Given the Love Is Blind divorce rate, the show may not be successful in proving its dating experiment. Love Is Blind is a sensational reality TV show determined to prove that singles can connect and marry based solely on an emotional and mental connection. The dating show aired on Netflix in 2020 and took viewers on a wild emotional journey during the height of the COVID-19 lockdown with its unique execution. The season began with 30 singles, 15 men and 15 women, who stayed in separate lodgings. All the Love Is Blind singles were free to date whomever they pleased, but in pods where they would remain sight unseen until they were engaged. Much like many Americans, the singles were all alone in pods, building connections with people they weren't allowed to see but could only hear. The innovative show prompted couples to play games, make meals, plan dates, and much more to help encourage an authentic and deep connection with their love interests.
If, after several days in the pods, a singleton found someone they connected with and fell in love, they could propose. After a proposal, their partner is revealed, and the Love Is Blind couple enters the second phase of the experiment, where they integrate their relationship into the real world. The show's ingenious process was thrilling, drama-filled, and inspiring. Within the first season, six couples were engaged and two got married. The show continued to soar as they prepared for the following seasons in rapid succession. Over the last four years, the reality show has released six seasons and, in that time, many singles have joined Love Is Blind to find their mates. However, the entire show’s premise is an experiment to prove love truly is blind. While many couples made it to the altar and got married, not everybody stayed together. To determine the success rate of the Love Is Blind experiment, this feature will compare the show's divorce rate to the national average.
Understanding the National Average Divorce Rate In Comparison to 'Love Is Blind'
Relationships and marriages are hard work. Even couples who spend decades together get divorced, which is why the Love is Blind show's premise is so interesting. If couples who have known their partners well for years can still struggle in their relationships, then it may not be realistic to believe that singles can fall in love and thrive without seeing each other. It is entirely possible, but the national average needs to be explored before comparing the results of the Love is Blind experiment. According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2019, when Season 1 of Love Is Blind was filmed, the national divorce rate reached an all-time low in 40 years, to about 7.6 divorces for every 1000 married women. This means .76% of married women were divorced in 2019.
Over the years, the rate continued on a downward trend. According to the Census Bureau’s most recent year, 2021, the rate dropped to 6.9 divorces for every 1000 women. This means about .69% of married women were divorced in 2021. While the percentage is less than 1 and may not seem high, it means about 689,308 divorces were filed in 2021. Additionally, according to The Couples Center, a counseling organization for couples, the average length of marriage is about seven to eight years. Forbes also claims that about 43% of first marriages end in divorce. Meanwhile, 60% and 73% of second and third marriages respectively end in divorce. So luckily, the age-old saying that 50% of couples end in divorce is a little of an exaggeration, but the Love Is Blind series
has its work carved out for it.
How Many 'Love Is Blind' Couples Were Engaged and Married?
Before the Love Is Blind divorce rate can be calculated, the total of married couples needs to be established. Throughout the six seasons, viewers watched over 30 couples get engaged. In Season 1, six couples got engaged, including fan favorites Lauren Speed-Hamilton and Cameron Hamilton and franchise villains Jessica Batten and Mark Cuevas. Out of those six couples, only two said “I do.” Season 2 led to six engagements, including Danielle Ruhl, who got engaged to Nick Thompson, and Deepti Vempati, who was engaged to Abhishek "Shake" Chatterjee. Only two couples from Season 2 got married as well. Five couples, including Colleen Reed and Matt Bolton, and Raven Ross and Sikiru "SK" Alagbada from Season 3, got engaged. Season 3 led to two marriages as well. The following season had the most engaged couples in the series as of yet.
In that season, seven couples, including fan favorites Chelsea Griffin and Kwame Appiah, and Zack Goytowski and Bliss Poureetezadi, got engaged. Three couples married in Season 4. Season 5 had only three engaged couples, including Lydia Gonzalez and James "Milton" Johnson IV, and Taylor Rue and Jared "JP" Pierce, but only one couple married by the end of the season. The most recent season has five engaged couples, including Amy Cortés and Johnny McIntyre, and Amber Desiree "AD" Smith and Clay Gravesande. Season 6 ended with only one marriage as well. Across all six Love Is Blind seasons, a total of 32 engagements were aired on the show and 11 couples got married by the end of their season. While seasonally, there appeared to be many connections and engagements, barely a third of them made it to the altar.
The 'Love Is Blind' Divorce Rate Is Low
There are six seasons total in Love Is Blind, and each season starts with 30 singles. This means there was the potential for 15 relationships in each season, for a total of 90 couples over the show's course. Of those 90 potential couples, 32 actually connected and got engaged, meaning about 35% of Love Is Blind contestants formed a strong enough emotional connection with a stranger to consider marrying them. Out of the 32 couples, only 11 got married. This means about 12.2% of all contestants got married, or about 34.3% of engaged Love Is Blind couples got married. However, of those 11 married couples, two of them have gotten divorced.
In season 2, couple Iyanna McNeely and Jarrette Jones had their fair share of hurdles to overcome in the real world. Iyanna lost confidence as she struggled with being Jarrette’s second choice. They also had distinct personalities, like Jarrette enjoyed being a night owl, while Iyanna preferred to stay home. On the other hand, Danielle and Nick, also from Season 2, seemed to be a healthy and happy couple from the start. While the Season 2 Love Is Blind couples beat the odds and were the only two out of six couples to get married by August 2022, both couples were headed for divorce. So, out of 11 marriages, 2 are over for good, bringing the official Love Is Blind divorce rate to about 18.1%.
In the past, it was believed that about 40-50% of marriages would end in divorce. Unfortunately, that was a gross miscalculation that is no longer accurate. In fact, the nation's divorce rate continues to decline. Back in the 1970s, the divorce rate was about 4.8 for every 1000 women, but even at an all-time high, the national average doesn't compare. The divorce rate for Love is Blind is much higher than the national average. Plus, the number of couples who got engaged compared to the number of couples possible was also sobering. With the potential for over 90 couples, it would be reasonable to assume that more couples would get engaged and married. In the end, though, the Love Is Blind show provides unique entertainment and perhaps, in the future, can increase the success rate.
Love is Blind is available to stream on Netflix.
