Is your partner stressed? WATCH OUT! An affair might be in the offing, Ashley Madison reveals

Stress is driving people towards seeking relationships outside their marriages, a survey by Ashley Madison has revealed. According to new global member data gathered by the dating website for married people, the state of affairs in today's world is influencing how people approach romantic connections. It stated that people are looking for new relationships as a way to escape the stress and handle anxiety. The website polled 2,404 Ashley Madison members between July 8–10, 2025. Nearly half (49%) of member respondents said they look to engage in additional relationships during stressful times. Women are more likely than men to have an affair to get rid of stress, with 50% of them admitting to looking for excitement or escape, as compared to 43% men.

Ashley Madison further found that inflation is another factor that leads them to stray. More than 1 in 3 women (33%) and more than a quarter of men (27%) said inflation impacts their approach to relationships more than recession, political uncertainty, or unstable employment.

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Casual relationships help during tough times

A majority of them said that when times got tough, they tried to stick to the relationship, instead of breaking up. Forty-three per cent of them stated that more people sought casual relationships during difficult times. A whopping 87% of respondents said they saw people around them either dating, pursuing relationships, or taking relationships to the next level.

Casual dating was seen as a mechanism to manage anxiety by 21% of the respondents, as compared to being in a committed relationship, with 19% saying they preferred the latter. Women found more comfort in dating or relationships than men. The survey found that human connection played a crucial role in times of global challenges, and having a partner motivated them to keep going.