Cheating & Infidelity Statistics 2026

of married people will cheat at some point

Research consistently shows that 20-25% of married individuals will engage in infidelity during their marriage, though definitions of "cheating" vary.

of married men have cheated

About 20% of married men admit to having sexual relations outside their marriage at some point.

of married women have cheated

About 13% of married women admit to having extramarital affairs, though this rate has been increasing over recent decades.

of people cheat while in a dating relationship

Cheating rates are higher in dating relationships than in marriages, with 35-40% of people admitting to infidelity while dating.

of affairs are purely emotional (no physical contact)

Nearly half of extramarital affairs involve only emotional infidelity without physical sexual contact.

more likely to cheat again if they've cheated before

People who have cheated in a previous relationship are three times more likely to cheat again in future relationships.

of cheaters have cheated in multiple relationships

About one-third of people who cheat have done so in more than one relationship, suggesting a pattern of behavior.

more likely to be cheated on if it happened before

People who have been cheated on are twice as likely to be cheated on again in their next relationship.

cite feeling emotionally neglected

Nearly half of people who cheat report feeling emotionally neglected by their partner as a primary reason.

cheat to feel desired or validated

Many people cheat seeking validation, self-esteem boosts, or to feel desired and attractive.

of affairs happen due to "opportunity"

About 30% of people who cheat say it happened primarily because the opportunity presented itself, not because they were seeking it.

cite sexual dissatisfaction as a primary reason

About one-third of cheaters report sexual dissatisfaction in their primary relationship as a key factor.

of affairs are eventually discovered

Nearly two-thirds of affairs are eventually found out, either through confession, evidence, or discovery by the betrayed partner.

of affairs are discovered through phone evidence

Text messages, social media, and call logs on phones are the most common way affairs are discovered.

of cheaters confess to their partner

About 30% of affairs end with the cheater confessing, often due to guilt or as a way to end the primary relationship.

of couples stay together after infidelity is discovered

Surprisingly, the majority of couples initially choose to stay together and work on their relationship after infidelity is discovered.

of couples report improved relationships after affair therapy

Over half of couples who seek therapy after infidelity report their relationship ultimately becomes stronger than before.

of marriages end in divorce after infidelity

About 40% of marriages that experience infidelity eventually end in divorce, though this often takes years.

to rebuild trust after infidelity

Experts say it typically takes a minimum of 2 years for couples to fully rebuild trust after an affair.

of affairs now begin online

A significant portion of affairs now start through social media, dating apps, or other online platforms.

of people consider "micro-cheating" a form of infidelity

Most people consider behaviors like secret messaging, emotional intimacy with others, or liking exes' photos as forms of cheating.

of committed adults have sexted someone other than their partner

About one in five people in relationships have engaged in sexual messaging with someone outside their relationship.