Dating App Statistics UK
Photo by Alexander Sinn on Unsplash.
I keep hearing that dating apps are “dead”, that everyone’s burned out, and that meeting someone in real life is the only way left. Then I look at the numbers, and it’s obvious the UK is still swiping just not always in the way you’d expect.
The story in UK dating app statistics isn’t simply growth or decline. It’s a mix of mass adoption, shifting habits, and a growing focus on safety. And if you’re using the apps (or you’re thinking about it), the details actually matter, because they explain why the experience can feel brilliant one week and bleak the next.
Read on for more insights:
The Headline UK Numbers: How Many People Are Actually Using Dating Apps?
Who’s Using Dating Apps in The UK? Age And Gender Stats That Explain a Lot
What UK Users Say About Dating Apps: The “It’s Grim, But I’m Here” Stats
Safety Statistics in The UK: Romance Fraud is Part of The Dating App Story Now
Feature Preferences: What People Want Dating Apps to Let You Filter
The Headline UK Numbers: How Many People Are Actually Using Dating Apps?
A useful starting point is reach: how many adults are using these services at all.
Ofcom’s data (using Ipsos iris measurement) points to around one in ten adults (4.9 million) using an online dating service.
But “used last year” and “have ever used” are not the same thing and UK surveys show that gap clearly. A YouGov survey of adults in Great Britain (fieldwork 9–10 June 2025, sample size 2,144) found:
5% say they’re currently using a dating app
27% say they’ve used one previously (but not currently)
67% say they’ve never used one
That’s 32% who’ve ever used a dating app (current + previous), in that specific survey snapshot.
When I put those two views side-by-side, I take away something simple: dating apps are mainstream in the UK, but not universal. You’re not imagining it if your friendship group feels split between “met my partner on Hinge” and “absolutely not, ever”.
Which Dating Apps Are Biggest in The UK?
If you want the most quoted UK dating app statistics, it’s usually the “top apps” list because it tells you where the crowds actually are.
Ofcom’s reporting (referencing May 2024 audience data) puts the UK’s biggest services in this order:
| Rank | Service | UK adult reach mentioned (May 2024) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tinder | 1.9 million |
| 2 | Hinge | 1.4 million |
| 3 | Bumble | 1.1 million |
| 4 | Grindr | 913,000 |
| 5 | Badoo | 521,000 |
And a detail I think gets overlooked: most people don’t stick to just one app. Ofcom explicitly notes that the majority use more than one dating service.
Valentine’s Day behaviour is its own mini-universe
Ofcom also highlighted usage on 14 February 2024 (Valentine’s Day): nearly 1.9 million adults used dating services that day, spending an average of 19 minutes on the apps.
Top services that day were reported as: Tinder (711k), Hinge (669k), Bumble (448k), Grindr (389k), and Plenty of Fish (170k).
I read that and think: even if you hate the apps, there are moments in the calendar when people pile back in whether it’s hope, loneliness, boredom, or just the cultural nudge of a heart-shaped holiday.
Source: Ofcom
Who’s Using Dating Apps in The UK? Age and Gender Stats that Explain a Lot
This is where UK dating app statistics get genuinely useful, because it helps explain why your experience can feel like a numbers game.
Younger adults are the highest-reach group
Ofcom reported that in May 2024:
18–24 year-olds: 1 in 5 online adults used a dating service
25–34 year-olds: 17% (about 1.5 million) visited at least one dating service that month
So yes if you’re in your 20s, the apps are where a lot of the action is (even if plenty of people are also trying to meet offline again).
“Silver surfers” use the apps less but they can spend longer when they do
One of the most surprising UK stats is about time spent. Ofcom noted that although only 6% of 55–64 year-olds visited a dating service, those who did spent an average of 5 hours 43 minutes there the longest time among the age groups cited.
I don’t read that as “older people are addicted”. I read it as: if you’re older and you’re trying the apps, you may be more deliberate fewer casual check-ins, more focused sessions.
Men vs women on UK dating apps
Ofcom reported that dating apps were significantly more popular among men than women (65% vs 35%) in their UK audience view, and that Hinge was the only top 10 service where women outnumbered men (53% vs 47%).
If you’re dating men, this kind of imbalance can show up as a flood of likes and low-effort messages. If you’re dating women, it can feel like a smaller pool and tougher competition. The numbers don’t dictate your personal results but they do shape the overall “marketplace” feeling.
Source: Ofcom
Multi-App Behaviour: People App-Hop More Than You Think
One of the most practical bits of UK dating app statistics is how much overlap there is between platforms.
Ofcom reported that in May 2024:
57% of Bumble visitors also visited Tinder (and 56% of Hinge visitors, 54% of Plenty of Fish visitors did too)
53% of Bumble visitors also visited Hinge (and 41% of Tinder visitors also visited Hinge)
82% of Scruff visitors also visited Grindr
So if you’re wondering why you keep seeing the same faces across multiple apps, you’re not being paranoid it’s literally how people use them.
Source: Ofcom
Are Dating Apps Growing or Shrinking in The UK?
This is where the conversation gets messy, because “decline” can mean users, engagement, or sentiment.
Ofcom’s Valentine’s Day piece notes “fewer people are swiping to find love” and highlights user drops including Tinder losing 600,000 (5%) users and Bumble Inc. dropping 300,000 (in the context of the report they’re referencing).
At the same time, market-tracking firms still show huge ongoing activity. For example, Sensor Tower’s UK-focused write-up for Q3 2025 describes:
Tinder active users hovering around ~1.1 million
Hinge active users around ~928k down to ~896k by the end of the quarter
Bumble active users trending down from ~747k to ~660k
Grindr active users around ~360k
Feeld active users peaking around ~223k (with lower overall scale than the biggest apps)
Those figures are presented as app-market estimates and trends (not a government survey), but they reinforce a point I come back to: even when users complain loudly, millions still show up.
Source: Sensor Tower, Ofcom
What UK Users Say About Dating Apps: The “It’s Grim, But I’m Here” Stats
Usage is one thing. Experience is another and this is where the UK stats feel painfully relatable.
A YouGov article based on a poll of 380 current dating app users in Great Britain (9 December 2023) reported:
46% said their experiences have been bad
29% said their experiences have been good
25% said neither good nor bad
It also found:
61% say they frequently encounter profiles they suspect are fake
72% of dating app users said they’re uncomfortable approaching someone they have a romantic interest in in a social setting
Only 20% thought a dating app is a better option than meeting someone in real life (with 39% saying it’s worse)
When I read those numbers, I don’t just see cynicism. I see a very British pattern: we complain, we roll our eyes… and we keep going anyway, because it still feels like the most efficient way to meet people when real-life mixing is hard.
Source: YouGov
Safety Statistics in The UK: Romance Fraud is Part of The Dating App Story Now
If you only publish “fun” dating app statistics, you’re missing the shadow side of modern online dating in the UK: fraud and impersonation.
A City of London Police press release (June 2024) reported that the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau received 8,792 reports of romance fraud in the last year at the time, with losses of over £94.7 million and an average loss of £10,774.
It also broke down where approaches started: 45% via online dating sites, 41% via social media, and 12% via communications platforms.
More recently, the Financial Conduct Authority pointed to City of London Police figures stating more than £106 million was lost to romance fraud in the 2024/25 financial year, with an estimated average loss of £11,222.
And Which? reported that losses reached £99.4m in 2024, citing Action Fraud data, and published a year-by-year table of reported volume and losses.
What I do with those safety stats (and what you can do)
The numbers are big, but they’re only useful if they change behaviour. The City of London Police advice is straightforward: don’t rush off-platform, be suspicious of money requests, limit personal info, and get a second opinion from someone you trust
If you want a simple rule that matches the trend lines: if you’ve never met in person, don’t send money not “to help with travel”, not “for an emergency”, not “for an investment”, not in gift cards, not in crypto.
Source: FCA, City of London Police, Which?
Feature Preferences: What People Want Dating Apps to Let You Filter
Not all UK dating app statistics are about users and downloads. Some show what people expect the product to do.
In YouGov’s June 2025 GB survey, majorities said dating apps should allow filtering by:
Age (80%)
Gender (81%)
Height (56%)
…and fewer supported filtering by income (29%), with many saying apps should not provide that.
I find this fascinating because it captures the tension at the heart of app dating: you want choice and control, but too much filtering can make dating feel like shopping and that’s where burnout starts.
Source: YouGov
What These Dating App Statistics Mean For You
When I boil the UK picture down, this is what I honestly think is happening:
Apps are still a major way people meet, but they’re no longer new or shiny so your expectations need adjusting.
The biggest platforms still dominate, and Tinder remains a central “hub” because of multi-app overlap.
Younger adults drive reach, but older daters can be more time-intensive users.
The experience is often negative, even among people who keep using apps which is basically the definition of “dating app fatigue”.
Safety has to be part of the conversation now, because romance fraud losses are significant and increasingly discussed by regulators and police.
If you want to actually use these stats (rather than just read them), I’d turn them into practical choices:
Pick one big app for volume (that’s where the pool is) and one app that fits your style (relationship-first, niche, etc.). The overlap stats suggest many people do exactly this.
Don’t confuse “more matches” with “better matches” imbalanced user pools can inflate attention but reduce quality.
Treat verification, boundaries, and slow escalation as normal not pessimistic. The fraud stats justify it.
Source: City of London, FCA, Ofcom, YouGov
FAQ: Quick Answers Based on UK Dating App Statistics
What percentage of UK adults use dating apps?
Depending on definition and source, you’ll see different answers. Ofcom referenced one in ten adults (4.9 million) using an online dating service (in the context of its Online Nation reporting).
What percentage of people in Great Britain have ever used a dating app?
A YouGov survey (June 2025) found 5% currently and 27% previously, meaning 32% have ever used a dating app in that sample.
What’s the most-used dating service in the UK?
Ofcom lists Tinder as the most-used dating service, reaching 1.9 million adults in May 2024 in the figures it discussed.
Which age group uses dating apps the most in the UK?
Ofcom reported 18–24-year-olds as the highest-reach group in May 2024 (one in five online adults aged 18–24 used a dating service that month).
How common are fake profiles, according to UK users?
A YouGov poll of dating app users in Great Britain reported 61% say they frequently encounter accounts they suspect are fake.
Final Thought
When people search for “dating app statistics uk”, they usually want one neat number that tells them whether the apps are worth it.
The truth is messier and more human. Millions are still on the apps, lots of people dislike the experience, and yet plenty of relationships still begin with a swipe. If you’re on there, you’re not alone. You’re just dating in the UK in the era where the numbers are huge, the patience runs thin, and your boundaries matter as much as your bio.
