Brits are waiting longer to have sex with their dates (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Dating etiquette is hard to get your head around at the best of times, but a new study has put the nation’s courting habits under the microscope – with some surprising results.

The research, conducted by dating app Happn, revealed singletons aren’t so eager to hit the sheets as might be expected, with most waiting until date number 12 to have sex.

According to the poll, singles in East Anglia will wait five dates before sleeping with their partner, whereas Londoners are waiting almost twice as long to go all the way.

It also showed that men were quicker to say those all-important three words, waiting an average of 11 dates to say ‘I love you’, while women tend to utter them on date number 12.




The study, which looked at 1,000 singletons across the UK, also revealed some interesting findings in regards to chivalry. Around 46% of men believed in opening car doors for their dates and 47% said they would insist on paying the bill on a date night.

Interestingly, 37% of women said the bill should be split, versus 19% of men, but a significant number of both sexes said they felt indifferent.

In terms of making the first move, the study also found around two thirds of men (64%) prefer to initiate the pursuit, compared to 29% of women.

Findings also showed that men and women felt the same about ‘ghosting’, with around half of both sexes saying it’s never acceptable to ‘ghost’ someone.

A dating expert at Happn said: ‘The world of dating has completely changed but it’s interesting that some traditions still remain.

‘This research dispels quite a few myths! The third date rule doesn’t exist for men or women and chivalry isn’t dead after all!

‘It’s positive to see that so singles invest a lot of time in getting to know each other before taking the next step and also that both sexes are equally against the terrible ghosting trend.’

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