More than half of babies born in the UK will be 'e-babies' by 2037
27 November 2019, 08:53
New research suggests that 2037 will be the year when more babies born in the UK will be to parents who met online than offline.
It also says that by 2035, more than half of people will meet their partners online.
The findings, from dating platform eharmony and the Imperial College Business School, say that within the next decade 40% of babies will be 'e-babies' born to parents who met online.
By 2037, it is believed that this percentage will rise to more than 50 per cent.
The data also highlights the shifting dating patterns of the UK, with a third of relationships starting online between 2015 and 2019, compared with just 19 per cent between 2005 and 2014.
The next most common places to meet your partner are at work, 23 per cent, through friends, 12 per cent, or on social media, seven per cent.
The research also found that 47 per cent of people think that online dating has made it easier for introverted people to get on the dating scene.
Romain Bertrand, head of marketing at eharmony, said: "It's very positive to see that online dating is set to continue opening doors for singles into the future.
"At eharmony we are consistently updating our site functionality and unique Compatibility Matching System to ensure we remain on the front foot when it comes to creating online relationships.
"What's more, our long-term partnership with Imperial College Business School continues to give us valuable insight into how the world of dating and relationships might look in decades to come and how society will continue to evolve over time."
Dr Paolo Taticchi, principal teaching fellow at Imperial College Business School, said: "The digital world has streamlined the online dating process, making it easier to find someone while ensuring that they match your criteria.
"2035 will be an instrumental year for finding love and begin a new era of 21st century dating."
The predictions were made using eharmony data and ONS birth rate projections.
