More than 55,000 euros buys you love in Britain
Thu Aug 11, 7:31 PM ET
LONDON (AFP) - The average Briton spends over 38,000 pounds (55,000 euros, 68,000 dollars) trying to find love during their lifetime, a new study suggests.
But despite people collectively spending 15.2 billion pounds each year chasing Cupid, a third of relationships end within 12 months, according to online dating service Parship.co.uk, which commissioned the survey.
Men spend an average of 1,426 pounds on their partner during the first six months of a relationship, including 970 pounds on drinks and dinners, 148 pounds on presents and 63 pounds on taxis, flowers and chocolates.
Women, on the other hand, spend 740 pounds over the same period.
Three percent of men even claimed to have paid their new partner's gym membership.
But once a relationship has passed the 12-month barrier, men's spending drops off to an average 987 pounds, while that of women increases ever so slightly to 784 pounds.
"Clearly people are willing to invest a lot of money in the pursuit of love," psychiatrist Victoria Lukats said. "Nowadays the average age at which people settle down and marry is much older than it was 30 years ago, so singles will tend to have more disposable income."
The survey was conducted by YouGov, a London polling firm that questioned 2,245 people over the Internet during July and August.
Thu Aug 11, 7:31 PM ET
LONDON (AFP) - The average Briton spends over 38,000 pounds (55,000 euros, 68,000 dollars) trying to find love during their lifetime, a new study suggests.
But despite people collectively spending 15.2 billion pounds each year chasing Cupid, a third of relationships end within 12 months, according to online dating service Parship.co.uk, which commissioned the survey.
Men spend an average of 1,426 pounds on their partner during the first six months of a relationship, including 970 pounds on drinks and dinners, 148 pounds on presents and 63 pounds on taxis, flowers and chocolates.
Women, on the other hand, spend 740 pounds over the same period.
Three percent of men even claimed to have paid their new partner's gym membership.
But once a relationship has passed the 12-month barrier, men's spending drops off to an average 987 pounds, while that of women increases ever so slightly to 784 pounds.
"Clearly people are willing to invest a lot of money in the pursuit of love," psychiatrist Victoria Lukats said. "Nowadays the average age at which people settle down and marry is much older than it was 30 years ago, so singles will tend to have more disposable income."
The survey was conducted by YouGov, a London polling firm that questioned 2,245 people over the Internet during July and August.
