India may celebrate grand weddings, cinematic romance and elaborate displays of pyaar (love), but a new global survey suggests something quieter and more unsettling: many Indians do not feel emotionally loved by their partners. According to the 2026 Ipsos Love Life Satisfaction Index, India ranks at the bottom among 29 countries for partner satisfaction and is among the lowest for feeling loved, even though it scores comparatively high on romance and sexual satisfaction. The paradox is striking. In a country famous for Bollywood passion and family devotion, why are so many people reporting an emotional gap inside their most intimate relationships?
The Ipsos data reveals that about two-thirds of Indian respondents describe their relationship as loving. On the surface, that sounds reassuring. Yet when asked deeper questions about emotional fulfilment and satisfaction with their partner, Indian responses lag behind global averages. In contrast, the country performs relatively well when it comes to satisfaction with romance and sex life. In other words, physical intimacy may be present, affection may be expressed, but something in the emotional architecture of relationships feels incomplete.
This disconnect makes more sense when placed within India’s social and cultural context. Indian marriages and partnerships often operate inside dense networks of family, obligation and expectation. The concept of parivaar (extended family) remains powerful. Couples may share a home not just with each other but with parents, children and sometimes relatives. Emotional energy is distributed across generations. The partnership is rarely a sealed, private unit; it is embedded within a broader social ecosystem. Under such circumstances, emotional intimacy between spouses can be overshadowed by duties and hierarchies.
Gender roles add another layer. Despite significant urban change, many households still function within traditional expectations shaped by parampara (tradition). Women, even when working full-time, frequently shoulder a disproportionate share of domestic labor, caregiving and emotional management. The invisible burden of zimmedari (responsibility) can quietly erode feelings of being cherished or seen. Emotional labor — remembering birthdays, managing in-law tensions, tending to children’s needs — often falls unevenly. When appreciation is not equally expressed, emotional dissatisfaction can grow, even if the marriage itself remains stable.
Men, meanwhile, are often socialized into emotional restraint. The cultural model of masculinity may emphasize provision over verbal affirmation. A husband may demonstrate commitment through financial support or practical help, believing this is sufficient proof of love. Yet for a partner seeking verbal reassurance, vulnerability or deeper conversation, such gestures may feel incomplete. The result is not necessarily conflict, but a muted sense of emotional hunger. Love exists, but it is not always articulated in ways that feel emotionally nourishing.
Economic pressures also shape the emotional climate. Ipsos data across countries shows that people in higher-income households report greater satisfaction in both emotional and physical aspects of relationships. In India’s rapidly urbanizing cities, long commutes, job insecurity and rising living costs generate chronic stress. The daily grind of work, traffic and financial planning can crowd out emotional attentiveness. When survival and ambition dominate, emotional expression may become secondary. Partners may lie next to each other at night yet feel distant, their minds preoccupied with EMI payments, school fees or career advancement.
There is also the question of evolving expectations. Younger Indians, influenced by global media and social platforms, increasingly imagine relationships built on emotional transparency and companionship. The idea of marriage as mere duty is losing ground in urban centers. Concepts like “compatibility” and “communication” are gaining prominence. Yet while aspirations are changing, behavior patterns may lag behind. Couples raised in more conservative settings may struggle to bridge generational expectations. The tension between modern romantic ideals and traditional relational scripts can create dissatisfaction without necessarily breaking the relationship.
Interestingly, India’s relatively high satisfaction with romance and sex suggests that physical connection is not the primary issue. In fact, it may underline the emotional gap even more clearly. Intimacy without emotional affirmation can leave partners feeling paradoxically lonely. You may share a bed, share jokes, share family life — yet still crave deeper acknowledgment. Feeling loved is not simply about affection or desire; it is about being heard, validated and emotionally prioritized.
Urban India is also witnessing subtle shifts in relationship dynamics. Reports of discreet dating app usage among married individuals hint at a search for emotional novelty or validation. Social media intensifies comparison, exposing couples to curated images of “perfect” relationships. The psychological effect can be corrosive. When everyday partnership feels less glamorous than filtered portrayals online, dissatisfaction can intensify.
At the same time, it would be simplistic to portray Indian relationships as failing. Divorce rates remain relatively low compared to many Western countries. Commitment to marriage is still strong. What the Ipsos findings may reveal is not collapse, but quiet emotional undernourishment. Many couples stay together, raise families and build shared lives, yet operate within emotional scripts that do not always prioritize individual affirmation.
The emotional language of pyaar in India has often been dramatic in public culture but restrained in daily life. Bollywood heroes declare eternal devotion, but in many households, expressions of affection are understated. Saying “I love you” regularly, discussing feelings openly or seeking therapy are practices still gaining acceptance. Emotional literacy is evolving, but unevenly.
Perhaps the survey reflects a society in transition. Indians may be renegotiating what love means. For earlier generations, stability and duty may have sufficed as proof of affection. For younger generations, love increasingly implies emotional partnership, mutual respect and psychological intimacy. The gap between these definitions can produce dissatisfaction without eroding commitment.
Ultimately, the Ipsos index suggests that India’s love story is complex. Romance is alive. Sexual satisfaction is comparatively strong. Commitment to partnership endures. Yet many individuals do not fully feel emotionally cherished. The challenge may not be about finding love, but about learning new languages to express it. As India continues to modernize, conversations about emotional needs, gender equality and shared responsibility may become central to strengthening relationships. In a culture where love songs fill cinemas and weddings last for days, the next frontier may be quieter but more profound: ensuring that behind the spectacle, partners truly feel seen, valued and deeply loved.
Let me tell you something, my darlings: in this country we can organize a three-day wedding with elephants, drones, synchronized cousins and a choreographed sangeet, but we still struggle to say one simple sentence at the dinner table — “I see you.”
That Ipsos survey saying Indians rank low on feeling loved by their partners? I’m not shocked. Not even a little. We are experts in shaadi (marriage), champions of samaj (society), lifelong servants of zimmedari (responsibility). But emotional fluency? Ah. That one we are still learning.
Don’t misunderstand me. Indian couples are loyal. They endure. They build. They sacrifice. Many of them even have quite satisfying romance and sex lives — good for you, beta. But emotional intimacy is not the same thing as sharing a bed or a bank account. Feeling loved is about being heard without being dismissed. It’s about your exhaustion being noticed. It’s about your dreams not being laughed off as impractical.
Too many women are carrying the invisible load — remembering birthdays, managing in-laws, smoothing over tensions, tracking school schedules — and then wondering why no one asks how they are really doing. Too many men were raised to believe love means paying the bills and not complaining. Both are exhausted. Neither feels fully appreciated.
We are a society that teaches endurance before expression. Boys are told not to cry. Girls are told to adjust. Samjhauta (compromise) becomes the glue of marriage. But compromise without emotional reciprocity turns into quiet resentment.
And let’s talk about modern life. Long commutes, EMI anxiety, WhatsApp family groups exploding at 6 a.m., Instagram couples looking like they live inside a perfume commercial. Of course people feel inadequate. Of course they feel unseen. When love becomes another performance metric, intimacy suffocates.
But here is the hopeful part: the very fact that people now say, “I don’t feel loved,” is progress. It means expectations are rising. It means companionship matters. It means emotional equality is entering the chat.
India doesn’t have a love crisis. It has a communication crisis. We need fewer grand gestures and more small, consistent affirmations. Less ego, more listening. Less “I provide,” more “How are you, really?”
My advice? Put the phone down. Say thank you. Apologize first. Ask your partner what makes them feel valued. Love is not only a Bollywood climax. It is daily maintenance.
And darling, maintenance is sexy.