Ethiopia, parents also arrange the marriage union.

In the Arab world, establishing contact between unattached men and women can sometimes be very difficult. This has led to "note-dating," where men might toss a slip of paper with their phone number through the window of a passing car.

Living Arrangements

When it comes to housing, you’ll find the highest number of singles living alone in Scandinavian countries; the fewest are in India, Chile, or Mexico. Culture and politics naturally play a role here. Generous Scandinavian social systems make it possible to secure one’s own housing, and society sees no issue with it. In India, however, living in a single-person household is often socially unacceptable, especially for women.

Living independently certainly isn't a problem in Italy, but for many young Italian men, living with their parents is simply the more comfortable option. Italian mothers often find themselves scratching their heads over how to nudge their thirty-something sons out of the "mamma-hotel" and force them to stand on their own two feet and start their own families.

Sex and Intimacy

Attitudes towards sex also vary significantly around the world. Very liberal conditions prevail in Latin America—the heat, the dancing, the fiery rhythms of the samba, and the carnivals certainly contribute to that.

The situation in Southeast Asia is particularly interesting. Thailand has become a hub for sex tourism, with income from the industry accounting for roughly 3% of Thailand’s GDP. An incredible three million Thai men and women work in this "industry," and a tolerant Buddhist society respects this reality.

Japan faces the opposite problem: sexual restraint, leading to a very low birth rate. Instead of sex, many young Japanese people prioritise their careers or relationships with virtual partners they carry around in their hand-held consoles. The idea of falling in love with a real woman and having a child holds little appeal for them. Some even prefer silicone companions, and many young Japanese men and women have no interest in sex at all—they are often referred to as "herbivores."

Fidelity

The approach to faithfulness is different in every country. For example, Filipinos pride themselves on being faithful; Vietnamese men, on the other hand, often make no secret of their infidelities—something even the wives of these philanderers sometimes boast about. In some valleys of Tibet, polyandry (one woman having multiple husbands) still exists to this day. Fidelity and Cuban men aren't a common association either, and male infidelity is a relatively open secret in France as well.