When a friend tells you a secret, do you keep it — or do you share it with your spouse or partner? A new CivicScience survey shows that 40% of U.S. adults say they do tell their spouse or partner, while 60% say they don’t (excluding ‘other’ and ‘does not apply’).
Gen Z adults (ages 18–29) are the most likely to spill a friend’s secret to a partner, with 51% admitting they would. The likelihood decreases steadily with age. However, men and women are nearly equally likely to tell their partner.
But demographics aren’t the only thing setting secret-sharers apart:
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Home Security Systems: Those who tell their spouse are more likely to have a home security system or intend to buy one (52%) than those who don’t (43%).
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Worry Levels: People who say they feel ‘worried’ are 11pp more likely to share a friend’s secret with their partner (43%) than those who aren’t (32%).
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Parenting: Those who don’t spill secrets are more likely to limit their kids’ screen time.
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Spending Habits: Non-tellers are more likely to say they’re cautious with money, whereas those who share over-index in having difficulty controlling spending.
Whether secrets stay safe or get passed along, the choice seems tied to broader lifestyle differences—from home security and financial habits to parenting and emotional states.
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This article’s data comes solely from CivicScience’s database, which contains nearly 700,000 poll questions and 5 billion consumer insights.