- *What research generally shows:*
– *Historically*: Men reported higher rates of physical infidelity. Older studies from the 1990s-2000s often showed ∼20-25% of men vs. ∼10-15% of women admitted to cheating.
– *Now*: The gap has shrunk a lot. Recent surveys in the US and UK show men ∼20-23% and women ∼13-19%. Among younger people under 30, some studies find women actually report cheating slightly more.
– *Type matters*: Men tend to report more purely sexual affairs. Women are more likely to report emotional affairs or affairs tied to relationship dissatisfaction.
*Why the numbers are messy:*
1. *Definition*: Is flirting cheating? Is an emotional affair? Is watching porn? People answer differently.
2. *Honesty*: Men may overreport, women may underreport, due to social stigma.
3. *Opportunity*: Who travels more, works late, uses dating apps, etc. Access changes behavior.
*Bottom line*: Cheating isn’t a “gender trait.” It’s a human trait tied to opportunity, dissatisfaction, values, and self-control. In any single relationship, the person more likely to cheat is the one who’s unhappy, feels disconnected, has poor boundaries, or lacks impulse control — man or woman.
So instead of “who cheats more,” the better question is “what makes _people_ cheat” — and that’s usually unmet needs, lack of communication, or character issues.