Mumbai: A new global study by Ipsos has found that India ranks lowest among 29 markets on partner satisfaction and is among the bottom three on the Love Life Satisfaction Index 2026, highlighting a gap between relationship expectations and lived experiences.
The Love Life Satisfaction Survey 2026, conducted across 29 countries, measures how satisfied people are with the love in their life, their sex lives, and their relationship with their spouse or partner, combining these elements into a single Love Life Satisfaction Index.
While two in three Indians (67%) describe their relationship with their spouse or partner as loving, India ranks lowest among all surveyed markets on this measure. Additionally, India places among the bottom three when it comes to feeling loved, pointing to comparatively lower emotional affirmation among respondents.
In contrast, India performs relatively better on satisfaction with romantic and sex lives, ranking 8th overall. Markets such as Thailand and Indonesia lead this dimension, followed by Mexico, Spain, Malaysia, Colombia, Peru, India and Argentina.
At the top of the Index, Thailand ranks highest overall, with respondents reporting strong satisfaction across partner relationships, romantic lives and sex lives. Markets across Asia, Latin America and parts of Europe dominate the upper tier of the Index. At the lower end, Japan, South Korea and India record the weakest overall love life satisfaction scores. Notably, Italy and France — often culturally associated with romance — also appear among the bottom ten.
Elucidating on the findings of the survey, Suresh Ramalingam, CEO, Ipsos India, stated, “India’s lower ranking presents a striking contrast to its longstanding cultural association with romance and intimacy, often symbolised by the Kamasutra. However, love life satisfaction is shaped as much by contemporary realities as by cultural legacy. Social structures, evolving relationship norms and the demands of modern life may all play a role.Multi-generational family responsibilities, shifting expectations within marriages, and the pressures of balancing work and household commitments can influence how individuals assess their personal and romantic fulfilment. Importantly, two in three Indians report being satisfied with their love life. The ranking is relative across markets and should be interpreted in context, rather than as an absolute measure of dissatisfaction.”
The survey findings underline that relationship satisfaction is influenced not only by cultural narratives but also by broader social and economic realities. Emotional closeness, practical partnership and everyday pressures intersect in shaping how individuals evaluate their love lives.
The study also examined the link between income and love life happiness. Across the 29 markets, individuals in high-income households reported higher satisfaction levels. On average, 82% of high-income respondents said they were satisfied with the love in their life, compared to 72% among low-income respondents. Similarly, 68% of high-income respondents expressed satisfaction with their romantic or sex lives, versus 52% of low-income respondents — reflecting a 14-percentage-point gap.
The survey covered 23,268 adults globally, including approximately 2,200 respondents in India, of whom around 1,800 were interviewed face-to-face and 400 online.
