MOSCOW, April 21. /TASS/. More than half of Russians have not been on a date in over two years, Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) revealed in a survey.

"For many of us, this kind of romantic experience is a thing of the distant past. In total, nearly six out of ten of our fellow citizens have not gone on a date for more than two years," the survey says.

The most common reason for the absence of romantic meetings is having a family, cited by 47% of respondents who have not been on a date for two years or more. Other reasons mentioned by respondents include age (15%), lack of time (8%) or money (4%), as well as the absence of a suitable partner or invitations (11%).

Nearly 62% of respondents believe that online communication cannot replace in-person meetings at the early stages of dating, while 32% hold the opposite view. Another 46% of interviewees said that it is now more difficult to start a romantic relationship than it was 20-30 years ago, while 29% say it has become easier.

The nationwide telephone survey "VCIOM-Sputnik" was conducted on April 4, 2026, with 1,600 Russian respondents aged 18 and older participating in the study.