Singletons spend more than £3 billion every year looking for love, research suggests. A study, which investigated the cost of dating, found Brits collectively go on 37 million dates, spending on average £47 each time.

Most splash the cash on entertainment, with a national spend of £1.3 billion on food and drink. While around £1 billion is spent on clothing and cosmetics, as people strive to impress a potential partner with their groomed appearance and sharp sense of style.

Commenting on the findings Karl Gregory, managing director of Match.com, a dating website which commissioned the survey, said: 'Dating is a major contributor to the UK economy and the growth in popularity of online dating has played a massive role in stimulating this.  This is the first time dating spend has been analysed by sector and it's impressive to see the huge knock-on benefit to the wider economy - especially at a time when every penny counts.'

The study of 2,000 adults also revealed that £421 million goes on transport, while hairdressers benefit to the tune of £324 as people get their locks trimmed in a bid to look their best.

A spokesperson from the Centre of Economic Business Research, which produced the report said: 'The research shows that dating provides a multi-billion pound windfall for the UK, directly benefiting a range of industries like retail, food & drink and entertainment. With over 10,000 dates taking place every day, the dating economy provides some comfort to high street businesses at a time of weak consumer spending.'

The figures came from a poll of 2,000 singletons in Britain's major cities. Mr Gregory highlighted that online dating is now the third most popular way to find a partner, just behind bars and clubs and meeting through friends.

Article sourced from the Daily Mail