A new report from Imperial College Business School and eHarmony UK has suggested that the average age of people using online dating services could rise by a decade by 2050.
The report found that a new wave of ‘silver singles’, daters between the ages of 65 and 85, could dominate the UK dating user base in years to come.
The mean age, which currently stands at 38, would rise to 47 if the changes to the industry and the demography unfold in the way the collaboration predicted.
One of the key factors influencing the rise in age would be a rise in life expectancy. Around 25% of the population are set to be over 60 in 2050, and 8.1 million will be between 80 and 100.
‘Silver singles’ in 2050 will have grown up with technology, and are therefore predicted to be far more comfortable with turning to technological dating solutions than previous generations.
Economic pressures are likely to set back daters between the ages of 18 and 30, with one in three young adults set to live with their parents in 2050.
The pressure on wages and living standards for younger individuals, coupled with a lack of independence, could turn users away from apps.
The findings come from the ‘Future of Dating 2050’ report, which comprises “the analysis of decades of data looking at society, health and demographics.”