Three out of four Israeli women don't feel pressured to get married - Bumble study

Three out of four Israeli women don't feel pressured to get married, according to a study conducted by the popular online dating app Bumble, where women make the first move.

Bumble published a study in collaboration with Dr. Liraz Margalit and the Topix company, a social psychologist and relationship expert, in which they examined what women in today's societies think about dating, relationships, money and romance.

Dr. Margalit conducted the research by using a panel supported by artificial intelligence (AI) to collect data on responses from over 500 Israeli women about their experiences, focusing on relationships between men and women.

Changing the meaning of success in love

The research from Bumble shows that Israeli women are changing what it means to be "successfully in love". Bumble identified that in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a trend of "conscious singleness," meaning that single women were single because they consciously chose to be single and not because they couldn't find a partner.

Ever since the trend started to become popular, more and more Israeli women are starting to adopt the approach and made it the new norm. According to Bumble's report, many Israeli women are using this approach to help them challenge the old norms around romance and approach them in different and new ways, especially around marriage and money.

The report shows that 72% of Israeli women reported that they don't feel any pressure to get married or even think about marriage and 70% said that they don't feel the need to get married when in a relationship.

Over 70% of women between the ages of 26 and 40 said that they don't need a man in order to feel complete, with the percentage being higher among Gen Z women.

Who will pay the bill?

One of the many questions about dating that are still being consistently asked, according to the report, is: Who will pay for the bill?

Although a very sensitive subject for many women, most Israeli women (60%) don't think that the man should pay the bill on the first date, while many also believe that whoever pays the bill is a way to understand what the person's intentions are.

The report shows that the more interested the woman is, the more she cares about who is paying the bill on the first date.

Around 54% of the women who don't believe that a man should pay think that because they want to avoid sending the wrong message to the man. 

Romance and dating

Hollywood romance movies show that many love interests would be very loud and public with their romantic gestures, but it's not quite a trend in Israel quite yet. For many younger women (73%), romantic gestures are mainly done as small gestures rather than in big, extravagant ways.

Over the past couple of years, 32% of Israeli women say that they are less impressed with big and expensive gestures on their first dates. Many would even say that that would be the main reason to not go further in the relationship.

Some 23% of Israeli women say that when there is a lack of chemistry when first meeting the other person, it causes an automatic rejection for them.

Shared values

When dating, many people look for partners with similar values as them, as it is very important for their future. Beyond the shared values, 57% of women consider the lack of respect, appreciation, or maturity as also cause for immediate rejection.

For years, many women would reject men by their height and by how they look but now, around 75% of women have disregarded the thought of rejecting men based on their height and have started to embrace it.

Some 46% of Israeli women have admitted that they are now more open to meeting people who they consider aren't their type, which Bumble calls "open reading," and according to the report, Israeli is among the highest rating in the world to use this approach.

Making things a little difficult

Almost half of the Israeli women in today's society believe that they need to play "hard to get" at the beginning, with the number increasing among women around 40-51 years old. Israeli women still worry about being judged due to societal changes and expectations.

"Although most women report that they hate playing games and even more so when men play games, they still feel they have to do it," Dr. Margalit said. "This means that often, women feel that they are not allowed to communicate their desires directly.

"However, women of the younger generation are bringing good new as more of them feel confident enough to talk directly about the things they are looking for in a relationship and also in their sex life. We are seeing a change from a mindset that aims to 'find a man' as a requirement to progress in life, to a pattern where women value relationships and partners based on what they bring to their lives."

Many women (60%), are afraid of making the first move due to their fears of presenting themselves as desperate. And when it comes to their personal values or opinions, 23% of women are afraid that the other person would judge them harshly and think they are overly opinionated or direct.

A challenging topic to discuss

When it comes to expectations, the topic of sex is still one of the most challenging topics to discuss for both men and women. Some 42% of Israelis on Bumble described that their approach to intimacy and sex is "open."

40% of Israeli women believe that discussing the topic of sex is no longer a taboo subject and they feel it's important to discuss it at the beginning of dating. Many people also don't look to have a relationship in order to experience intimacy.

More than half of Israeli women enjoy having sex without being in a relationship with the number increasing with the younger generations as well as women over 50 years old.