January 31st is 'peak' for first dates

A new study released yesterday (January 29th) has suggested that tomorrow will be the peak night of the year for online dating members to go on their first dates together.

PARSHIP.co.uk, the largest scientifically-based online dating service in Europe, conducted research which found that British singles will go on 2.5 million first dates in total in January.

That figure is three times higher than the one recorded for December and twice as high as any other month of the year, backing up previous studies suggesting that January is a lonely month.

Psychiatrist Dr Victoria Lukats, PARSHIP's dating expert, said: "We know that more people join internet dating services in January than any other time of year.

"We also know that internet dating has now become the single most common way of finding a partner.

"The explanation could be down to the post-Christmas malaise, pressure from well-meaning friends and relatives or new year's resolutions.

"Perhaps people who have been putting off dating for a while may tell themselves they will make an effort in the new year."

The study also revealed that of the dates set to take place tomorrow, a total of 700,000 will result in a romance over the course of February.

The findings appear to back up another survey of 1,300 singles conducted recently by PARSHIP, which showed that four out of five people (81 per cent) said they intended to actively look to meet someone in January.

Of that total, 47 per cent claimed to be looking for a committed relationship, 13 per cent said they were looking for a casual relationship and 21 per cent admitted they just wanted any type of relationship.

Furthermore, nearly half of respondents (47 per cent) revealed that they feel particularly lonely in January, including 45 per cent of men and 50 per cent of women - figures which could translate to six million people across the UK.

PARSHIP also found that 2009 will be an even bigger year for online dating, with 67 per cent of singles turning to internet-based services in order to find a potential match and 12 million first dates being arranged.

The group collated its figures using a compatibility test, which can pair up dating service members who have similar or complementary personality and character traits.

Dr Lukats added that the fact that January 31st is a Saturday may have something to do with its popularity for first dates, while also representing a shift as a result of the current economic climate.

"According to this survey, Saturdays and Fridays are the most popular days for a first date," she said.

"Interestingly, a similar survey in 2006 had found Thursday to be the most popular day of the week for a first date.

"It's tempting to hypothesise that this could be due to the economic downturn. Maybe people only want to spend money going out once a week, rather than reserving Fridays and Saturdays just for seeing friends."