While global marriage rates continue to decline, consensual non-monogamous relationships are on the up. What does this tell us about culture’s changing attitude towards loving relationships?

Polyamory, a relationship or encounter involving more than two people, used to be the kind of thing whispered about at dinner parties or kept out of sight in dark clubs, but recent developments suggest non-monogamy is becoming more socially acceptable than ever. 

Before we get into it, the broad non-monogamy genre is home to a glossary of names for various arrangements: polygamy, polyamory, polygyny, polyandry, a polycule and beyond. In essence, they all describe variations of the same thing: a consensual relationship involving more than two people. 

And while consensual non-monogamy (CNM) has been explored in LGBTQ+ communities for some time, we can see from our CultureIndex data that there’s wider interest from other groups too (interest, being the operative word – it takes a sizable leap to actually enter into a polyamorous relationship, especially for existing couples, but the curiosity in itself is telling). 

One brand leading the charge in this space is Feeld, “the dating app for open minded individuals” which saw their user base grow 107% between 2022 and 2023 to an estimated 60,000. The app offers a smorgasbord of non-traditional encounters, from kink to polyamory, and is beginning to flirt with mainstream culture. It’s been written about everywhere from The New York Times to Cosmopolitan, is widely discussed at salons, barbers and WhatsApp groups, and even had its branding praised on design bible It’s Nice That. 

Some families are discovering that polyamory and parenting aren’t mutually exclusive either. The saying “it takes a village to raise a child” comes from a time when humans lived in smaller communities and collective parenting was a fundamental part of a child’s development. For some, polyamory is a way of reintroducing that idea into our modern lives.  

All this being said, there is no sign of polyamory overtaking monogamous relationships. Couples are still the preferred modus operandi for most humans. But while this burgeoning trend is unlikely to challenge mainstream traditions, its relative spike in popularity can tell us something about culture’s evolving attitudes towards healthy relationships. 

Almost 90% of the world’s population live in countries with declining marriage rates. The reasons for this are many and nuanced by region. Some point to society’s moral decline or a generation too focused on career-growth, but we don’t buy that. We believe that our universal need for love, companionship and sex is as strong as ever, we’re simply finding new ways to fulfil it away from the cultural norms we’ve inherited – and we’re more comfortable talking about it. 

With this in mind, here are some pointers for brands:

• Understand that culture is evolving from a place of heteronormative values to include different types of loving relationships and families, and people expect brands to reflect this shift.
• By demonstrating what a healthy relationship looks like outside of traditional tropes, brands can help to normalise this change, leading the charge and inspiring with their storytelling. Over the last few years there has been a marked increase in non-traditional relationships and families represented in advertising, and progressive brands should use their platform to continue this charge. 

To unlock more family insights, email discover@culturelab.co 

^{(Sources: CultureLab CultureIndex, August 2024)}