What are the best countries to find love? There are pretty many of them, and the good news is that a person looking for a cross-cultural relationship has a good chance of finding a perfect partner on every continent. You’ll find the best places to do it, as well as some tips that may be useful for someone who’s interested in dating in other countries here.
A lot of different factors should be considered when choosing top countries for dating—population, number of singles, divorce rate, age at first marriage, cost of trips, motivation to start a relationship, all these things matter. Here are the 15 countries that meet most criteria of experts, as well as singles seeking love worldwide:
Let’s talk about each of the countries in more detail.
| Population | 60,2 million |
| Top cities for dating | Venice, Lecce (Apulia), Milan, Cosenza (Calabria), Salerno (Campania) |
| Average divorce rate | 48.7 divorces for every 100 marriages |
| Average age at first marriage | 32.8 years for women, 35.9 years for men |
| Cost of visiting the country (for US citizens, one week, two-ways tickets included) | $1,800 |
A lot of singles say Italy is the best country for dating, and not only because there are a lot of people seeking relationships. It’s also because of a special attitude that Italians have toward dating. Here, in the land of sun, optimism, pizza, and wine, it’s pretty weird to date multiple people at the same time. Singles in Italy are mature and stable, and if they “stanno assieme” (spend time and have fun together), they are actually dating.
Finding new partners is easy and casual—you just meet, talk, dance, and decide whether you want to get to know each other better. The relationship is officially started when you kiss or make a proposal.
| Population | 215,8 million |
| Top cities for dating | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Brasília |
| Average divorce rate | 21.21% |
| Average age at first marriage | 28 years for women, 31 years for men |
| Cost of visiting the country (for US citizens, one week, two-ways tickets included) | $1,300 |
Brazil is associated not only with amazing beaches, palm trees, and samba but also with romance, love, and true passion. Singles in Brazil easily start a relationship and really enjoy it, and by the way, they’re one of the nations that have a very positive attitude towards online dating. There’s only one country in the world that has more online daters than Brazil, and it’s the United States.
So, if you go to Rio, São Paulo, or another Brazilian city, you can just download one of the free dating apps or join a niche local dating site and meet some of the most beautiful and optimistic people there. You have a great chance to have the most wonderful dating experience in your life!
| Population | 46,7 million |
| Top cities for dating | Barcelona, Granada, Seville, Madrid |
| Average divorce rate | Over 60% |
| Average age at first marriage | 38.5 years for women, 42 years for men |
| Cost of visiting the country (for US citizens, one week, two-ways tickets included) | $1,600 |
Barcelona or Madrid, which city would you choose? Or maybe you’d prefer to go to Granda or Seville to meet a Spanish partner? Whatever you choose, you are likely to meet a lot of attractive singles, but it’s also important to consider the peculiarities of the local dating culture. In particular, you can and you should express your feelings—it’s not a weakness, it’s your strength in Spain.
Also, public displays of affection aren’t discouraged at all:moreover, they are even expected! If it’s okay for you, and if passion and emotions are what you’re looking for, Spain might be a dreamland for you.
| Population | 4,9 million |
| Top cities for dating | Auckland, Napier, Hamilton, Tauranga |
| Average divorce rate | 6.2 divorces per 1,000 marriages |
| Average age at first marriage | 29.5 years for women, 30.6 years for men |
| Cost of visiting the country (for US citizens, one week, two-ways tickets included) | $3,100 |
New Zealand is also great for dating, but in its own way. Unlike Brazilians and Americans, Kiwi people aren’t really into online dating—there, you have a better chance to find your ideal date in real life rather than online. Local singles are into “real”, and “old-fashion” romance and they easily start a relationship with someone they like. Also, they’re incredibly friendly, fun, sexy, trustworthy, and approachable, so if you like face-to-face communication better, too, Auckland or another New Zealand city will be a great place to visit.
| Population | 26,1 million |
| Top cities for dating | Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Canberra · Melbourne |
| Average divorce rate | 1.9 per 1,000 residents |
| Average age at first marriage | 29.2 for women, 30.6 for men |
| Cost of visiting the country (for US citizens, one week, two-ways tickets included) | $2,700 |
We bet you’ve heard about laid-back and open-minded Australians who do what they like and don’t overthink things. They have exactly the same attitude towards dating and relationships—local singles are absolutely relaxed about sex, romance, and getting closer to another person in every sense overall. There, you just start a relationship, enjoy it and see how it goes.
So, if you don’t like it when a potential partner starts putting pressure on you because they want guarantees, Australia will be the best place to find love or at least have a lot of fun.
| Population | 38,4 million |
| Top cities for dating | Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto, Regina |
| Average divorce rate | 40% |
| Average age at first marriage | 32.4 for women, 25.3 for men |
| Cost of visiting the country (for US citizens, one week, two-ways tickets included) | $1,300 |
What’s good about Canada? A lot of things, actually, but for singles, diversity is definitely the best one. In the streets of Canadian cities, you’ll see a lot of attractive people of all ethnicities, and in this case, attractiveness refers not only to appearance but also to confidence, friendliness, and open-mindedness.
There’s a great dating pool of men and women looking for different types of relationships, so everyone can meet a partner with similar views and relationship goals effortlessly, both online and in real life.
| Population | 17,2 million |
| Top cities for dating | Amsterdam, Utrecht, Maastricht, Delft |
| Average divorce rate | 7,8 per 1,000 marriages |
| Average age at first marriage | 35.5 for women, 28.3 for men |
| Cost of visiting the country (for US citizens, one week, two-ways tickets included) | $2,000 |
If you don’t like all that complex dating etiquette, long courtship, hints and unspoken rules that you’re supposed to understand and follow, Netherlands may be a perfect place for you to find love.
Dutch singles are down-to-earth in the best sense of the word—they don’t care much about that courtship stage and don’t expect you to act like a rom-com character. They just meet, talk, and start dating if they really like each other. After all, efficiency is what matters most, so they prefer to get straight to the point. It doesn’t mean they’re all easy, though. They don’t think sex is something extra special, but they have it only when they have feelings.
| Population | 70,1 million |
| Top cities for dating | Pattaya, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket |
| Average divorce rate | 39% |
| Average age at first marriage | 21 for women, 24.5 for men |
| Cost of visiting the country (for US citizens, one week, two-ways tickets included) | $1,600 |
Thailand is rightly considered one of the best countries for dating. There are stereotypes about Thai people, though—some Westerners think there are only bar girls and people who want your money, if you think so, you don’t know the real Thailand. Yes, they start relationships easily, they have sex if they like their partner without waiting until they have that 5th date, and they genuinely enjoy all those positive emotions that intimacy and emotional connection give them. Also, Thai women are known as some of the most caring and loving wives, so Western men often go to Thailand on purpose, and yes, many of them end up finding a local spouse.
| Population | 5 million |
| Top cities for dating | Galway, Belfast, Dublin, Limerick |
| Average divorce rate | 0.6 divorces per 1,000 residents |
| Average age at first marriage | 34.8 for women, 36.8 for men |
| Cost of visiting the country (for US citizens, one week, two-ways tickets included) | $1,600 |
What about Ireland? Is it a good place for dating? Yes, it is, if you’re looking for a country with some of the largest numbers of singles and the lowest divorce rate. Irish people start a relationship pretty easily, but things get official only after you talk about it and decide that you both want to go out exclusively. They prefer to ensure they’re actually going to build that really deep emotional connection with someone who has similar values and views.
As you can see, Irish people also get married at an older age after they achieve career success, see the world, and get more experience overall.
| Population | 10,2 million |
| Top cities for dating | Malmö, Uppsala, Gothenburg, the Gothenburg Archipelago |
| Average divorce rate | 28% |
| Average age at first marriage | 33 years for women, 35.7 for men |
| Cost of visiting the country (for US citizens, one week, two-ways tickets included) | $1,500 |
Here’s another European country where singles are open-minded, informal, and motivated to start a relationship. In Sweden, things happen naturally—people just hang out, and if they do like each other, they take their relationship to a new level. A lot of singles are using dating sites and apps to find matches. Then they just begin with a coffee date, then move on to a movie date, then meet at someone’s place, and that’s how relationships usually start. The only thing you should be aware of is that they like old-fashioned courtship and romance—this is a part of local dating etiquette and culture.
| Population | 65,5 million |
| Top cities for dating | Toulouse, Bordeaux and Rouen, Paris |
| Average divorce rate | 55 per 100 marriages |
| Average age at first marriage | 28.4 for women, 30.3 for men |
| Cost of visiting the country (for US citizens, one week, two-ways tickets included) | $2,200 |
France must be on the list of the best countries for dating, but not for the reason most would think of. The thing is, travelers who come to Paris or another city to find love expect all French to be masters of romance, but though many of them do enjoy relationships and don’t mind starting them when they meet someone attractive, dating is more casual than most foreigners expect it to be. They don’t view having a couple of drinks together as something serious, and it’s normal for them to meet their dates in the company of friends in the early phase of a relationship. After they get to know each other better, the “it’s only two of us” romantic stage finally begins.
| Population | 131,8 million |
| Top cities for dating | Mexico City, Guadalajara, Ecatepec, Tijuana, Leon |
| Average divorce rate | 0.9 per 1,000 population |
| Average age at first marriage | 26 years for women, 29 years for men |
| Cost of visiting the country (for US citizens, one week, two-ways tickets included) | $1,200 |
Though in some areas of Mexico, in particular, the rural ones, dating culture remains pretty conservative, a younger generation is way more spontaneous and open-minded when it comes to relationships. Singles there are fearless and open-minded—for them, approaching someone online or in real life is a hard thing to do. In Mexico, people just meet, chat, and schedule a date. That it goes how it goes—relationships start naturally.
Note that a lot of local singles are interested in serious relationships more than in casual relationships or just hookups (it depends on a person, of course, we’re just talking about the majority of Mexican singles), and they usually end a relationship if they think they have no future with the partner.
| Population | 46 million |
| Top cities for dating | Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Rosario, Mendoza. |
| Average divorce rate | No statistics |
| Average age at first marriage | 33.2 years for women, 34.1 years for men |
| Cost of visiting the country (for US citizens, one week, two-ways tickets included) | $1,700 |
What about Argentina? This society is more westernized than most people think, in particular, in terms of dating. There, casual sex is socially accepted, there are a lot of singles using Tinder and similar apps or websites, and people start a relationship naturally, without following any specific courtship rules.
However, note that in Argentina, most young people live with their families, so if you’re going to date one of them, get ready to meet a family much earlier than you would have met them if you were dating an American. Also, both giving and receiving compliments is part of the local dating culture, so, if you’re impressed with your date’s beauty, intelligence, sense of humor, etc., just tell them about it!
| Population | 10,1 million |
| Top cities for dating | Lisbon, Porto, Amadora, Braga |
| Average divorce rate | 58.7 per 100 marriages |
| Average age at first marriage | 31 years for women, 32 years for men |
| Cost of visiting the country (for US citizens, one week, two-ways tickets included) | $1,500 |
Portugal is an amazing country famous for its beautiful beaches, attractive and friendly people, the best seafood and great wines. But what about dating? There are a lot of singles, but here’s what you should consider—they’re shyer and more reserved than singles in most other countries, even the European ones.
However, it’s not a good reason to abandon the idea of finding a partner in Portugal. There, you can meet a lot of kind and loving people—they just need some time to get to know a person better, relax, and start a relationship. Dating involves all the things that people in other countries usually do—going to cafes, parks, movies, and beaches, so you don’t have to prepare yourself for anything extraordinary.
| Population | 10,3 million |
| Top cities for dating | Athens, Thessaloniki, Patra, Piraeus |
| Average divorce rate | 1,8 per 1,000 population |
| Average age at first marriage | 29.9 years for women, 33 years for men |
| Cost of visiting the country (for US citizens, one week, two-ways tickets included) | $1,800 |
Greece is a place where cross-cultural relationships are as common as relationships between Greeks. Moreover, foreigners are considered hot and usually get even more attention than locals. People here usually express their feelings and emotions fearlessly and as if it’s not a big deal at all—there, receiving compliments from strangers will become a part of your daily routine.
Still, gender roles are pretty traditional. Though some couples prefer to split the bill and build a relationship based on gender equality, the old distribution of roles is still more common in this country.
As you can see, you can choose one of the best European countries for dating, one of the Asian best countries for interracial dating, meet foreign women online, or just go to Canada or Australia. But what can you expect from a cross-cultural relationship? Plenty of good things, actually, but you should also be aware of possible problems and difficulties, namely:
You can overcome all these difficulties if you are really motivated to build a healthy, deep, and enjoyable relationship with someone from another country. In the best countries for single American guys, the chance of finding love is high, and as usual, it’s all about setting priorities.
Currently, Italy is considered the best country for both male and female singles.
Italy is the best country for dating in Europe, especially if you’re looking for a loyal girlfriend or a future wife. Vietnam is the best country in Asia, and Brazil—in Latin America.
In Brazil, you can find a partner the most easily.