Online dating messages up by 52 per cent for the New Year

Those facing New Year's Eve without a kiss at the strike of midnight have turned to online dating in a bid to find that someone special to spend the night with.

The online dating website findsomeone.co.nz says the site has gone "nuts", with a 30 per cent increase in message volume in the past week.

"Flirty singles sent 109,000 messages in the last week, an all-time record for Christmas dating activity," findsomeone operations manager Mike O'Donnell said.

Every year there was an increase in activity around this time, but the past week was the biggest rise the site had seen in its 10 years of operation. Compared with this time last year, messages had increased by 52 per cent.

There was also a 13 per cent increase in new members signing up to the site between December 22 and 29 compared with last year.

Nationally, the typical profile of an online dater was a person aged 38, with a tertiary education, and of European extraction, Mr O'Donnell said.

Men outnumbered women, 55 per cent to 45 per cent, and 46 per cent had children. Online dating hotspots included Waitakere and the North Shore in Auckland, Lower Hutt in Wellington, Sumner and New Brighton in Christchurch, and Dunedin's North East Valley.