No country publishes an official count of long-distance couples. What statistics offices do measure is couples who live apart, known as "living apart together" (LAT). Many of them live in the same city, so these numbers are a ceiling, not a count of long-distance relationships. Researchers have also studied long-distance dating directly, mostly with university students.
Key numbers
- 24% of US internet users with recent dating experience had used the internet or email to keep up a long-distance relationship, compared with 19% when Pew first asked in 2005 (Pew Research Center, 2013).
- 7.4% of Canadians aged 20 and over, about 1.9 million people, were in a couple but lived apart in 2011 (Statistics Canada, 2013).
- Only 20% of those Canadian couples lived at least an hour's drive apart; 45% lived in the same neighbourhood (Statistics Canada, 2013).
- 9% of Canadians aged 25 to 64 who were in a couple lived apart from their partner in 2017, up from 6% in 2006 (Statistics Canada, 2019).
- 16.5% of women and 16.6% of men aged 18 to 55 in Spain have a partner they do not live with (calculated from INE, Fertility Survey 2025, provisional data).
- Between 8.6% and 9.6% of adults aged 18 to 79 in Belgium, France, Germany, Norway and Russia were in a living-apart-together relationship (Liefbroer, Poortman and Seltzer, Demographic Research, 2015).
- 3.877 million people in the US were married with their spouse absent in 2023, 1.4% of people aged 15 and over (US Census Bureau, CPS 2023).
- One third of long-distance dating couples who moved back near each other broke up within three months (Stafford, Merolla and Castle, 2006).
How many people live apart from their partner
Each office measures something slightly different, so read the "out of" column before comparing countries.
| Country | Share | Out of | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 7.4% (1.9 million) | people aged 20+ | 2011 | Statistics Canada |
| Canada | 9% | people aged 25–64 in a couple | 2017 | Statistics Canada |
| Spain | 16.5% women, 16.6% men | people aged 18–55 | 2025 (provisional) | INE, women, INE, men |
| France | 4% | adults who say they are in a couple | 2011 | INSEE |
| France | 8.8% | adults aged 18–79 | 2005 | Liefbroer et al. |
| Germany | 8.6% | adults aged 18–79 | 2004–2010 | Liefbroer et al. |
| Belgium | 9.5% | adults aged 18–79 | 2004–2010 | Liefbroer et al. |
| Norway | 9.6% | adults aged 18–79 | 2004–2010 | Liefbroer et al. |
| United States | 1.4% (3.877 million) | people aged 15+, married with spouse absent | 2023 | US Census Bureau |
The US figure counts people, not couples, and the Census includes spouses away for work, military service or any reason other than separation (definition). In France, a separate INED and INSEE survey counted just over 3.8 million people in a stable relationship without living together in 2005 (Régnier-Loilier, Beaujouan and Villeneuve-Gokalp, 2009).
Living apart is mostly a young adult thing
| Age | Canada, 2011 (people aged 20+) | Spain, 2025, women | Spain, 2025, men |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18/20–24 | 31% | 35.5% | 28.2% |
| 25–29 | 17% | 30.2% | 33.4% |
| 30–34 | 3–5% | 17.8% | 15.5% |
| 35–39 | 3–5% | 10.5% | 13.5% |
| 40–44 | 3–5% | 8.6% | 11.1% |
| 45–49 | 3–5% | 9.5% | 8.7% |
| 50–55 | 3–5% | 8.6% | 10.3% |
Sources: Statistics Canada, 2013 (Canada reports 3% to 5% for ages 30 to 59 and 2% from 60). Spain: our calculation from the counts in INE's women's table and men's table; the youngest Spanish group is 18 to 24. In Canada in 2017, the share was 20% among people in a couple aged 25 to 34 (Statistics Canada, 2019).
How far apart they live
- In Canada in 2011, 20% of people in a living-apart couple lived at least an hour's drive from their partner, 34% between 30 and 60 minutes, and 45% in the same neighbourhood (Statistics Canada).
- In Canada in 2017, 4 in 5 lived in the same province, and 64% within 20 km of each other (Statistics Canada).
- In France in 2005, half took under 25 minutes to reach their partner's home, and one in three took over an hour (Régnier-Loilier et al., 2009).
Why couples live apart
In Canada in 2011, 42% of people in a living-apart couple said circumstances made them live apart, such as studies, money or work. Choice was clearly a factor in 39% of cases. More than 80% of young adults in these couples wanted to live with their partner one day (Statistics Canada). Across ten European countries, researchers found that most people in these relationships intend to live together and are apart for practical reasons (Liefbroer et al., 2015).
What research says about long-distance dating
- Quality. In a nationally representative sample of 870 people, those in long-distance relationships reported higher relationship quality and dedication than those living close. At follow-up, they were just as likely to have broken up (Kelmer, Rhoades, Stanley and Markman, Family Process, 2013).
- Few differences. A study of 717 people in long-distance dating relationships and 425 in geographically close ones found few differences between the two groups (Dargie, Blair, Goldfinger and Pukall, Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 2015).
- Intimacy. In a diary study of 63 dating couples (30 long-distance), long-distance partners shared more about themselves and idealised each other more, which went with greater intimacy (Jiang and Hancock, Journal of Communication, 2013).
- The reunion. About half of long-distance dating couples in one study broke up while apart; of those who moved near each other, one third ended within three months (Stafford, Merolla and Castle, 2006).
- Students. A 1996 study supported the estimate that 25% of US college students are in a long-distance relationship (Guldner, Journal of College Student Development, 1996).
These studies mostly used university students or online volunteers, so they describe those groups, not every long-distance couple.
Numbers you will see elsewhere, and why they are not here
- "14 million couples in the US are long-distance." We found no survey or study behind it.
- "3.75 million married couples live apart." No traceable source. The closest official figure is the Census count above, which counts people, not couples, and includes military families.
- "Up to 75% of college students have been in a long-distance relationship." It traces back to a 2005 book that we could not check against its data. Only the 25% estimate above is verified.
Methodology
We used only statistics offices, Pew Research and peer-reviewed journals, and opened every source on the date shown at the top. Spanish percentages are our calculation from INE's published counts; INE plans final figures for December 2026, and we will update this page then. Study findings come from the published abstracts or full texts. If you spot an error or a better source, write to contact@ntpco.tech.
Title: Long-distance relationship statistics 2026
URL: https://till.mobile/long-distance-relationship-statistics/
Suggested citation: Till (2026). Long-distance relationship statistics 2026. Retrieved from https://till.mobile/long-distance-relationship-statistics/
You are welcome to quote any number here. Please link to this page and keep the original source next to the number.
FAQ
How many couples are in a long-distance relationship?
No country counts them. The closest measures are couples who live apart: 7.4% of Canadian adults in 2011, about 16.5% of Spanish adults aged 18 to 55 in 2025, and 8.6% to 9.6% of adults in several Western European countries. Most of them live in the same city or region.
Do long-distance relationships last?
Studies find few differences in quality between long-distance and close relationships, and one study found both groups equally likely to have broken up at follow-up. The risky moment can be the reunion: in one study, a third of couples who moved back together broke up within three months.
Is living apart together the same as long distance?
No. Living apart together means a couple in separate homes, often in the same town. In Canada, only 20% of these couples lived an hour's drive or more apart.
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