Dating Diaries: Dating Dealbreakers
In today’s fast-paced and uncertain world, love faces new challenges. eharmony’s latest Dating Diaries reveal how singles across generations are navigating romance amid tight budgets, physical distance and career priorities. Discover what really drives contemporary dating choices—and how authentic connection still wins hearts across any divide. eharmony and our relationship experts are here to uncover all the dating and relationship trends UK singles are experiencing in 2025.
Table of Contents
Dating choices driven by convenience
The desire for short-term gratification is a social epidemic and convenience as a priority is influencing the dating scene, shaping how we approach romance. New research from eharmony’s Dating Diaries reveals 93% of people now consider convenience when making dating decisions, with more than half of respondents (57%) citing it as either a significant or the most important factor.
The top priority was not having to travel far (52%) for a date, followed by cost (39%) and the transactional outcome of the date (34%). 43% of singles believe the drive for convenience and instant gratification is causing people to put less effort into dating, with 34% agreeing that plans are becoming flakier and 31% preferring not to travel far for a date.
While people acknowledge the negative impact this can have on dating, the desire for convenience remains a top priority for UK singles, reflecting lifestyles where time is of the essence. Nearly 40% of respondents feel they don’t have enough time to date.
As temptations for instant gratification and short-term fixes continue to dominate, the quality of our connections is at risk. While convenience is a key aspect of dating, it’s important to strike a balance with meaningful effort to create deeper, lasting relationships.
The dating disconnect: Desire vs effort
While 94% of UK singles believe finding love is important, according to new research from eharmony’s Dating Diaries, willingness to put in the effort to find love seems to fall short. Nearly three-quarters of UK singles (74%) would be willing to relocate to another city or country for a partner, but when it comes to making the effort to meet someone new, many appear less committed.
A key barrier to dating is physical distance. A third (33%) would only be willing to travel 30 minutes or less for a first date, and just 6% are willing to travel more than two hours. In contrast, over six times as many UK singles (36%) would travel more than two hours to visit a TV filming location, such as Clarkson’s Farm or Bridget Jones’ London flat. Considerably more would travel more than two hours just to catch a glimpse of their favourite celebrity.
This disconnect between the desire for love and the effort people are willing to put in raises the question: how do we bridge the gap between the desire for meaningful relationships and the effort required to make them happen?
Finding love? Not on my to-do list
The biggest hurdle to finding love is carving out the time to find it. According to new Dating Diaries data by eharmony, work commitments are the largest obstacle to dating, with 53% of UK singles citing long hours as the biggest blocker to finding a partner. Beyond the office, 33% say they simply don’t have the mental headspace to focus on dating, while 32% prioritise social commitments over romance.
Striking a balance between personal fulfillment and finding the time for dating is a struggle in the UK and this is especially true for women. 67% of single men in the UK say they have enough time to date, compared to just 56% of women. The 11% gap suggests women, more than men, feel stretched thin, juggling responsibilities with little room for romance.
Barriers to dating according to UK singles:
Packing for passion: Men more willing to move for love
While it’s no surprise that men and women have different approaches to dating, eharmony’s Dating Diaries research found men show a greater willingness to not only travel further for love, but to spend more on finding it.
eharmony found 7% of men are more willing to relocate for love, be it to another UK city or European country, while women were more reluctant to do the same. Likewise, 22% of men are prepared to travel further for a date if they crave physical intimacy, and are twice as likely to travel a greater distance to meet someone with similar political views compared to women (14% v 7%). From a financial perspective, men are also willing to invest more in dating travel expenses, spending on average 33% per month (£72.20) more than women (£51.90). This willingness to invest time and money into dating, reveals an interesting comparison between how much energy, time, and money men are willing to set aside, compared to single women.
Methodology
Dating Diaries: Dating Dealbreakers report was commissioned by eharmony and conducted by 3Gem. It was fielded online between March 20 and March 27 2025, and surveyed 1,000 participants. Participants qualified if they were aged 18-64 and were open to online dating. Results were weighted to be nationally representative.
