Your Guide to Long Distance Relationships

Long Distance Relationships (LDR) statistics

Due to an ever growing and improving spectrum of technology which enables us to communicate in varied ways from across the world, long distance relationships (LDRs) are on the rise.  In fact, in 2005, according to The Center for the Study of Long Distance Relationships[1]  an estimated 2.9% of US marriages were considered long distance[2], with 1 in 10 marriages reported to have included a period at long distance within the first 3 years.[3] This means that in 2005 approximately 3,500,000 people in the US alone were involved in long-distance marriages.[4]  It is harder to know precisely how many non-married couples are in a long distance relationship but according to The Center for the Study of Long Distance Relationships there was an estimated 4 to 4.5 million college couples in the US which were in non marital LDRs.[5]

Even if this data is slightly outdated, it is reasonable to consider that due to the increase in globalization those numbers must have grown since 2005. Another important point is that no statistics currently exist about long distance relationships outside the US (Also according to PerfectRelationship.com “About 1/3 of the married couples in large cities around the world are actually living apart due to job commitments, studies and military deployment”)[6]. However it is fair to assume that similar numbers are valid for, at least, Western Europe, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

These LDRs are due to social, environmental and economic factors such as participation in the military, studying abroad, increased opportunities to work overseas and the emergence of online relationships. Today we can telephone, e-mail, text, video conference, and expedite mail like never before.[7]

Sending flowers to your partner in Beijing can be done at the click of a button from London, and all you need in order to see their reaction is a computer and webcam.Th ese technological advancements have meant that we can readily communicate with the people we love, and sustain better, healthier relationships despite the physical separation – they have helped to bridge the distance like never before. With the world’s population growing, increasing pressure is being placed on local education systems and job markets, forcing some to relocate as required. This has changed the dynamic of our relationships, and challenged conventions of what we actually need in order to sustain a relationship with someone.

·         30% PRs vs. 27% LDRs during the first month ·         21% PRs vs. 37% LDRs during the first 3 months ·         35% PRs vs. 42% LDRs during the first 6 months ·         23% PRs vs. 11% LDRs during the first 8 months ·         25% PRs vs. 8% LDRs during the first year