70% of Americans Have Kissed on the First Date

This is an exclusive study conducted by DatingAdvice.com, which surveyed respondents over the course of three weeks to reflect an accurate representation of the U.S. population.

When you’re on a first date that’s going well, do you lean in for the kiss? Or do you prefer to wait?

Research shows a majority of Americans don’t mind locking lips on the first date.

In a sweeping study conducted by DatingAdvice.com, more than two-thirds of Americans said they’ve kissed on a first date, with men 15 percent more likely to gain that kiss than women.

Out of more than a thousand respondents, gay men and women ranked the highest. Eight out of 10 admitted they’ve smooched on the first date – 10 percent more than their heterosexual counterparts.

“Two-thirds of Americans have kissed on a

first date, with men 15% more likely.”

Dr. Wendy Walsh, clinical psychologist and DatingAdvice.com expert, said while other cultures may interpret a kiss as a greeting or other general form of affection, Americans usually see it as a sign of sexual attraction.

“Plenty of dating couples are known to do a serious tongue waltz before they’ve even seen each other’s apartments,” she said.

The results show location and ethnicity may also be a factor, as 76 percent of respondents in the Northeast said they’ve kissed on a first date compared to just 66 percent of Midwesterners.

White men and women were 25 percent more likely than African-Americans to report a first date kiss, but African-Americans were twice as likely as Asians to answer in the affirmative.

Dr. Walsh said the study suggests Americans have a liberal attitude toward sexual situations and behaviors and may even feel pressured to become physically intimate before emotionally intimate.

“In our modern American culture, a kiss on the lips between two people on a romantic date is most certainly a sign of sexual attraction by at least one of the kissing partners, usually the one who makes the first move,” she said. “The other partner may comply in order not to offend their date, even though they have no plans to see the person again.”

The study surveyed 1,080 respondents over the course of three weeks, balancing responses by age, gender, income, race, sexuality and other factors in order to accurately represent the U.S. population. The study has a margin of error of +/- 2.8%.

The Breakdown: Americans Who’ve Kissed on the First Date

By gender:

• Male: 75%
• Female: 65%

By sexuality:

• Straight: 70%
• Gay: 83%

By marital status:

• Single, Never Married: 64%
• Married: 73%
• Divorced: 78%

By age:

• 18 to 24: 58%
• 25 to 34: 63%
• 35 to 44: 68%
• 45 to 54: 76%
• 54 to 64: 76%
• 65 and older: 74%

By race:

• White: 75%
• African-American: 60 %
• Hispanic: 63%
• Asian: 29%

By income:

• Under $25,000: 60%
• $25,000 to $49,999: 71%
• $50,000 to $74,999: 74%
• $75,000 to $99,999: 75%
• $100,000 to $124,999: 73%
• $125,000 or higher: 74%

By region:

• Northeast: 76%
• Midwest: 66%
• South: 67%
• West: 70%

Visit DatingAdvice.com/Studies for more research on dating and relationship topics. Relationship expert Dr. Wendy Walsh is a frequent contributor on CNN and other major networks and is the author of the new book “The 30-Day Love Detox.”