Dating is, we admit, scary for a lot of people. Wondering what other people do when it comes to dating is also something we all do. These dating statistics, which cover a lot of ground, will help you satisfy that curiosity and offer insights into the way we date in the UK right now that we think you’ll agree are interesting, and even in some cases pretty surprising.
Where Do People Find ‘The One?’
A 2020 YouGov study found that meeting through friends (18%) and doing so while out and about (15%) are common ways for Brits to discover love. 8% of couples say they met their current or previous partner at work.
Conversely, only 3% of Brits asked said they had found love through relatives or friends introducing them to someone, and none had done so through speed dating or a comparable event.
However, a serious relationship may not necessarily result from simple dating. Where do most people first meet their partner, then? Where do they find ‘the one?
25% of married British couples met while out with friends, according to a 2018 survey of 2,000 British adults. Another one in five people meet their partner at work and about 10% of those surveyed said they had known their significant other since high school or even longer.
Most People Don’t Find Love Online After All
The majority of couples still meet in the real world, despite the media leading us to believe that the most prominent trend among millennials and younger generations – searching for romance on dating apps- works well.
Dating statistics imply that where they meet depends on their ages. Just 15% of younger generations found a date through friends or acquaintances, compared to 22% of persons in the 45–54 age range.
In addition, 18% of people between the ages of 18 and 24 met a significant other while attending college or a university, compared to just 5% of people between the ages of 45 and 54 who do so (probably because they are done with all of that.)
Work is a place singles from all generations find love though, with 22% of those ages 45 to 54 have done so, and just over 20% of those in younger age groups doing the same.
Almost Half of Adult UK Singles Would Consider Relocating to Find Love
In a survey, 2 out of 5 participants said they would consider moving if it increased their chances of finding the one.
Men are more prepared to leave their life behind for love, according to dating statistics in the UK. In particular, 47% of males claimed they would think about looking into opportunities outside of their area, as opposed to 2/3 of women who preferred to remain in their current location and keep looking for love there.
35% of the Adult Population of England and Wales are Single
According to the Office of National Statistics’ most recent data on dating, almost a third of the population in England and Wales consists of singletons or those who have never been married. In contrast, 50.2% of people were wed, and 0.2% were in civil partnerships.
More Than 2/3 of the LGB Population in the UK Are Single
Moreover, two-thirds of the LGB community in the UK were still unmarried four years after same-sex marriage became legal in England, Wales, and Scotland. This doesn’t imply that dating is difficult; rather, it just means that more and more Britons are coming out as gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
In reality, between 2014 and 2018, the number of LGB people in the UK climbed by more than a third, while the proportion of heterosexual adults fell from 95.3% to 94.6%.
Brits Aren’t Great At Asking for a Date
In the UK, half of single people never ask someone out on a date in person; instead, they reach out to them by phone, text, or email. Not just dates, either! According to data on online relationships, 46% of singles have never even broken up with their partner in person, instead opting for phone calls, online chat messages, or text messages.
Better Background Checks Would Make More People Comfortable Using Dating Apps
According to 21% of respondents to a survey from 2021, a more thorough screening process is what would most likely lead Brits to utilize online dating services more frequently.
The second most popular choice, chosen by 19% of users, was more local options, while 16% preferred more individualized matches. While 9% indicated they would prefer it if the app offered suggestions for date ideas and locations, 11% said they would use online dating services in the UK more if they knew how the other person felt about certain political issues.
Yes, Most of the People Who Use Dating Apps Are Single
According to a 2020 survey, 69% of UK smartphone users who use dating apps are single. To be more precise, 63% of people are single, whereas 6% are widowed or divorced. But when utilizing apps, don’t relax and let your guard down too quickly! According to the same statistics, 13% of online daters are already in a relationship, and up to 18% of users are married.
Tinder is the UK’s Most Popular Dating App
According to dating app statistics, Tinder is the most widely used app with 55% of UK residents have used it at least once. In the UK, skilled professionals who live in urban areas and younger generations, especially those aged 25 to 34, are three times more likely to use the app than those in rural areas or who are older.
In the UK, eHarmony is among the top dating websites in terms of popularity. More than 10 million people use this LA-based dating site worldwide, including 5 million users in the UK. Match.com, which has 3 million members, and the senior-friendly dating app Silver Singles, which has 70,000 subscribers in the UK, are other popular web-based dating platforms.
Lots of Newly Committed Folks Do Not Delete Their Online Dating Profiles
Nearly a quarter of Britons maintain an active dating app profile even if they are committed to someone else, according to an HTC survey. Additionally, 25% of respondents claimed they have one or more apps installed on their mobile. Talk about keeping your options open!
Social Media and UK Dating Statistics
Facebook Dating Boasts More Than 30 Million UK Users
One of the most popular dating sites in the UK is now the Facebook Dating app, which was introduced in 2020. More than 30 million people used this site in 2021, with 10 million of them visiting it each week. Straight singles make up the majority of its members, and men outnumber women on the platform by a ratio of 57% to 43%.
29% of Committed Brits Are Jealous of Other Relationships They See on Social Media
A survey of more than 2,000 UK citizens found that social media PDAs can put a lot of pressure on both singles and couples. In particular, a quarter of respondents said they frequently compare their relationships to those of other couples they see online, and nearly a third said they get envious of those who publicly display their love.
Additionally, it appears that you have jealousy fits more frequently the more social media you utilize. Users of social networking sites who use them frequently are five times more likely to feel pressure to present the ideal relationship. They are hence twice as likely to be dissatisfied with their relationship.
Online Dating Statistics: Fraud and Crime
57% of Online Daters Lie in Their Profiles
Yes, your parents and friends are right, you do need to take care about who you communicate with online! It turns out that 57% of those who date online lie, mostly about their names, marital status, and appearance. 67% of dishonest online daters are married males, a dating statistic we’ll just leave out there.
Men Create More Fake Dating Profiles Than Women
Although detecting online scams is not the main application of artificial intelligence, it is being used. An AI-based system that analyzes and tracks phoney profiles to stop fraud and love scams was recently developed by scientists in the UK, US, and Australia. Surprisingly, the system discovered that men over the age of 50 made up 60% of the bogus accounts.
27% of Online Daters Say They Were Catfished at Least Once
One of the most pervasive scams in the online dating world is catfishing. Given that 33% of men and 20% of women both claimed to have been catfished, it appears that males are either more gullible or honest (depending on your point of view).
Men are also considerably more likely than women to be approached for money online (26% vs 15%) or to have their identity stolen (62% vs 38%).
Online Dating Fraud is Costly
One in five users of online dating sites report having been asked to give or have given money to someone they met online. Although they acknowledge that they were sometimes asked for more, people typically forked over about £321.
In total, the first half of 2020 saw a startling £7.9 million lost to online dating scams, according to UK Finance. This amount is twice as high as the one noted the year before, which is even more concerning.
Another scary stat? According to the Kaspersky research, online dating might put your PC at risk too, as the chart below details:
UK Dating Statistics and First Date Preferences
The Average First Date Costs Just Over £40
According to first-date statistics, gender is a major factor in who pays the tab. On the first date, males often spend roughly £50, while women typically spend only about £36. Given that 47% of Brits think the cost of the first date should be paid equally by both parties, this is fairly surprising. However, 40% of respondents continue to believe that the man should cover the cost of the first date.
30% of UK Adults Think That the Pub is a Terrible First Date Idea
Although 89% of the respondents said that they have been on pub dates, this setting is still seen as the least romantic for a first date according to the results of a recent member survey by the dating service Plenty of Fish.
In contrast, those dating statistics in the UK show that outdoor dining establishments are among the most popular settings, with 33% of those surveyed thinking that choosing to eat outside was romantic and 30% indicating a rooftop restaurant as the ideal spot for a first date.
Frankie & Benny’s Is the Most Popular UK Chain Restaurant for Dating
Frankie and Benny’s is the most popular restaurant for first dates, according to 33% of Brits polled. Other “go to” locations mentioned by survey participants for a first meeting include Pizza Express (27%) and Nando’s (25%).
Excessive Mobile Use is the #1 First Date Turnoff
Overusing your phone during a first date was mentioned by 65% of participants in the Plenty Of Fish poll as the biggest turnoff.
Other factors that can cause a first date to be the last date are discussing previous relationships (47%), forgetting the other person’s name (32%), or engaging in political conversation (20%).
Overindulging in alcohol at the first meeting, according to 54% of interviewees, is another cause to call it quits. But often it might depend on what you order. According to these statistics on dating in Britain, 60% of women think a man is more appealing if he orders wine rather than beer or spirits.
More People Want To Try Out New Date Ideas
It seems that getting another date involves sharing at least two amusing anecdotes, giving two chaste hugs, and politely asking for another date. Or at least that is what a 2020 survey’s dating statistics show.
Another thing that singles value is experiencing new things; 45% of them indicated they enjoy going to new places or trying activities that they haven’t done before on a first date. However, 38% of respondents stated they like a mix of order and spontaneity on dates, so having professional guidance with the planning could be a wonderful opportunity to really get things right!
