「经济学人」Romance in Britain

Changing dating habits mean fewer couples and more throuples

It is supposed to be the most romantic day of the year. On Valentine’s Day you typically take your partner by the hand through a crowded restaurant, then do your best to maintain loving eye contact across a table while ignoring the other couple sitting uncomfortably close to you. You try to enjoy an overpriced meal on Cupid’s busiest night.

Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day has become deeply entrenched as a celebration for couples in Britain and beyond. Last year, according to a survey by YouGov, a pollster, nearly half of adults in Britain marked the day in some way. Yet the ways they do so are changing.

Some traditions, it is true, remain firmly in place. Sections of stores become a sea of pink. Giving a card to a loved one is still common (43% of Britons who celebrate Valentine’s Day did so last year, according to YouGov), as are gifts of chocolates (25%) and flowers (20%). But perhaps surprisingly, given the reputation of a romantic meal as a core part of the ritual, last year only 6% of Britons went out for a Valentine’s dinner with their partner or date. Instead, many more opted for a quiet night in with a home-cooked meal or a takeaway.

That points to social changes that are bound to affect a day dedicated to romance. In 2023 almost 40% of the adult population in England and Wales were reported to be single, up from 30% in 2001. Of course, that need not stop people from celebrating on February 14th: some women may chose to indulge in “Galentine’s Day”, a term coined some years ago to describe a version of the occasion focused on enjoying it with friends rather than lovers.

For others, the challenge is not the lack of a partner but rather the number of them. Alternative forms of romantic connections are becoming increasingly popular, including polyamorous ones in which individuals have more than one partner at any given time. Another YouGov poll, in 2023, found that up to 13% of adults in Britain had considered, or participated in, this type of relationship. A different YouGov survey conducted in 2015 found that 2% of British adults had been in such consensual open relationships.

The user base of Feeld, an online app for “alternative dating”, has been growing in leaps and bounds in recent years. The platform caters to “open-minded individuals” seeking multiple partners, without stigma. As more young adults appear to be using their 20s and 30s to focus on themselves, their careers and their identities, the expectation of exclusivity and commitment in relationships may be less important than it used to be.

It is not clear how durable these trends will prove. But the dating game is becoming more fluid in Britain. If restaurants want to keep up their Valentine’s Day trade, they may want to start offering more tables for three.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Singles, couples and throuples”(Feb 13th 2025)

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