By Laura Schaefer

The statistics of romance tell a fascinating story about who is dating whom, how many of us are still single, and what to expect when love blossoms. From who pays for what to the age at which we march down the aisle…It can all be neatly summed up by numbers, some of which will definitely surprise you. Just think about it this way: Would you rather be the average or on the edges when it comes to love? See what you think as you read these facts and figures.

To call or not to call?
There is only a 1 in 8 chance that a first date will call you for a second date after 24 hours. But say you do like the person, then what? For ladies who pick up the phone, here’s how things fall out: 49 percent of women never call or expect the man to call first; 20 percent of women call two days later, while 15 percent call the next day. Of the men, 45 percent call the next day, 32 percent call two days later, and 14 percent call three days later.

Date-night data
According to 41 percent of singles, Wednesday is the best day for a first date, and 46 percent of people surveyed say Italian is the cuisine of choice for first-date dinners.

Working on love?
Office romances are quite a gamble, it seems: You could end up married–or losing your footing work-wise. 44 percent of workplace romances lead to marriage, while 43 percent of women and 25 percent of men who had an office affair that ended badly reported their work suffered as a result.

From wink to real world
It takes an average of four weeks before internet daters will arrange to meet offline…so don’t be put off it bantering emails don’t lead to a date right away.

Putting a price tag on romance
51 percent of British men spend over £100 monthly on dates, and 29 percent spend over £150. What’s more, 68 percent of men treat on the first date. Now, nearly 2/3 of U.K women spend less than £50 a month, but the female of the species likely empties her pockets for cupid in a different way, buying cosmetics and new clothes.

Who’s doing the dumping
So who is bringing down the axe when people part ways? 29 percent of men say that they were the one who called it quits, while 51 percent of women say they initiated their most recent split.

How you mend a broken heart…
36 percent of adults say they get over an ex by dating someone new. 22 percent drown their sorrows in alcohol. 15 percent say they go shopping and a jet-setting 10 percent go on holiday.

Single solidarity
Brits now spend more years of their adult lives single than married. This is due to the fact that many people are delaying the age at which they marry—most recently measured at a median of 25.8 for women and 27.4 for men; the highest on record–and many marriages don’t last forever…So being single hardly makes you odd man (or woman) out anymore!

Laura Schaefer is the author of Man with Farm Seeks Woman with Tractor: The Best and Worst Personal Ads of All Time.