Rising costs hit dating for 45% of UK 18-29s, Barclays survey finds

Rising costs are changing how young people date in the UK, according to research released by Barclays on Monday, October 26, 2026. In a survey of 2,000 UK adults carried out by Opinium Research in September, 45 per cent of 18-to-29-year-olds said higher costs had affected their ability to go on new dates, and 27 per cent said they had cancelled, rearranged or turned down a date because of money worries. The bank released the findings as it launched a series on talking openly about money in relationships.

Dating is usually discussed as a matter of feelings, but this survey treats it as a budget line. For a young person paying rent, travel and phone bills on a first salary, a dinner, drinks and a cab can add up fast. The research suggests many are now making a choice between meeting someone new and staying within their means, and close to half of 18-to-29-year-olds say cost has already got in the way.

The answer many young people are reaching for is simpler dates. More than half of the Gen Z respondents said they would choose a cheaper meeting, like coffee or a run, over a costly evening out. That shift fits a wider youth trend toward low-spend social plans, and it may also take some pressure off first meetings. A walk or a coffee is shorter, easier to leave and places less weight on who pays.

The other figure worth noting is the 51.1 per cent rise in dating app spending that Barclays reported. If more people are spending on apps while also cutting back on real-life dates, part of the money is moving from the meeting itself to the search for a match.

This is a UK survey, and Indian readers should not assume the same numbers apply here. But the questions it raises are familiar to young people in Indian cities too: who pays, how much is reasonable for a first meeting, and how to say no to an expensive plan without seeming uninterested. The bank's own framing is that more open talk about money could help people feel more confident in relationships. Whatever one thinks of a bank leading that conversation, the practical point holds: a clear, early and polite conversation about budget can save both people stress.

The survey is commissioned research from a bank, not an academic study. Opinium is a polling company, and a sample of 2,000 adults is a standard size for a national opinion poll, but the age-group figures rest on a smaller part of that sample. Readers should treat the numbers as a snapshot of how people feel rather than a measure of how much they actually spend.

Short-term: Expect more low-cost first dates, such as coffee, walks and group plans, and more people setting a budget before going out. Venues that offer cheaper options may benefit.

Long-term: If costs keep rising faster than young people's pay, money may play a bigger role in when and how often people meet partners. Open talk about money early in relationships may become more common.

Who is affected: Young adults in the UK who are dating, people who use dating apps, cafes, bars and restaurants that depend on evening spending, and, by extension, young people in other countries facing similar living costs.

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