According to a study conducted by Stargazer Video Chat, finding love online via video chat is on the rise in 2012.

With online dating being a 4 billion dollar industry, garnering 593 million hits from U.S. users alone in 2011, video chat has emerged as “the next-best-thing to in-person meetings,” according to Stargazer. Still, 17% of married couples worldwide have met online, with the internet allowing users easier access to video chat, for forging deep, digital connections with strangers from all over the internet.

Also, in the diverse Western world, video chat has helped users in finding that perfect special-someone. With 90% of Hindis being hitched to fellow Hindis, 83% of Mormons married to Mormons, 73% Catholic on Catholic, etc., video dating has opened up a larger pool for users to find a potential mate. And in China alone, there are 140 million online dating users.