Britain may be experiencing a quiet “kissing recession”, according to a new YouGov study that found many adults are kissing less often and becoming increasingly self-conscious about romantic intimacy.

The findings are contained in Waken’s Big Kiss Report, a nationwide survey commissioned by Waken Mouthcare to examine kissing habits, confidence and modern relationships in the United Kingdom.

According to the study, more than a third of UK adults (35%) say they kiss someone romantically less often than they did five years ago, while 27% believe romantic kissing is becoming less common across Britain.

Nearly one in five respondents (19%) said they have not kissed anyone romantically in over a year, while 6% said they never kiss anyone romantically on the lips. Only 29% reported kissing someone romantically within the previous 24 hours.

The report suggests confidence and self-consciousness are playing an increasing role in shaping romantic behaviour. Among adults aged 18 to 24, 40% said they overthink whether it is the “right moment” to kiss someone, while 28% worry they are not good kissers. About 32% said they had avoided a kiss because they lacked confidence.

Among adults aged 55 and above, 42% said they now kiss less frequently than they did five years ago.

Bad breath emerged as the leading “kiss killer”, with 63% of respondents ranking it among the top factors most likely to ruin a romantic kiss. Poor oral hygiene followed at 56%, while strong food smells such as garlic and coffee were cited by 35%.

More than half of adults who have kissed someone romantically (51%) said they had avoided kissing because they were concerned about their breath, taste in their mouth or dry mouth. The figure rose to 63% among adults aged 25 to 34 and 60% among those aged 18 to 24.

Rylan, Creative Director and “Head of Teeth” at Waken, said the findings reflect growing self-consciousness around intimacy.

“People definitely seem more in their heads about kissing now. Everyone’s analysing the moment instead of just going for it. But at the same time, everyone still loves a good kiss,” he said.

Founder of Waken, Simon Duffy, said the survey highlighted the growing impact of confidence on romantic relationships.

“What comes through really clearly in the research is that confidence and self-consciousness are playing a much bigger role in intimacy than many people realise,” he said.

Other findings from the report show that 35% of respondents believe strong food smells can ruin a kiss, while 27% think kissing is less common in Britain than it used to be.

The survey was conducted online by YouGov between May 15 and 18, 2026, among 2,078 UK adults. (Arise News)

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