Online couples have happier, and longer marriages. This is according to a new report from the University of Chicago.

According to the research, more than one-third of marriages between the years 200 and 2012 began online. According to the experts, the success rates of online facilitated marriages could be as a result of strong motivations of the online daters, the large volume of opportunities online, and advance screening availability.

Psychologist, Dr. John Cacioppo, the study’s lead author said that the data suggests that the internet may be changing the dynamics and outcomes of marriage itself.

The paper was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Online meetings have become an increasingly common way to find a partner, this is according to the experts. They add that the trend is facilitated with opportunities arising through social networks, instant messages, email exchanges, multiplayer games as well as online communities.

In accordance to the research, it was found that couples who met online were more likely to have higher marital satisfaction and lower rates of marital breakups than relationships that began in a face-to-face meeting.

As opposed to reported marriage breakups of about 7.7 percent for people who met offline, people who met online are estimated to have a marriage breakup percentage of 6 percent.

People who met and married offline reported a mean score of 5.48 on a satisfaction survey, as compared to those who met and married online, with a reported score of 5.64.Questions on the survey were based on their happiness with their marriage and the degree of affection, love for each other and communication.

Harris Interactive based the survey results on 19,131 people who responded to a survey about their marriages and satisfaction.

In the study, it was found that of a wide variety of online and offline venues, where people met, about 45 percent met through an online dating site.

According to the study, the people who met online were more likely to be older, that is the largest group represented was found to be between 30 and 39. The select group was found to be employed and have a higher income, the group was also found to be diverse both ethnically and racially.

People who met offline found marriage partners at a number of venues such as at social gatherings, work, bars, clubs, school, and places of worship.

It was determined that some of the least successful marriages were of couples that met at bars, in virtual worlds (where individuals interact in online spaces via avatars) and through blind dates.