How Germans Find Love and What They Think About Marriage and Intercultural Relationships
This article takes a statistical look at how relationships form in Germany – including how people meet, how they feel about marriage, and how common intercultural relationships are. The goal is to provide clear, factual information that can help newcomers understand social patterns in Germany.
Overview
- Where Do People Meet Their Partners?
- Do Germans Still Want to Get Married?
- Are Germans Open to Intercultural Relationships?
Where Do People Meet Their Partners in Germany?
they get to know each other for the first time.
In Germany, the way people meet their partners depends a lot on age – but whether you’re in your 20s or 30s, it’s often friends or online apps that bring couples together. A recent survey shows the most common places where people between 18 and 39 find love:
| Rank | Age 18–29 | Age 30–39 |
| 1 | Through friends | Through friends |
| 2 | On a dating app or online platform | On a dating app or online platform |
| 3 | At work | While going out (e.g. bar or club) |
| 4 | Through a hobby (e.g. sports) | At work |
| 5 | While going out (e.g. bar or club) | Through a hobby (e.g. sports) Other |
| 6 | Other |
As you can see, online dating is just as popular as meeting through friends – especially among younger adults. Whether it’s via an app or during a shared hobby, connections happen in many ways.[1]
Do Germans Still Want to Get Married?
While marriage is no longer seen as a “must” in Germany, many people still value it as a personal goal – though attitudes differ by age and lifestyle. A recent survey asked young adults how they feel about marriage. Here’s what people between 18 and 39 said:
| Statement | Age 18–29 | Age 30–39 |
| Before getting married, you should be together for a few years first | 52.1 % | 53.3 % |
| It doesn’t matter who proposes | 21.9 % | 27.1 % |
| The man should be the one to propose | 34.9 % | 31.6 % |
| For me, marriage is the goal of a relationship | 23.3 % | 18.0 % |
As you can see, most people agree that a relationship should develop over time before marriage. While some still expect traditional roles when it comes to proposing, many are open to breaking gender norms. Interestingly, only around 1 in 5 young adults say that marriage is the clear goal of a relationship – long-term commitment is important, but it doesn’t always have to be formalized.[2]
Are Germans Open to Intercultural Relationships?
In 2023, there were a total of 360,979 marriages registered in Germany. [3] Of these, around 11.5% were binational marriages – that is, between a German citizen and a non-German partner.
The most frequent combination was between a German man and a foreign woman, accounting for 6.1% of all marriages. Meanwhile, German women marrying foreign men made up 5.1%. Same-sex binational marriages were less common: about 0.2% involved a German man and a foreign man, and 0.1% involved a German woman and a foreign woman.
In summary, nearly 1 in 9 couples getting married in Germany consists of one German and one non-German partner – showing that intercultural relationships are a visible part of German society.[4]
Conclusion
Many Germans are open to relationships with people from other backgrounds. What matters most is mutual respect, curiosity, and the willingness to learn from each other. Relationships in Germany often take time to grow – but when they do, they are often serious and committed.
Important note: The numbers and categories used in this article describe social trends – not people. Every relationship is unique, and no statistics can define love, connection, or human value.
Sources (Retrieved on June 1, 2025):
[1] Parship Study 2024: 10 Facts About Singles and Couples in Germany
[2] ElitePartner Study 2024: Marriage and Modern Views
[3] Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) 2023: Marriages in Transition
[4] Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) 2023: Binational Marriages
First Steps in Germany 