Facts and figures on females throughout the world.
By Lydia Gregovic, Illustrations by Jessica Wetterer
6 Million Couples
Clear your schedules and invest in that pair of heels you’ve been eyeing. Odds are you’ll be receiving more than a few save-the-date invites in the near future. According to a report from American Express, about 6 million couples get engaged each Valentine’s Day, making it the second most popular engagement date of the year, after Christmas. And when it comes to Love Day, as the holiday is sometimes called, don’t be surprised if your beau’s feelings run a little deeper than yours at first. A survey by the Daily Mail found men take an average of 88 days to tell a partner, “I love you,” compared with women’s average of 134 days.
2.5 Times More Likely
Are you afraid to make the first move on your favorite dating app? Don’t be! Although traditional romantic scripts imply the man should be the first to show interest, a survey conducted by online dating platform OkCupid found women are two and a half times more likely to get a response when they send the first message. And the perks don’t end there. According to the same survey, sparks ignited by women have a better chance of resulting in a longer connection. According to the survey results, about 30 percent of women-initiated messages on OkCupid turn into conversations.
28,000 Guests
Oprah Winfrey has been involved in almost every aspect of the entertainment industry, from producing to acting, but she is perhaps best remembered as the host of The Oprah Winfrey Show, which had a 25-season run, from 1986 to 2011. One of the most successful talk shows in history, the program saw Winfrey host 28,000 guests throughout the course of her career, including five presidents, seven princes and one reigning queen. In addition to launching the careers of household television names such as Dr. Phil McGraw, the show eventually allowed Winfrey to create her own network, OWN.
91 Percent of Florists
Business is blooming for ladies in the floral industry. A report from The Florist Guide found the field is heavily female-dominated, with women making up about 91 percent of all florists in the U.K. For many florists in the U.S., February is the busiest month of the year, with consumers buying more than $2 billion worth of owers every Valentine’s Day. But despite this annual spike in business, the floral industry is struggling to convince millennials of the benefits of stopping to smell the roses. In fact, only about 23 percent of U.K. florists are younger than 25.
20 Percent of Americans
Block parties may be a thing of the past, according to recent data from the General Social Survey. Four decades ago, about one-third of Americans reportedly socialized with their neighbors at least twice a week. Today, only 20 percent of home dwellers regularly spend time with those who live near them. In a 2010 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, researchers found one-third of Americans knew none of their neighbors by name. Surprisingly, the root cause of this distance may be what many consider the ultimate connector: technology. Whereas older generations relied on those living near them for social support, the rise of social media and cellphones allows us to keep long- distance loved ones close, eliminating the need for new friends.