Two in five people will celebrate Valentine’s Day in 2023

• 4 in 5 people feel Valentine’s Day has become too commercialised.

• 3 in 5 people feel Valentine’s Day is too focused on loved up couples.

Over the past number of years, the pandemic and the rise of digital has impacted all corners of our lives and dating and relationships are no exception. Valentine’s Day in 2023 is a return to normality compared to previous years but how do people feel about the day itself?

The majority of adults (c. 60%) believe it is nice to be romantic on Valentine’s Day, however, just under half of adults say they never celebrate the day of romance.

3 in 5 believe

“Valentine’s Day is too focused on loved up couples.”

Four in five people feel that Valentine’s Day has become too commercialised, with three in five believing that the day itself is too focused on loved up couples.  While many restaurants will be booked out on Tuesday night, seven in ten adults say they prefer staying in rather than going out on a date. 

While Valentine’s marks all things “loved up,” what is clear from this research is that romantic relationships are only one part of our more extensive social relationships.  In a forthcoming report from Core, it will explore the benefits, importance and influence of social and platonic relationships.  While nearly a third of all adults say romantic relationships are more important than friendships, almost half of adults believe the opposite is true. In particular, women are more likely to believe friendships are more important than romantic relationships, while men are more likely to feel the opposite is the case.

Half of adults believe

“It is becoming more difficult to meet new people.”

The report will explore why almost half of adults believe social media and messaging makes it easy to maintain friendships but half of adults also believe that it is becoming more difficult to meet new people. Single adults in particular say meeting people is becoming a challenge.  While almost half of the nation say they “sometimes feel lonely.” One in five people state they do not have enough time to maintain their friendships.

The report from Core will also explore how people are meeting in a post-pandemic and often digital world.

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