Every year, Time Out conducts a giant survey delving into every aspect of life in cities around the world – from affordability to alcohol preferences. And because the City Index leaves no stone unturned, we can reveal some pretty titillating titbits about the ins and outs of dating, love and lust in our cities.
How did Zurich shape up in the romance department? Well, first off, was the revelation that over a third of people in the Swiss business capital have got kinky in a threesome – that’s double the European average. Ooh la la.
And while you might think the US is the home of dating more than one person at once (as most sitcoms suggest), the people of Zurich win the gold star for this one. 44% have been in non-monogamous relationships, up against the American average of 31%. Looks like Zurich singletons will have a busy Valentines Day if they plan on fitting all their love interests into one night.
Meeting people in Zurich is no walk in the park – 22% struggle to make friends and finding love is even harder, with 28% admitting that they find it virtually impossible. So it makes sense that ghosting – that’s breaking off a romance without saying goodbye – is less common in Zurich than in the rest of Europe, with less than a quarter admitting to it.
Zurich isn’t just a hotbed of singles ready to mingle – 36% are married, which is at least double the European average. Maybe it’s all that aphrodisiac Swiss chocolate.
Berlin takes the crown as the city of old school romance though – they are the least likely to look up a love interest on social media, aren’t into dating apps, don’t generally date multiple people at the same time and are unlikely to send naughty snaps of themselves.
The people of Tokyo are going on the most dates – around 25 year a year, or one every fortnight, although they think it’s tough finding love (17% think it’s easy, the third lowest of any city).
Tel Aviv is the most comfortable city with sex on a first date, but the 15,000 people we surveyed suggested they would wait an average of 2.7 dates before jumping into bed with someone. Hey, whatever floats your boat, right? For more sexy stats from the Time Out City Index 2018 click here.
Looking for Valentines Day date night ideas? Check out Zurich's best bars, restaurants and nightlife here.