Nine million Brits look for love online

Updated

Online dating is fast becoming one of the UK's most popular ways to find love, with more than nine million Brits logging on to search for their perfect match.

Nine million Britons look for love online
Nine million Britons look for love online



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Figures released by Metaflake, show that not only is the demand such that 1,500 of Europe's 5,000 dating websites are British, but that the online dating industry contributed a sizeable £170 million to the UK economy last year.

Metaflake, which reviews online dating agencies, estimates that a third of new couples in the UK have the internet to thank for their blossoming romances.

But the company warned that a quarter of those logging on in search of love were being economical with the truth, and were already in a relationship.

Of the millions looking for Mr or Miss Right, two-thirds opted for a well-known, mainstream site like Match and eHarmony, while some 2.8 million were thought to be seeking 'erotic encounters' rather than romance.

And with everything from 'cougars' to 'uniform dating', the UK really does seem to offer something for everyone, so it's little wonder the British market jumped by six per cent last year, giving the UK online dating industry the highest turnover of any European nation.

Robert Bailey of leadingdatingwebsites.co.uk, which is run by Metaflake, believes the success of online dating in the UK is down to our attitudes.

He told the Daily Mail: "The British are just so enlightened and open minded and that's why so many people try online dating."

What do you make of the rise in online dating? Leave your comments below...

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