A new study held by the Centre of Economics and Business Research Found that silver singles boost the British economy by an enormous £664m.
The study revealed that average amount a silver single spends on a date is £58. This includes everything from preparation and transport to contraception with an average of £38 being spent on entertainment such as bars or restaurants.
The over 50s dating scene is booming, with one in twenty people aged 50 – 64 actively looking for a partner according to research by Ourtime.
And one in four of these 589,000 over 50s looking for love are dating regularly, going on an average of 20 dates per year.
Kate Taylor, dating and relationship expert at Ourtime, comments, “We’ve known for a while that Baby Boomers are one of the wealthiest sections of the economy, but this is the first time we’ve seen how it affects their dating habits.”
One-third of the UK’s population are over 50s and they collectively hold 80% of the UK’s wealth, with consumer spending increasing 4.4% in the last decade. The only demographic with spending that is continuing to rise in light of Brexit.
Taylor continues, “I’m delighted that the over-50s are investing their money in having fun and meeting new people. It’s interesting how the over-50s prioritise entertainment on their dates, with their biggest spend going to restaurants, bars and clubs. One of the benefits of dating later in life is having a wealth of experience – and often, more free time – to share with your partner, so it’s lovely to see silver daters enjoying the finer things in life with each other.”
The best place to get back into the dating game is online. One in five relationships now starts on the internet. With complex match-making algorithms, comprehensive personality tests and access to millions of singles it’s by far the easiest place to meet a potential match.
What are the best dating services for over 50s?
1. Match.com
Match has one of the largest over 50s user base of any dating site in the UK, it’s also one of the oldest, having been founded in 1995.
Visit Match.com
2. DatingOver50s
A mature dating service with a bustling user-base of 300,000 over 50s. Reviews show that people on the site are generally looking to meet up and make a meaningful connection rather than endless digital interaction.
Visit DatingOver50s
3. Saga Dating
Another well-established dating service exclusively for the over 50s, Saga uses a two-way matching process where parties are matched based on what they are both looking for.
Visit Saga Dating
4. Telegraph Dating
One for the right of centre over 40s, boasting a community of over 140,000, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people who share similar views.
Visit Telegraph Dating
5. Plenty Of Fish
One of the UK’s leading dating apps, and one of the most popular in the world. The app offers plenty of choice for a potential match as well as an on-site chemistry test to help make finding people with compatible personalities easier.
Visit Plenty Of Fish
Getting started
Online dating is often a game of patience. What the age of the internet has granted us is an enormous pool of eligible partners to choose from, but sussing out whether they’re right for you can at times prove challenging, it’s always best to meet in person to really test if there’s any chemistry rather than wasting countless hours with online interactions that could lead to nothing.
It’s important to keep an open mind in the over 50s dating scene too. Baggage comes with the territory as most of us accumulate it in some shape or form through five decades of life.
If you’re hesitant about putting yourself out there again, don’t be! It’s now easier than ever to get involved and start finding a potential partner, having fun and meeting great people!
What are your experiences dating? Let us know in the comments below!
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