A recent global Ipsos Love Life Satisfaction Index 2026 survey has brought surprising insights about how people feel about love, relationships, and emotional connection across the world.
The study shows that India ranks lowest in partner satisfaction and stands among the bottom three markets on the overall Love Life Satisfaction Index. This reflects a notable gap between how many Indians view their romantic relationships and how they actually experience emotional fulfilment compared with people in other countries.
What the Love Life Satisfaction Index Measures
The Love Life Satisfaction Index used in this global survey looks at three key areas of romantic life. These are how satisfied people are with the love in their life, how content they are with their sex lives, and how they feel about their relationship with their spouse or partner. By combining these three elements, the index provides a broader view of how people evaluate their overall romantic and emotional wellbeing.
India’s Position Among 29 Markets
According to the survey findings, of the 29 countries surveyed, India is at the bottom when it comes to partner satisfaction, and is also among the bottom three when it comes to how much people feel loved. These rankings indicate that emotional affirmation and the perceived quality of relationships are comparatively lower among Indian respondents than in many other global markets.
What Indians Report About Their Relationships
Despite this lower ranking, the survey found something interesting. Two in three Indians (67%) describe their relationship with their spouse or partner as loving. This means that a majority of people in India still feel a positive connection in their close relationships, even though overall satisfaction levels lag behind those in many other countries.
The Emotional Gap in Love Life Satisfaction
The gap between Indians saying they are in loving relationships and India’s low position in partner satisfaction highlights an important distinction. Many respondents may feel their relationship is stable or affectionate, but they may not feel emotionally affirmed or fully satisfied in that relationship compared with people in other nations. This gap shows the complexity of modern relationships where emotional experience and cultural narratives do not always match.
Where India Performs Better in the Global Survey
Interestingly, India’s ranking is not uniformly low across all aspects of the Love Life Satisfaction Index. When it comes to romantic and sex life satisfaction, India ranks 8th overall among the 29 markets surveyed. This suggests that while emotional fulfilment and partner satisfaction may be areas of challenge, many people in India still report relatively higher levels of satisfaction in their romance and intimacy.
What Experts Say About the Findings
Suresh Ramalingam, CEO of Ipsos India, warned against interpreting these rankings as a sign that Indians are unhappy in relationships. He explained that the results are relative across countries, and that India’s ranking reflects how people’s perceptions compare internationally rather than absolute emotional dissatisfaction. He also pointed out that modern lifestyle pressures, evolving relationship norms, and everyday responsibilities can influence how people feel about their emotional connection and fulfilment in partnerships.