Rising cost of living isn't stopping Singaporeans looking for love

Seven in ten Singaporeans (69%) are still eager to date even as the options for such activities become limited by the rising costs of living.

That’s according to a study on the impact of inflation on the dating lives of single Gen Z and millennial Singaporeans by Bumble, a women-first dating and social networking app.

Why it matters

Daters are now more budget-conscious – especially Gen Z who typically have less disposable income – and are increasingly likely to prefer free activities and splitting the cost of a date.  There’s an opportunity here for relevant brands to smooth the path of love, whether that’s by enabling lower cost activities that can sometimes be the most bonding or favouring the lucky few with nights out in high-end restaurants and bars. 

Key insights

• When faced with mounting financial pressures, Singaporeans are overall more budget-conscious and would prefer inexpensive date activities.
• Nearly three-quarters of Singaporean singles (72%) would prefer a free activity for their dates and Singaporean women are more likely than men (79% vs 65%) to pick a free activity.
• In response to rising costs, three in five Singaporeans (58%) said they would split costs with their dates, while more than half (52%) would use a coupon or a voucher to subsidise the cost of a date.
• Overall, Gen Z is more likely than millennials to pick a free activity; in particular, Gen Z men are more budget-conscious when compared to millennial men.
• Gen Z is more likely to pick a free activity (72% vs 60%), split costs with their dates (66% vs 50%) and offer to cook dinner so they do not have to go out on a date (50% vs 39%).
• Among women, there are no distinct differences between Gen Z and millennials in preferences on how they would budget on a date.
• Singaporeans tend to dine out as a first date activity, with go-to options being meeting over lunch or coffee at a cafe (42%) and having dinner at a restaurant (24%).
• But such F&B options are becoming increasingly more expensive as food inflation has been rising month-on-month to hit 1% in July 2022.

Background

Conducted by YouGov Singapore, total sample size was 1,001 single adults aged 18-41, fieldwork was undertaken from August 5-16, 2022 and the survey was conducted online.