Almost half of UK singles say it has never been harder to connect, Match Group survey finds
A Match Group-commissioned survey of 3,007 UK singles finds 47% say connecting has never been harder and a third met nobody new in person last month. Coffee and walks top the first-date list, and two-thirds reject AI chatting on their behalf.
Nearly half of single adults in the UK (47%) say it has never been harder to connect with people, according to a survey commissioned by Match Group, the owner of Tinder and Hinge. The Spark Study, carried out by research firm Strand Partners among 3,007 UK singles, was reported by Global Dating Insights on 20 October 2026. These are company-commissioned figures, and the fieldwork dates have not been published.
The headline finding is less about apps than about everyday life: 43% of respondents say they spend most of their social time behind a screen, and 32% met nobody new in person in the previous month.
Where UK singles are meeting, and where they are not
Dating apps and friends now tie as the source of respondents’ most recent relationships, at 20% each. The pub is fading fast as a matchmaker: only 4% of Gen Z met their latest partner in a pub, bar or club, against 21% of Baby Boomers.
Most still want something lasting. 49% say they are looking for a life partner or long-term relationship, and just 8% want something casual. More than half (56%) describe deleting a dating app after finding a partner as “the modern happy ending”. We looked at how British couples meet compared with Americans in How do couples meet now?
First dates: low-key, and safety first
- Keep it simple. Coffee (43%) and a walk (37%) are the preferred first dates.
- Bring friends. 47% are interested in double dates, rising to 52% among Gen Z and Millennials.
- A gender gap in nerves. 67% of women say they worry before a first date, compared with 31% of men.
- Safety sells. 68% believe the most successful dating apps will be the ones with the strongest safety features.
AI: a helper, not a stand-in
Two-thirds of Gen Z singles (66%) say they have already used AI for something dating-related. Yet the same share of all singles, 66%, oppose AI conducting conversations on their behalf. That matches what US surveys have found: people are open to AI help with profiles or date ideas, but uneasy about handing over the talking. We set out what the apps have actually built in AI in dating.
What it means for UK daters
Match Group has an obvious interest in selling in-person events and safety tools, and the study should be read with that in mind. Still, several findings are useful on their own terms:
- You are not unusual. If meeting people feels harder than it used to, almost half of your fellow singles say the same.
- Lower the stakes. A coffee or a walk is what most people prefer anyway, and a short first date is easier to leave and safer to arrange. Our first date safety guide has a checklist.
- Use your friends. Friends are as likely as apps to have introduced respondents to their last partner, and a double date takes pressure off both people.
- Watch the subscription. If you pay for an app while trying offline options, new UK rules from 2027 will make cancelling easier. We explained them in our guide to the subscription changes.
Sources
Cover photo: Jonathan J. Castellon / Unsplash
