India's Cheating Rate Falls 16% In 2 Years As Couples Choose Clarity Over Chaos, Says Survey

Infidelity in India is no longer taboo, a forbidden phenomenon that is brushed under the carpet. Acoording to a recent infidelity survey by Gleeden (a global extramarital dating app for women) with IPSOS as a research provider, there has been a 16 percent decline in physical infidelity in the country since 2023.

What's more, 48 percent of respondents in 2025 reported cheating on their partner compared to 57 percent in 2020. The downward trend represents not just a behavioural shift but also an ideological shift. Indians are not necessarily being more faithful, they are simply more willing to deliberate about fidelity itself.

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According to Sybil Shiddell, Country Manager, Gleeden India, "While traditional marriage historically meant total monogamy, couples today are questioning whether exclusivity is the only path to commitment. In this context infidelity is being replaced with intentional conversations, clear boundaries, and redefined partnerships. Infidelity fatigue has set in. People today are tired of living a double life. They are leaning into radical transparency and redefined relationship models , whether that means ethical non-monogamy or open partnerships."

Monogamy And The Monopoly Over Love

The idea of monogamy as the premium model for love no longer has many takers. Nearly half of the respondents of the Gleeden (sample size of survey not mentioned) and IPSOS 2025 study do not believe that humans are built to be monogamous. On the other hand, 50 percent of Gen-X population believes that monogamy is very much possible. In fact, 61 percent of people in the survey said society wants individuals to be monogamous, even if this runs contrary to their instincts. The social contract is changing, and the public is starting to realise that emotional safety and freedom can coexist.

The clearest example of the evoloution of the social contract is the growing acceptance of open relationships. A surprising 69 percent of respondents say that open relationships are becoming more acceptable in the society, whereas 35 percent of respondents confessed to being involved in open relationships. Forty-one percent of the respondents said they would immediately agree to an open relationship if their partner proposed one. And, they said these are not casual encounters - they are well-thought through agreements with mutual obligations and respect. As Indian couples come out of secrecy about such conversations, betrayal is being replaced with negotiated independence.

Cheating To Choice

The 16 percent fall in reported infidelity does not necessarily mean that people are not exploring relationships outside their regular set-up. It simply means they are doing so more honestly. Instead of it being clandestine, it is becoming consensual. The language is shifting from "cheating" to "choice," and from "betrayal" to "boundaries". As more couples embrace sexual and emotional honesty, they are beginning to steer clear of the need to deceive.

Evolution goes beyond freedom; it is also about fairness. Women now constitute about 35 percent of Gleeden's Indian users. Women were found to be equally as likely to report physical and emotional infidelity at 46 percent, but were also much more likely than men to define infidelity strictly.

For women, emotional connection, chatty flirting, and simply fantasising about someone else could be considered cheating, and this growth in self-awareness among women is creating demand for more emotions-based honest relationships - relationships that depend on no silent agreements under guilt.

Moving Away From The Idea Of Happily Ever After to Happily Honest

The statistics are a fascinating counterpoint. Although 94 percent of Indians claim to be happy in their relationships and 84 percent claim to be satisfied in their sex lives, only 25 percent feel fulfilled in reality. The rest admit to feeling the lack of emotional connection, thrill, or communication. This disconnect has produced a cultural moment where increasing numbers of people are exploring alternative ways to fix their relationships instead of terminating them.

An astonishing 60 percent of married people would choose the intramarital affair over a divorce in a case of unhappiness in the marriage. Even more radically, 47 percent thought infidelity could prove to yeast the passion of a monotonous union. Forgiveness is also possible - 62 percent said they would seriously consider forgiving a cheating spouse in a one-time mistake, especially if the spouse showed honest remorse in the way they continued. The survey clearly shows an evolution from moral absolutism towards emotional realism.

The Future Is Moving Towards Fluidity

A declining infidelity rate in India does not mean a return to a traditional view of monogamy. On the contrary, it signals the emergence of something new. Importantly, this transition is not a return to moral policing but rather moral maturity. Almost 64 percent of participants stated their thoughts surrounding relationships have changed in the last five years: 69 percent, in fact, say open relationships are now more socially accepted, while 59 percent think they may become the relationship model of the future.

While we may still associate secret and scandal with infidelity in some spaces, it is obvious that couples are choosing clarity over chaos, curiosity over condemnation, and open dialogue over secrets.

As Indians enter a new chapter of a relationship revolution, fidelity is no longer defined by restrictions, it is now defined by respect. Whether that is to stay monogamous, go polyamorous, or remain somewhere in between, perfection is now replaced by authenticity.

Also Read: Why Do People In Good Relationships Cheat? Your Infidelity Questions Answered