BRITONS are choosing wealth over love, according to a survey revealing that single people are revelling in the financial benefits of living alone.
The report estimates that the number of people not in a relationship has reached 38 per cent across the UK and 41 per cent in Scotland - about four in ten of the adult population.
But far from being the lonely stereotype desperately looking for love as depicted by the Bridget Jones character, most claim the extra spending power of being single is better than romance.
The Singledom Report by media agency Carat said 14.2 million British adults are on their own. More than a third of the women interviewed said they would rather have money than love, compared to 28 per cent of men.
Only 16 per cent of the 12,000 people polled said finding a "life partner" was likely to have the greatest impact on their existence.
Roona Simpson, a sociologist at the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships, in Edinburgh, said the stigma attached to being single was declining.
"Being single is now far more common given trends such as people postponing partnership, and rates of separation and divorce, which means an increasing 'turnover' in relationships," she said.
"Interestingly, the survey appears to indicate higher proportions of women prioritising money over love - this might be a reflection of the different costs that partnership and parenthood continue to have for women compared to men."
The report highlights four different types of single adults in the UK, categorised by age. The youngest, referred to as Social Butterflies, are single at the moment but may not remain that way for long. The next are those between 25 and 34 who have remained single while their careers progress. From the mid-30s onwards are those single again after the breakdown of long-term relationships. The final group are those who are older and yet to settle down.
The report found single people preferred being alone rather than frustrated, and 60 per cent said they were no more or less happy than couples they knew. The advantages they saw in being single included the ability to spend more money on themselves, more time doing what they wanted, having more close friends and being able to be "spontaneous".
Lynette Allen, one of the UK's leading life coaches, said: "Peoples' priorities seem to have changed. You no longer need to have a partner to have an interesting and fulfilling life. But there will always be a band of people who are looking for love."
The report identifies a form of discrimination it calls "Partnerism", particularly in the workplace. It found bosses often got single people to work later or go on overnight conferences simply because they did not have family commitments.
Carat strategist Michael Florence said: "Being single is becoming an increasingly popular way of life for a growing number of people.
"Singledom is not only attractive to young people, but also the older generation, whose happiness seems to be based on independence, wealth and prosperity, rather than love and romance."
'I'm just as happy as my attached friends'
THOMASINA Smoor, 30, of Tollcross in Edinburgh, is sin- gle, and happy with it.
The chef, who works for high-quality caterers Appetite Direct and for private clients around the world, said she loves the freedom and financial independence.
"I find I'm just as happy as my attached friends. Sometimes I think it would be nice to have someone to do things with, but I have a lot of friends and family close by," she said.
"My best friend got married last year and she often says 'I can't do this or that'. I would find that very frustrating. I'm a massive snowboarder and skier and so is she, but her husband isn't so she can't go.
"I have always been independent because my parents encouraged it, so I am used to fending for myself.
"I have been able to invest in my own property and do it up the way I like and, if I wanted to, I could rent it out.
"I have my own income from working and don't have to worry about paying for other people.
"It's my money and I want to use it for what I'm going to do. It's good to have my own independence financially."
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