Couples Thrilled by New Trend Ending Infidelity, Especially Women!

Is infidelity becoming outdated? Recent survey results suggest it might be. The study, conducted by Ifop for the dating site Gleeden, involved 2,000 individuals from France and 1,100 from Paris. It reveals a shifting trend away from traditional infidelity towards a model that its adherents find more fulfilling, including women.

Traditional sexual infidelity—defined as engaging in extramarital sexual relationships without a spouse’s knowledge—is decreasing in France. Ifop reports that 26% of French women confessed to infidelity in their lifetime by 2025, down from 33% in 2014—a 7-point drop over 11 years. “This decline in traditional infidelity is likely partly due to the rise of alternative marital models where partners explicitly negotiate the possibility of engaging with other sexual partners,” state the survey authors.

The emerging trend is based on the principle of opening one’s relationship to additional sexual partners and is known as an “open relationship.” Unlike infidelity, which involves secretly engaging in sexual activities outside of the relationship, open relationships embrace these interactions openly. According to the Ifop survey, 8% of French people are now in an “open” relationship (5% of women in 2025; 4% in 2023; 3% in 2019; and 1% in 2017), with 17% in Paris. In 52% of cases, the decision to open the relationship is made jointly by both partners. The open relationship model is particularly appealing to young adults ages 25 to 34 (23%, compared to 10% of seniors), highly educated individuals (20%, compared to 11% among those without degrees), professionals and upper management (23%, compared to 15% of middle class), and business leaders (26%).

Opening up a relationship isn’t done lightly. Couples establish clear rules to ensure equality. These include not having unprotected sex (61%), keeping the arrangement private from acquaintances (54%), not bringing partners home (52%), and avoiding partners within their close social circle (44%). Generally, those in open relationships prioritize personal happiness over social obligations. According to François Kraus, director at Ifop, “while it is a generally positive relational option for those who choose it, particularly in terms of sexual fulfillment, the open relationship is not necessarily superior to the traditional exclusive couple on an emotional level.”

*Ifop study for GLEEDEN conducted via a self-administered online questionnaire from April 2 to 4, 2025, for the national sample involving 2,000 individuals representative of the French population aged 18 and older, and from March 21 to 26, 2025, for the Parisian sample involving 1,130 individuals, representative of the Parisian population aged 18 and older.