For three quarters of all women, when looking for a partner, it is not just about feelings, but also about financial aspects. In contrast, for 72 percent of men it doesn’t matter how much money their partner has. This is the result of a joint survey by the comparison portal Verivox and the dating app Parship.
Half of the women want balanced financial resources
Only for almost a quarter of the women surveyed (24 percent) is the partner’s financial situation completely unimportant in a relationship. About half (49 percent) cannot imagine a relationship with someone who has significantly more or less money than they do. For one in four (25 percent) it would not be a problem if the other person had significantly more money, but a partnership with a significantly less well-off person would be out of the question.
When looking for a partner, men pay significantly less attention to the financial aspects: Only around one in five (19 percent) makes sure that potential partners are financially as well off as they are. For a clear majority of 72 percent, financial concerns play a role when choosing a partner own statements, on the other hand, have no role at all.
Differences in income and assets as a possible cause
Income and assets are still very unequally distributed between the sexes in Germany. “The structural disadvantages of women in terms of earnings and wealth distribution could be one reason why they prefer partners who are at least not financially inferior to them,” says Oliver Maier, Managing Director of Verivox Finanzvergleich GmbH. As data from the Federal Statistical Office shows, women earned an average of 18 percent less than men in 2022.
“Traditional role models could also have an impact on the fact that men and women attach different levels of importance to the financial strength of their potential partners,” says Oliver Maier.
Older people pay more attention to finances
The financial strength of their loved ones is not only of different importance to women and men. There are also significant differences depending on age:
For about four out of five (78 percent) of those looking for a partner under the age of 30, money is generally not an issue in a relationship. This proportion decreases with increasing age. In the highest age group of 60 to 69 year olds, only around a third (34 percent) of those surveyed in a relationship are completely irrelevant how much money the other person has.
methodology
In May 2023, Verivox and Parship asked a total of 676 Parship members aged 18 and over online: “Can you imagine a relationship in which your partner has a lot more or a lot less money than you do?”