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Life

05th Aug 2017

The odds of you finding love are depressingly slim, says Rachel Riley

She's done the maths.

Anna O'Rourke

If you’re looking for a soul mate, you’re in for some bad news.

New very scientific data* has revealed that your chances of finding love with someone you’re compatible are fairly slim.

Data (from the UK, admittedly) indicates that you have a one in 562 chance of falling in love with someone compatible who likes you back.

To put that number in perspective, your odds of having twins are one in 67, while the odds that you’ll become a millionaire are 1 in 55.

The research behind this figure was put in by none other than Rachel Riley, the maths whizz on Channel 4’s Countdown.

She worked out that there are 22.6 million people in the UK looking for love, but taking into account a number of factors, she’s put he odds at 1 in 562.

These factors include gender, the fact that most people only feel comfortable dating within a 12 year age range and the fact that the other person will have to fancy you back, as well as things like moral outlook and shared interests.

There are some things you can do to boost your odds, though.

Going to the gym could up your chances of finding a partner by 14 per cent in a year, while having 15 people you know introduce you to their friends would help you find love 16 faster, according to Rachel.

The research is part of a campaign for dating site eHarmony – you can find out more here.

*We used the word scientific very loosely here, just FYI.