How many Britons are in a relationship? How did they meet their partner? What matters most in a relationship? What counts as cheating? How hard do people find breaking up? And how do single Britons feel about being unattached?

In the latest edition of YouGov’s Big Survey series, conducted among 1,882 Britons on 9-10 July 2026, we take an in-depth look at experience of, and attitudes to, relationships in Britain today.

The study finds that most Britons are currently in a relationship, and that most of those who are say they are happy with their partner. But the survey also shows the many different ways people think about relationships: from how quickly couples should reach major milestones, to whether partners should be expected to fulfil all of someone’s emotional needs, to where Britons draw the line between harmless behaviour and cheating.

Among the findings:

  1. Two thirds of Britons are currently in a relationship, while a quarter have been in one previously and 9% say they have never been in a relationship
  2. Almost half (48%) of current relationships in Britain have lasted more than 20 years
  3. The median number of relationships Britons have had is three
  4. Work and mutual friends are the most common ways Britons met their current or most recent partner
  5. Dating apps account for one in nine relationship formations overall, rising to around one in five among those in their thirties
  6. Nine in ten Britons in relationships say they are happy in their current relationship, including six in ten who are “very happy”
  7. Britons in relationships are most likely to be happy with how much they can trust and depend on their partner
  8. Trust is also the thing Britons are most likely to say matters most in a relationship
  9. The public are split on whether everyone has “the one” or a “soulmate”
  10. Almost a quarter of Britons who have been in a relationship say they have cheated on a partner
  11. Britons are divided on whether it can ever be a reasonable decision to take back a cheating partner
  12. Sending nudes to another person, using dating apps while in a relationship, and kissing someone else are all widely seen as cheating
  13. Almost half (47%) say engaging with OnlyFans creators is cheating, with 30% saying the same about having romantic or sexual conversations with AI chatbots
  14. A quarter of Britons who have had a relationship end say they are still friends with at least one ex, although half of people say they are uncomfortable with a partner being friends with an ex
  15. Most single Britons say they are happy being single, although a quarter say they want to be in a relationship now
  16. The most common reason Britons give for being single is that they have not met the right person (42%), although 29% say it is because they find dating stressful or difficult

See full results here

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