Where do Americans stand on consensual nonmonogamy?

NEARLY ONE-THIRD OF SINGLES IN AMERICA HAVE HAD a consensually nonmonogamous relationship, but many singles are still committed to the concept of traditional sexual monogamy.

- CADY LANG

That's the word from the survey informing the 2024 Match Singles in America report, but it's also all over popular culture-in mainstream television shows, books, and media reports where consensual nonmonogamy is having a moment. Anthropologist Helen Fisher, Match's chief science adviser, calls it an exciting development in consensual nonmonogamy, but is hardly new.

"There's every reason to think that having sex outside of the pair bond has been quite common for millions of years," Fisher tells TIME. "What's actually extraordinary is that we bother to pair up at all, and indeed we do."

According to the report, which was released in January and marked the first time Match asked about nonmonogamy, while 31% of singles in America have explored consensual nonmonogamy (also known as ethical nonmonogamy), 49% of singles say that traditional sexual monogamy is still their "ideal sexual relationship."