2025 dating trends: The year of radical openness about sexual desires

2024 was a year of quirky, fun romances, not overthinking too much, but also experiencing dating fatigue. Fresh analysis shows 2025 will be the year of more conscious, intentional, honest, and a slower pace of dating. Using insights from thousands of daters around the world, the real-life dating app happn has revealed its trends that will redefine the dating scene in 2025.

As well as being more transparent about intimate desires and sexual compatibility earlier on, relationships will also be more rooted in friendships and shared environmental values – all whilst slowing down the rapid rate of dating.

Here’s what to expect from dating in 2025:

Sexual Transparency:

Sexuality is often shrouded in mystery in the early stages of dating, particularly for closed-off Brits, but a new trend of radical transparency about sex is emerging. New research from happn found that nearly half (45%) of UK daters – and 49% globally – consider it important to be clear about sexual desires and discuss sexual compatibility at the very beginning of a new relationship. Gone are the unspoken rules, power games, and ambiguous expectations – for today’s singles, their needs, kinks, fantasies and boundaries are clearly articulated without taboo or discomfort.

This honest approach about sex reduces misunderstandings, clarifies expectations, and lays the foundation for relationships built on mutual understanding and consent. Sexual openness becomes a way of getting to know the person, and asserts a form of emotional maturity. Over three quarters (77%) of UK singles believe in some contexts, openly discussing sexual practices is a sign of maturity (compared to 50% of global daters). This radical honesty becomes a cornerstone for building deeper, solid and more authentic connections.

Friendship before Romance:

In 2024, single people are becoming exhausted with not finding true love and meeting someone attractive only for it to fizzle out. Instead, as Brits slow things down in 2025, many will adapt their approach to love, and place friendship at the core of a  relationship. Instead of rushing straight into relationships, singles are prioritising friendships that slowly evolve into deeper connections. While uncovering values, passions, and personality traits without the immediate pressure of romantic love, this trend allows for vulnerability and trust to take the centre stage.

Most UK Singles (88%) think friendship is equally or more important than love in a relationship (84% globally), and 81% believe being friends first creates a solid foundation for a long-lasting romance (64% globally). The friendzone can truly be the springboard for true romance!

Dating Unrushed:

In 2025 a new movement is emerging to deliberately slow things down. Nowadays, Singles are picking quality over quantity, as they adopt a ‘slow and steady wins the race’ mindset. Brits are stepping away from fleeting encounters, choosing to take their time to build authentic, meaningful connections. Part of that involves taking their time to look at a potential partner’s profile, beyond just the physical and their photos – which over nine-in-10 happn users (91%) in the UK admit to.

As a result, online conversations are taking a deeper turn, beyond just a person’s physical appearance and surface-level interests. Instead, time is taken to explore shared values, passions and long-term compatibility to deepen understanding before a real-life meeting. Virtual exchanges help to build trust instead of rushing to meet in person, with nearly a quarter (22%) of UK daters admitting that they prefer to chat and get to know someone on a deeper level before meeting up.

Eco-conscious love:

Love can no longer be separated from environmental values and ethics. It’s no longer just about emotional or physical compatibility, but ecological alignment. A relationship respectful of the planet can be a foundation for deeper connection.

In 2025, single people are increasingly seeking partners who share their environmental values, with 72% of UK daters saying it’s important their Crush shares the same eco-values (65% globally).

People are also more eco-conscious in their relationships with sustainable date choices like zero-waste picnics and hikes, giving eco-friendly gifts, and sharing conversation topics like consumption habits. A fifth (21%) always try to choose eco-friendly date activities, with 40% sometimes considering environmental impact, if it’s practical.

This trend aligns with broader societal discussions around individual responsibility in the fight against climate change, where every choice – romantic or otherwise – carries weight.

Intentional love:

Gone are the days of love at first sight, and relationships driven by instinct and passionate,  spontaneous feelings. Increasingly, singles and couples are viewing love as a deliberate, thoughtful act. Intentional lovers see relationships as a true partnership that’s a conscious construction, where decisions and shared moments are taken to build a solid future. These people cultivate, work on, and organise their love. They take intentional actions, like small daily gestures, or use regular rituals such as weekly or monthly check-ins to evaluate their feelings, discuss their emotions, unmet needs, dreams and future projects.

This trend reflects a societal phenomenon where personal and professional fulfilment takes centre stage and both can co-exist. In fact 45% of UK daters  – and 43% globally – believe love contributes to the personal and professional success of both partners. In a context of economic uncertainty and intense pressure to succeed, love becomes a strategic project, akin to managing a career or finances, to create mutual success.

Commenting on the trends that are set to define relationships in 2025, Claire Rénier, dating expert at happn, said, “In 2025, in a context of economic and political instability, there is a noticeable return to more traditional values – the search of a lifelong partner, and taking a thoughtful, intentional, and slower approach for a secure future. This desire for stability is driving singles to view dating from a fresh perspective with shared values, honesty and transparency, building on the friendship within a relationship, and fostering deeper connections. The dating landscape is constantly evolving but it’s encouraging to see singles defy societal expectation in their search for love.”

happn’s 2025 Trendbook can be found here.