Boost to the UK economy from dating up £200m from 2012
The boost to the UK economy from spending on dates is expected to rise by six per cent in 2013 compared with the year before, according to a study commissioned by match.com.
This year, the overall spend on dating by UK singles is expected to be £3.6bn – up by £200m on the year before, according to a survey of 1,000 singles.
The survey, supplemented by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, found that the average date involves £103 of spending, around £30 of which is spent in restaurants and £19 in bars and pubs. The overall spend on entertainment, restaurants and bars is expected to be £2.1bn – up by over 60 per cent on last year's £1.3bn figure.
And it's not the only sector benefiting. The transport industry receives around £297m every year from dating. And this year, the average dater spent £280 on clothing, cosmetics and beauty when preparing for a date, amounting to around £900m per year for the fashion and beauty industry – up nearly five per cent year-on-year.
Londoners spend more on dating than those in other regions, with dating accounting for £880 of consumer spending each year. By comparison, those in the East spend an aggregate £250m.