Love costs: British singles spend 51 percent more on dating apps

Looking for a partner is becoming noticeably more expensive in Britain. According to a survey by Opinium commissioned by Barclays, singles who date spend an average of £7.10 a month on dating apps, up from £4.70 a year earlier – a rise of 51.1 percent. Men pay £9.20 on average and women £4.20; millennials spend the most (£12.20). 48 percent of respondents say dating has become more expensive overall. The survey covered 2,000 adults in the UK between 25 and 29 September 2026.

Young people feel the costs most: 45 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds say rising prices have limited their ability to go on new dates. 27 percent of Gen Z have cancelled, rearranged or declined a date over money concerns, compared with 14 percent across all age groups. 54 percent of Gen Z prefer affordable meet-ups such as a coffee or a run; among people aged 46 and over the figure is only 16 percent, the Evening Standard reports. 49 percent of all respondents feel technology makes dating impersonal.

Money is also being discussed more openly: 37 percent of Gen Z respondents wish it were more socially acceptable to ask a potential partner about their finances, and 42 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds would share their salary if asked. “Money is increasingly shaping how people date, who they pursue and how relationships develop,” says Seema Sachdev of Barclays UK. Context: the survey was commissioned by a bank that is using it to launch its own social media series on money and dating; the margin of error and question wording have not been published.