Who cheats more, girls or guys?

Who Cheats More: Men or Women?

When it comes to infidelity, the data consistently points in one direction: men cheat more than women. According to surveys, including research from the Institute for Family Studies, around 20% of men admit to being unfaithful in relationships, compared to roughly 12.5% of women. That gap may seem small, but over time and across large populations, it reveals a clear pattern.

But numbers only tell part of the story. While men are more likely to report physical infidelity, women aren’t necessarily more faithful in every sense—emotional affairs, for example, are reported at higher rates among women, though they’re harder to measure and often less acknowledged. Plus, societal expectations have shifted. As gender roles evolve and more women gain financial independence, some researchers suggest the gap in infidelity rates might be narrowing, especially in younger generations.

Still, the reasons behind cheating are rarely about just gender. Trust, communication, emotional connection, and personal values play far bigger roles than whether someone is male or female. Reducing infidelity to a simple “who cheats more” risks oversimplifying a deeply personal and complex issue.

And let’s not forget: most people, regardless of gender, don’t cheat. Around 80% of men and 87% of women remain faithful. So while headlines might highlight the differences, the real takeaway is that integrity, empathy, and commitment matter far more than statistics. In the end, fidelity isn’t about which gender is more likely to stray—it’s about the choices individuals make in their relationships.