Cheating Statistics 2024: Do Men Really Cheat More Than Women?

Infidelity has long been a complex and intriguing issue in relationships—one that has gained additional attention in 2024. The recent Netflix documentary series Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal has rekindled interest in the infamous cheating website, leading to a deeper look at modern cheating trends.

This article presents cheating statistics for 2024, providing a clear view of who’s most likely to cheat, the motivations behind unfaithfulness, the impact of cheating on relationships, and more. (If you suspect your partner may be unfaithful, uncover the truth with the best spy apps for monitoring their devices.)

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. Short on Time? Here Are the Key Takeaways
3. General Infidelity Rates
4. Relationship Status & Satisfaction
5. Which Countries Cheat the Most?
6. Cheating Statistics by State
7. Cheating Statistics by City
8. Which Profession Cheats the Most?
9. Why Do People Cheat?
10. Who Do People Cheat With?
11. The Impact of Cheating on Relationships
12. Identifying Signs of Infidelity
13. Conclusion
14. FAQs
15. References

Show Full Guide

Table of Contents

1. Short on Time? Here Are the Key Takeaways
3. General Infidelity Rates
Show Full Guide
4. Relationship Status & Satisfaction
5. Which Countries Cheat the Most?
6. Cheating Statistics by State
7. Cheating Statistics by City
8. Which Profession Cheats the Most?
9. Why Do People Cheat?
10. Who Do People Cheat With?
11. The Impact of Cheating on Relationships
12. Identifying Signs of Infidelity
13. Conclusion
14. FAQs
15. References

General Infidelity Rates

Here are some key infidelity rates you should know.

How Many Married People Cheat?

Statistics from the University of Chicago’s 2022 General Social Survey (GSS) show that 16% of married adults have cheated.

Do Unmarried Couples Cheat More Than Married Ones?

Yes, the numbers for couples who are in monogamous committed relationships but not married are slightly higher. A study by the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction showed that 21% of couples “in a monogamous sexual relationship” had cheated.

Are People Cheating More?

The number of people who’ve cheated on their spouse has remained roughly the same since the 1990s, with figures ranging between 15% and 20%.

This is a decline from the mid-1970s, when 41% of men and 25% of women reported infidelity, according to the 1974 book Sexual Behavior in the 1970s.

Who Cheats More, Men or Women?

Do men cheat more than women? Most people assume so—and, in fact, the statistics back this up. 

A Kinsey Institute study found that 23% of men have cheated, compared to 19% of women. Among married people, the gap is wider: According to the 2022 GSS, 20% of men and 13% of women admitted to cheating on their spouse.

Do Men and Women Cheat Differently?

The largest online survey on sexual infidelity, conducted by the now-defunct website The Truth About Deception, gathered insights from over 95,000 respondents (66% female, 34% male). This is what it uncovered:

• 91% of women confessed to emotional cheating, compared to 77% of men.
• 26% of women used an online service to cheat, versus 21% of men.
• 72% of men cheated with a one-night stand, compared to 53% of women.

Additionally, cheating men statistics and cheating wives statistics from the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) show that men who cheat are more likely to be married than women who cheat.

Who Is More Likely To Have Multiple Affair Partners?

According to The Truth About Deception, 67% of men and 53% of women who cheated on their spouse did so more than once.

A 2017 survey by Superdrug Online Doctor came to a similar conclusion. It found that 40% of unfaithful men had multiple extramarital affairs, compared to 32% of married women.

Age Group Trends

In 2018, the IFS surveyed people who had cheated in the past and those who were cheating at the time. The institute then examined the prevalence of cheating by sex and age range.

It found that older men are more likely to be unfaithful than younger men. For women, cheating increases with age until the 60-69 age group, after which it drops sharply.

Here’s a full breakdown of the IFS’s findings:

Men

Women

Relationship Status & Satisfaction

People are less likely to cheat when they’re married, living with their partner, happy with their relationship, and sexually satisfied. However, infidelity still happens in these groups—and many unmarried or unhappy people remain faithful.

Let’s explore the cheating statistics based on these relationship factors.

Married vs. Cohabiting

The percentage of people who cheat in unmarried and cohabitating relationships is 30% to 40%, reducing to 15% to 25% for married couples. You can use a spy app if you think your girlfriend is cheating, and there are similar spy apps for monitoring your boyfriend’s phone location and activity.

People in Unhappy Relationships

Unhappiness in the marital relationship and lack of sexual satisfaction are factors in cheating, but perhaps not as much as expected. A Kinsey Institute study found:

“Lower relationship happiness” accounted for:

• Men: 72% of cheaters and 62% of non-cheaters.
• Women: 62% for cheaters and 40% for non-cheaters.

“Lower sexual satisfaction” accounted for:

• Men: 69% of cheaters and 47% of non-cheaters.
• Women: 40% for both cheaters and non-cheaters.

These numbers show that plenty of people who are unhappy in their relationships and unsatisfied in bed don’t cheat. For instance, 28% of men and 38% of women aren’t unhappy in their relationships when they have an affair. And 31% and 60% of women aren’t dissatisfied in bed when they choose to cheat.

Which Countries Cheat the Most?

A 2020 OnBuy.com survey ranked the US as the country with the highest rate of infidelity, followed by Germany, the UK, Brazil, and France.

Top Countries for Infidelity (OnBuy.com Survey)

Similarly, June 2024 statistics from Ashley Madison—a site for individuals looking to have an affair—show that over half of its visitors were from the US.

Ashley Madison Visitors by Country (June 2024)

Why Do Some Countries Show High Incidences of Cheating?

There are a few reasons certain countries frequently appear on lists of the most unfaithful nations.

Individualistic Rather Than Collectivistic Values

Collectivist countries emphasize group goals and social cohesion, while individualist countries prioritize personal autonomy and self-expression. In 2023, the scientific journal Nature found a link between infidelity and individualistic nations. Four of the top five countries for cheaters—the US, Germany, the UK, and France—are individualistic.

Gender Equality and Freedom of Sexual Expression

The same study found that countries with higher gender equality and sexual freedom often see more infidelity due to greater individual autonomy, normalized attitudes toward diverse sexual experiences, and increased social interactions that provide opportunities for affairs.

Wealthy Countries

Many studies, such as those carried out by the Journal of Sex Research, have found a correlation between individual wealth and cheating. So, it’s not surprising that the countries with the highest rates of infidelity are also among the wealthiest.

Access to the Internet

There’s also a link between countries with good internet access and countries with a high rate of cheaters. Not only does the internet make it easier for people to meet people online and communicate via social media, but it’s also an indicator of progressive, more developed nations, which contributes to higher infidelity rates.

The Top 5 Countries for Infidelity

Next, let’s take a closer look at the countries that cheat the most.

United States

In a 2018 survey by the General Social Survey, 93% of Americans said that adultery was always or almost always wrong. In fact, adultery is still illegal in 21 states, though these laws are rarely enforced.

Despite this, the US has more cheaters than other countries. This is likely due to its wealth, individualistic culture, and high online access.

Germany

Germany is another individualistic, progressive nation where 93% of its population has internet access. European nations are also less likely to see affairs as universally wrong compared to countries in the Americas, Asia, or Africa.

United Kingdom

The UK has the highest internet access rate of all the countries on the list, at 97%. It’s also one of the top five wealthiest nations in the world—and, as we’ve discussed—wealthier countries tend to cheat more.

Brazil

Brazil is an outlier in this list. It’s a collectivist country that, although the 17th richest, has only 77% internet access across its population. However, it’s the richest country in South America.

One explanation for high infidelity rates in Brazil could be the country’s “jeitinho” culture, characterized by finding clever but informal ways to circumvent rules and resolve issues. This can extend into personal relationships, where individuals may justify or rationalize infidelity as another form of “getting around” social or marital norms.

France

France is another wealthy, individualistic, progressive country with a high percentage of internet access. The French have a more relaxed attitude towards marital fidelity, which is reflected in their higher incidence of reported unfaithfulness.

According to statistics from the Pew Research Center, France was the only country where less than half of its respondents said they thought infidelity was unacceptable. Only 47% of French people said that affairs are morally wrong, compared to 84% of Americans.

Cheating Statistics by State

In 2023, gaming site Solitaire Bliss polled nearly 2,000 people to reveal the top states for cheaters. Texas took the lead, followed by Alabama, Nebraska, and California.

1. Texas
2. Alabama
3. Nebraska
4. California
5. Iowa
6. Massachusetts
7. New York
8. Oklahoma
9. Michigan
10. Washington

Cheating Statistics by City

2023 data from Ashley Madison revealed Columbus, Ohio, as the city with the most unfaithful partners. Below are the top 10 US cities for infidelity.

1. Columbus, Ohio
2. Miami, Florida
3. Orlando, Florida
4. Las Vegas, Nevada
5. Atlanta, Georgia
6. Richmond, Virginia
7. Cincinnati, Ohio
8. Minneapolis & Saint Paul, Minnesota
9. Tampa, Florida
10. Buffalo, New York

Which Profession Cheats the Most?

In 2018, Ashley Madison ranked the professions most represented among its users based on data from over 1,000 participants.

For men, tradesmen (e.g., plumbers, carpenters, electricians) were the top users, followed by IT professionals. For women, medical professionals led, followed by educators. Entrepreneurs came third on both lists.

Top 10 Most Likely Professions for Cheating Men (Ashley Madison)

Top 10 Most Likely Professions for Cheating Women (Ashley Madison)

Military Cheating Statistics

An estimated 70% of military marriages involve at least one infidelity, according to the GITNUX MarketData Report 2024.

Firefighter Cheating Statistics

In 2023, divorce lawyer Kate Simonds posted a video listing the occupations most likely to cheat based on her experience:

1. Firefighters
2. Police officers
3. Bartenders
4. Military
5. Pilots and flight attendants

One reason firefighters might cheat more is because they may get more opportunities. A 2023 survey carried out by a sex toy retailer found that being a firefighter is considered the sexiest job for men.

Across All Professions, People With Power Cheat More

A study from the Journal of Sex Research showed that instances of affairs increase in line with corporate rank—with 9% of non-management and low-management employees having affairs, compared to 24% of middle management and 37% of upper management.

Why Do People Cheat?

A 2020 study by the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy concluded that there are eight key motivators for affairs:

1. Anger
2. Esteem
3. Lack of love
4. Low commitment
5. Need for variety
6. Neglect
7. Sexual desire
8. Situation

Superdrug Online Doctor also examined motivators for infidelity. In a 2017 survey, it found that the most common reasons men gave for infidelity were “the other person was really hot” and “people were hitting on me.”

Other reasons included having doubts about their relationship, not having sex with their partner, and their partner no longer paying attention to them.

In contrast, the most popular reason women gave for cheating was due to their partner’s lack of attention. “The other person was really there for me” was the second most common reason, followed by having doubts about the relationship, finding the other person “really hot,” and feeling bored.

These findings align with psychologist Ritch C. Savin-Williams’s observation that men are more likely to have sex-based motivations for affairs, while women are more driven by the need for emotional connection.

Who Do People Cheat With?

Most people cheat with those they already know.

In Superdrug Online Doctor’s 2017 survey, when asked how they met their affair partner, most men and women responded that “they were a friend.” Work was the second most common place to meet. These two responses account for over 70% of women and 60% of men.

However, the survey also showed that people cheat with others they meet in person or through social media, dating apps, and affair-specific apps.

Here are the detailed percentages:

Women

Men

The Impact of Cheating on Relationships

When a cheater confesses or gets found out, the impact can be serious and far-reaching.

Consequences for Both the Betrayed and the Betrayer

The immediate result of infidelity is often emotional pain and erosion of trust. The betrayed partner may feel angry, sad, and confused.

Meanwhile, the betrayer usually faces guilt and regret. Superdrug Online Doctor’s 2017 survey found that in the US, 57.8% of cheating women and 71% of cheating men regretted their actions.

The cheater may also face isolation as friends and family members take sides, shifting social dynamics and potentially leading to depression and anxiety.

Statistics on Divorce and Breakup Rates Following Infidelity

According to the American Psychological Association, infidelity is responsible for 20% to 40% of divorces in the US. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) also found that one partner in 88% of divorced couples cited infidelity as contributing to the end of their marriage.

Among unmarried couples, 54% chose to break up immediately after learning one partner cheated, according to a 2021 Health Testing Centers survey.

Effects on Children and Extended Family Members

In a survey carried out for her book Parents Who Cheat, clinical psychologist Ana Nogales found that over 75% of respondents felt betrayed by their parent’s infidelity, and 70% said it affected their ability to trust others.

Following a parent’s affair, children may experience increased anxiety and depression and deteriorating academic and social performance. They often feel torn between parents and may even blame themselves for the family’s dissolution.

Extended family members also feel the impact. Family gatherings can become tense or less frequent, and relationships between relatives can strain.

Identifying Signs of Infidelity

The first signs your partner is cheating are often subtle, involving changes in behavior, technology use, and finances. Watch out for these red flags:

If you have suspicions, you don’t have to go as far as hiring private investigators to get to the bottom of things. You can monitor your partner’s location using one of the best partner location trackers,  or use a spy app to provide information about what they’re doing on their devices. (Note that using spy apps without your partner’s consent is illegal in many countries, including the US.)

Conclusion

Statistics show that cheating may be more prevalent among men, 60+ year olds, high-ranking managers, and people from Columbus, Ohio—but anyone of any age, sex, profession, and race could be unfaithful.

With 57% of cheaters never confessing and never getting caught, many people are living in unfaithful relationships without realizing it. If you think this might be you, we have resources to help. Our review of the best spy apps in 2024 equips you with the tools you need to find out if your partner is cheating.

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