This Is How Many People Cheat On Their Partners (Hint: It's A Lot)

If we haven't been cheated on or cheated ourselves, we all know somebody who has. Cheating is happening all the time, all around us.

You may think your friends have the perfect relationship and then you find out that one was constantly cheating — the same goes for family members, co-workers, and neighbors. Think of how many celebrity marriages end where the reason is that one partner cheated on the other.

It can seem like everybody's cheating all the time, and that's not entirely incorrect.

According to research from a new study by YouGov, approximately one in five people surveyed admitted to cheating on a partner. One in five is a huge number!

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For the study, YouGov surveyed 1,000 Americans over the age of 18 about their dating habits, experiences with relationships, and their preferences. The researchers discovered that 21 percent of 18 to 29-year-olds and 17 percent of 30 to 44-year-olds have cheated at least once.

Not entirely surprising, the researchers found that men are the predominant cheaters — 25 percent of the male participants reported engaging in sexual activities with someone who wasn't their partner, while only 13 percent of women said the same.

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Supporting the finding that women are cheating less often than men, the survey reported that 69 percent of the women participants described their perfect relationship as being completely monogamous, while only 52 percent of men thought monogamy was best.

The generation that was the most open to non-monogamous relationships was the Millennial generation. The researchers found that although only 6 percent of 18 to 29-year-olds and 9 percent of 30 to 44-year-olds are actively seeking open and polyamorous relationships, approximately one-quarter of both groups could be open to a non-exclusive relationship, depending on the situation.

As with any relationship, make sure that you're very direct with your feelings and what exactly you want with your partner. Discovering that your partner is cheating isn't the kind of surprise anybody wants.