For many, Valentine’s Day is a time for romance marked by gifts, chocolates, and special experiences – or it’s marked by disappointment when those expectations aren’t met.
A YouGov poll of more than 33,000 US adults finds that 48% of women say they’ve been disappointed by a romantic partner who didn’t do enough for Valentine’s Day. Men (23%) are far less likely to say they’ve been similarly let down.
Women between the ages of 35 and 54 are particularly likely to say they have been disappointed by a partner on Valentine’s Day (57%).
Women who are bisexual (48%) or heterosexual (46%) are more likely than lesbians (37%) to say they’ve been let down by a romantic partner on Valentine’s Day. Among men, those who are bisexual (28%) or gay (27%) are slightly more likely than straight men (20%) to say they’ve been disappointed by their partner on Valentine’s Day, though the majority of men (more than 60% across these sexual orientation groups) say they have not had this experience.
Additional data from YouGov Direct suggests that this year’s Valentine’s Day may be a quiet one for most people. About one-quarter (23%) say it’s likely they’ll go on a date in person this February 14, while 72% say it’s unlikely. Even fewer (9%) anticipate going on a virtual date via video chat or similar platforms this year.
See full results for these polls here and here.
Related: One-third of Americans have been in a love triangle
Methodology: 33,128 US adults were surveyed, including 13,695 heterosexual women, 447 lesbian women, 943 bisexual women, 10,639 heterosexual men, 418 bisexual men, and 851 gay men. YouGov panelists self-identify their sexual orientation and gender. The survey was conducted between January 15 – 22, 2021. The responding sample is weighted to be representative of the US population.
