OPEN’s 2025 Community Survey report offers a detailed look into the lives, experiences, and challenges of non-monogamous individuals. This year’s survey was conducted as formal academic research in partnership with Dr. Amy Moors of Chapman University (IRB #26-13), and was made possible by support from Multiamory, a weekly podcast offering research-backed advice and tools to help non-monogamous relationships thrive, and Feeld, a dating app for the curious.

With 5,885 respondents from 65 countries and 52 US states and territories, our fourth annual survey represents the largest dataset of non-monogamous experiences compiled to date. Click here to view the full survey report, or read our summary below.

Respondent Demographics

While the respondents represented a wide range of identities, the population skewed whiter and younger than global averages, with 76% of US respondents identify as “White / European descent” and the majority (50.6%) falling between the ages of 27-39 (inclusive). Other research has found that participation in non-monogamy does not vary significantly across race, region, religion, education, or income, so this slant is a product of our survey recruitment and does not reflect the actual demographics of the global non-monogamous population.

We continue to observe a large overlap between non-monogamy and LGBTQ+ identities. Only 24% of respondents identified as heterosexual/straight and 71% identified as cisgender, both lower than recorded in previous years. This intersection highlights the importance of considering non-monogamy within broader conversations about gender and sexual diversity.

Compared to previous years, we saw a greater share or respondents from outside of the US, and a more proportionate distribution of US respondents across the states. OPEN is based in California, skewing the results towards our region.

Relationship Practices

There are many names or labels that people use to describe their relationship practice or identity. Here are the most popular choices in our sample; respondents could select multiple options.

When we asked respondents to select just one primary identity, the distribution clarified the most common relationship structures. In the chart below, we group similar identities and practices (e.g. consolidating various forms of “ _____ polyamory”) to provide a clearer look at the major categories.

When asked, “how important or central is your engagement in non-monogamy to you?” a large majority (71%) answered that it was “very” or “extremely important” to them, with only 8% responding “slightly important” or “not at all.”

Compared to previous years, more respondents had practiced non-monogamy for a greater length of time, with two in three respondents (66.8%) having practiced non-monogamy for at least four years.

Openness

Most people aren't fully open about their non-monogamous identity in most areas of their life – a pattern we've observed consistently across our surveys. In the chart below, we asked, “to what extent do the people in your life know that you engage in or identify with non-monogamy?” Responses range from “definitely does not know” (red) to “definitely knows” (green), on a numeric scale from 1-5.

Across the survey, we see multiple pieces of evidence that persistent stigma is a large motivator for this lack of self-disclosure. For example, 54% of respondents “strongly” or “somewhat agree” that, “I often wonder whether others judge me for my engagement in non-monogamy.” In a separate section, the same percentage of respondents reported that “fear of stigma or discrimination” was a “major” or “moderate” source of stress in their life.

Stigma and Discrimination

Consistent with our findings in previous years, a majority of respondents (61%) reported having experienced stigma or discrimination on the basis of their non-monogamous identity in at least one domain (such as employment, healthcare, and family acceptance) over their lifetime. This year, we also asked about such experiences within the last 12 months, with 40% responding “yes” in at least one area:

The consistency of this 60% figure year-over-year, and its correspondence with other academic research, validate the strength of this finding.

Narrative responses illustrate these experiences:

Social acceptance: “Friends excluding my partner and I from gatherings because of their discomfort that we may ‘recruit’ them.”
Family acceptance: “My entire blood family has disowned me due to knowing of my participation in non-monogamy.“
Healthcare: “My primary care doctor refused to order STI testing for me because I was married. I had to lie to her and claim he was ‘unfaithful’ to get the tests ordered.”
Mental Healthcare: “A former therapist described non-monogamy as abnormal and unhealthy”
Housing: “My throuple was looking for a home that we could rent together. We actually got a rejection letter [...] which explicitly stated the relationship structure ‘violated the moral code’”
Child Custody & Divorce: “While we were getting divorced, my former spouse threatened to call social services and the police to check on our children because I was embarking on a non-monogamous relationship.”
Employment: “Both my primary partner and I were fired from our jobs due to our ‘alternative lifestyle’”

We also continue to observe that individuals with intersecting marginalized identities were more likely to report experiences of stigma or discrimination on the basis of their non-monogamous identity:

*Participants were asked to self-identify if they hold a “marginalized racial or ethnic identity”

These findings underscore the importance of an intersectional approach to advocacy for non-monogamous rights and acceptance.

Feedback

Particularly given the current US political climate, we wanted to gauge how our community is thinking about organizing around these issues. We observed broad support for continued advocacy, with a large majority of respondents “somewhat” or “strongly” agreeing with the statements, “it’s important that non-monogamous people get organized and fight for our rights and acceptance” (75%) and “I see the non-monogamy movement as an important part of the broader project for justice and liberation” (82%). Conversely, only 7% of respondents agreed with the statement, “It’s better for nonmonogamous people to keep quiet and not risk blowback.”

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We also asked, “we asked, “what else would you like to see from groups like OPEN and the non-monogamy movement as a whole?” 967 people responded with almost 40,000 words, the length of a short novel! Here are some of the key themes that we observed:

Intersectionality & Coalition Building: Connect non-monogamy advocacy to other social justice movements including trans rights, racial justice, immigrant rights, and disability justice.

Political Climate Concerns: Respondents expressed intense anxiety about the current political climate in the US and fear of backlash.

Legal Rights & Protections: Strong desire for non-discrimination protections, legal recognition for multiple partners, and alternative frameworks beyond marriage.

Community Building: More local events focused on community (not dating), with better access outside major cities and resources for specific identities.

Education & Media Representation: More public education about non-monogamy and authentic—not sensationalized—representation in film, TV, and media.

Criticisms: The movement is too white/affluent/middle-class, overemphasizes sex, and suffers from internal divisions and gatekeeping about the "right way" to practice non-monogamy.

Recommendations

Based on our findings, OPEN offers the following general recommendations:

Implement Legislative Protections: Adopt non-discrimination laws at local, state, and national levels that explicitly protect non-monogamous individuals and families.
Increase Public Awareness: Launch public education campaigns to dismantle myths and highlight the prevalence of diverse relationship structures.
Support Inclusive Policies: Develop policies that recognize and protect non-monogamous relationships in healthcare, housing, employment, and education.
Foster Inclusive Communities: Create community resources, support groups, and events that are inclusive of individuals with intersecting marginalized identities.
Encourage Research and Data Collection: Conduct further research to better understand non-monogamous experiences and inform policy and advocacy efforts.
Engage with Intersectional Advocacy: Collaborate with other marginalized communities to address compounded discrimination faced by individuals with intersecting identities.
Promote Legal Education and Resources: Develop and distribute legal resources to help non-monogamous individuals understand their rights and navigate legal challenges.

Conclusion

OPEN’s 2025 Community Survey provides crucial data that illuminates the experiences, challenges, and needs of the non-monogamous community. It underscores the urgent need for legislative protections, increased public awareness, and inclusive policies across various sectors of society.

The persistently high rates of discrimination and the challenges in being open about non-monogamous identities highlight the ongoing stigma faced by this community. At the same time, the diversity of respondents and the long-term commitment many have to non-monogamous relationships demonstrate the resilience and growth of this population.

As society continues to evolve in its understanding of relationships and family structures, the insights from this survey provide a roadmap for advocacy, education, and policy change. OPEN's work in these areas is more crucial than ever for promoting acceptance and equality for all relationship structures. Please consider supporting our work with a contribution, and join our email list for updates and opportunities to take action!

2025 Community Survey Report