2037 has been pinpointed as the year when the number of babies in the UK born to parents who met online will outsrip those born to parents who met offline.

New research by dating platform eharmony and the Imperial College Business School also identified 2035 as the year when more people will start meeting their partners online rather than offline.

It suggests that within the next decade alone, 40% of babies born will be so-called 'e-babies' – born to parents who met on the internet.

The predictions, part of the Future of Dating report, were based on eharmony data and current birth rate projections from the Office for National Statistics.

The data highlights the shifting habits of those looking to meet a partner: around a third (32%) of relationships started between 2015 and 2019 started online, compared to only 19% between 2005 and 2014.

By 2035, it says the UK will reach the 'tipping point' whereby more than 50% of relationships will begin online.

The research also indicated online dating had given Britons more romantic confidence, with 47% of those asked saying they felt that the internet makes it easier for introverted people to meet a partner.