Indians Love Romance - But Not With Their Partners? What Love Life Survey Shows

Love is the essence of Indian culture, ranging from the ancient philosophies of the Kama Sutra to the grand romantic gestures of Bollywood movies. It is praised as passionate and enduring. However, in real life, the here and now often has a different tale to tell. According to the Ipsos Love Life Satisfaction Index 2026, India ranks the lowest among 29 surveyed countries on partner satisfaction.

The survey results offer a glimpse into what people actually feel about their relationships in the here and now. And in the big picture findings, India reveals a fascinating paradox that challenges all our usual notions about love and emotional satisfaction.

What is the Love Life Satisfaction Index?

The Love Life Satisfaction Index is a way to measure how satisfied people feel with three crucial aspects of their romantic and sex lives. Ipsos interviewed a total of 23,268 adults (aged 18 years and older) in India and 28 other countries. (Age ranges varied slightly by country, generally covering adults between 16 and 74 years old.)

The sample in India consists of approximately 2,200 individuals, of whom approximately 1,800 were interviewed face-to-face and 400 were interviewed online.

The sample consists of approximately 2,000 individuals in Japan, 1,000 individuals each in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Mexico, Spain, and the U.S., and 500 individuals each in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand, and Türkiye.

India’s Ranking: A Surprising Reality

India’s overall ranking in the 2026 index places it among the lower-performing countries in terms of partner satisfaction and overall love life satisfaction. Even then, the data reveals something unexpected:

• 67% of Indians describe their relationship as “loving.”
• India ranked relatively high — 8th among 29 countries — in satisfaction with romance and sex life.
• However, India ranked much lower in overall partner satisfaction, and in the feeling of being emotionally fulfilled.

The India Paradox: Loving, Yet Not Fully Satisfied

How can people describe their relationships as loving and still report low satisfaction? The paradox suggests that while romance and intimacy may exist, emotional affirmation and fulfilment may not always be equally strong.

Love might be present, but the deeper feeling of being understood, supported and emotionally valued may not be consistent. In other words, one can have affection and attraction, yet still experience emotional gaps.

Possible Reasons Behind the Emotional Gap

There are a number of social and cultural reasons that may account for this phenomenon:

1. Cultural Expectations vs Reality

Indian culture tends to have epic stories about romantic love. When we compare real relationships to these shiny hypothetical futures, the real thing can be a little underwhelming.

2. Social and Family Pressures

Family ties, financial concerns, and hectic schedules: Many couples deal with family, finances, and a hectic pace of life. Actual relationships may get pushed to the back burner.

3. Changing Gender Roles

Role changes for women: As society evolves, the roles that partners expect to play in each other’s lives also change. More women in the workforce and changing attitudes about equality can create a few bumps in the road for traditional relationship structures.

4. Limited Emotional Expression

Lack of discussion about feelings: In Indian households have a major issue with expressing what they feel. When feelings aren’t expressed, partners can feel as if they’re not being heard, even if they’re in a good relationship.

What These Findings Really Mean

India’s lower ranking does not mean that love is absent. Instead, it highlights a gap between having love and feeling emotionally fulfilled by it.

The survey points towards an important shift: modern love requires more than commitment or passion. It demands communication, emotional validation, shared responsibility and psychological safety.

In a rapidly changing society like India, where tradition and modernity co-exist, couples are still learning and figuring out ways to redefine intimacy in meaningful ways.

Rethinking Love in Contemporary India

The Ipsos survey focuses on open conversation about emotional depth in relationships, not just a mere crisis of love in India. Love today must go beyond romance and ritual. Emotional presence, understanding, and mutual growth should be a part of it.

Hence, the actual question lies in whether people feel seen, heard, and valued in those relationships, not just a mere loving relationships. As society continues to change, our perceptions of what it means to be satisfied in love should also.

Views expressed by the author are their own.