New Year’s resolutions 2023
Find out how many Brits are making New Year's resolutions for 2023.
Our recent survey has found that in 2023, a whopping 30 million people in the UK will be making New Year’s resolutions – whether that’s a promise to save more or get healthy. Read on to discover the most common goals Brits will set in the new year.
Key statistics
- 58% of the UK population will make a New Year’s resolution in 2023. This equates to 30 million British adults.
- A quarter of the UK (27%) will make a money resolution for 2023.
- 62% of women and 53% of men plan to make a New Year’s resolution for 2023.
- 86% of generation Z will be making resolutions for 2023, while just 21% of the silent generation will be doing so.
- 74% of Londoners will be making New Year’s resolutions for 2023.
How many people in the UK will make a New Year’s resolution for 2023?
According to our survey, an estimated 58% of the UK population will be setting themselves New Year’s resolutions in 2023. That’s 30 million people taking deliberate steps to better themselves as the year kicks off. Compared to 2022, there are 4% more people making resolutions this year, when 54% of the UK population set goals for the year.
| New Years Resolution survey | Percentage of UK |
|---|---|
| Percentage of UK that will make resolutions | 57.75% |
| Percentage of UK that will not make resolutions | 42.25% |
The most common New Year’s resolution in the UK
42% of the UK may not be planning to make a New Year’s resolution in 2022, but the remaining 58% will set goals across a wide range of areas. Surprisingly, career progression will receive the least amount of attention in 2022, with just 12% claiming their resolution will focus on this.
On the other end of the spectrum, health has proven to be the most popular among Brits, with 28% of respondents having this as their goal for 2022. Meaning that the new year could see Brits purchasing those gym memberships, home workout equipment or eating healthier foods.
| New years resolution | Percentage of respondents |
|---|---|
| No resolutions | 42.25% |
| Health | 28.40% |
| Money | 26.80% |
| Family | 24.10% |
| Self-improvement | 21.10% |
| Love | 14.35% |
| Travel | 14.50% |
| Career | 12.50% |
New Year’s resolutions by generation
Interestingly, our data shows that the older respondents get, the less likely they are to make a New Year’s resolution. While a whopping 86% of generation Z will be making resolutions in 2022, this drops to 78% for millennials, 55% for generation X, 37% for baby boomers and 21% for the silent generation.
| Generation | % of Brits that will make resolutions |
|---|---|
| Generation Z | 86.16% |
| Millennials | 77.56% |
| Generation X | 55.33% |
| Baby Boomers | 36.87% |
| Silent Gen | 21.43% |
The most common New Year’s resolution by generation
As for what each generation is aiming to accomplish in the new year, it seems that generation Z have money on their collective minds. A whopping 47% of generation Z will be making New Year’s resolutions about money. This ranges from increasing their savings to investing or even picking up a side hustle to make some extra cash. Across all other generations, the majority will focus on improving their health in 2022.
| New years resolution | Generation Z | Millennials | Generation X | Baby Boomers | Silent Gen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health | 35.27% | 36.70% | 27.41% | 21.52% | 12.70% |
| Money | 47.32% | 39.58% | 22.34% | 14.08% | 4.76% |
| Self-improvement | 38.39% | 30.61% | 14.97% | 12.82% | 3.97% |
| Love | 33.04% | 21.63% | 9.39% | 6.17% | 1.59% |
| Career | 28.13% | 20.03% | 11.17% | 2.85% | 0.00% |
| Family | 37.50% | 34.78% | 19.80% | 14.40% | 9.52% |
| Travel | 24.11% | 20.19% | 10.41% | 10.13% | 3.97% |
| No resolutions | 13.84% | 22.44% | 44.67% | 63.13% | 78.57% |
New Year’s resolutions by gender
62% of women and 53% of men plan to make a New Year’s resolution in 2023, according to our survey research. 7% more women (55%) are setting resolutions in 2023 compared to 2022. Only 1% more men (52%) will be making resolutions.
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
| % of Brits that will make resolutions | 52.81% | 62.49% |
| % of Brits that will not make resolutions | 47.19% | 37.51% |
The most common New Year’s resolution by gender
Of those who will be making resolutions for the new year, 34% of females will be focusing on health – 11% higher than the number of men (23%) who will be doing the same.
In fact, more females will be focusing on all categories including money, family, self-improvement, love, travelling and career more than men throughout the new year. The most popular New Year’s resolution for men is money (23%), with career and love (12%) being the least common goals for men in 2023.
| New years resolution | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Health | 23.08% | 33.50% |
| Money | 23.19% | 30.26% |
| Self-improvement | 17.26% | 24.78% |
| Love | 11.95% | 16.65% |
| Career | 11.54% | 13.42% |
| Family | 19.31% | 28.70% |
| Travel | 12.97% | 15.96% |
| No resolutions | 47.19% | 37.51% |
New Year’s resolutions by region
74% of Londoners will be making New Year’s resolutions in 2022. This is closely followed by Northern Ireland (71%), North East (63%), Wales and West Midlands (60%), Yorkshire and the Humber (59%), Scotland and North West (57%).
Less than half of the East Midlands (46%) and the East of England (47%) will be making resolutions for 2023, the only regions where more people will not be setting goals for the upcoming year.
| % of Brits that will make resolutions | |
|---|---|
| Greater London | 74% |
| Northern Ireland | 71% |
| North East | 63% |
| Wales | 60% |
| West Midlands | 60% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 59% |
| Scotland | 57% |
| North West | 57% |
| South East | 53% |
| South West | 52% |
| East of England | 47% |
| East Midlands | 46% |
The most common New Year’s resolution by region
Apart from the North East, a majority of those making resolutions across all regions will be directing their efforts towards health and money. With the 2022 cost of living crisis affecting disposable income levels, a third of those in London (34%), Yorkshire and the Humber (32%) and Wales (31%) put money as an important goal for the upcoming year.
A third of the North East (32%) plan to focus on their family in 2023. As for the South West, family and health (23%) are tied for the most common 2023 New Year’s resolution for the region.
| East of England | Greater London | East Midlands | West Midlands | North East | North West | Northern Ireland | Scotland | South East | South West | Wales | Yorkshire & Humber | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health | 22% | 31.18% | 22.07% | 28.41% | 29.63% | 29.86% | 39.22% | 28.40% | 30.00% | 23.12% | 31.25% | 31.33% |
| Money | 22% | 34.22% | 18.62% | 26.70% | 29.63% | 27.15% | 29.41% | 27.81% | 25.36% | 18.50% | 31.25% | 31.93% |
| Self-improvement | 15% | 30.80% | 15.17% | 22.16% | 22.22% | 18.55% | 25.49% | 21.89% | 17.14% | 20.23% | 25.00% | 22.29% |
| Love | 8% | 23.57% | 8.97% | 14.20% | 16.05% | 14.03% | 23.53% | 14.20% | 12.50% | 10.98% | 20.83% | 10.84% |
| Career | 8% | 23.57% | 9.66% | 14.77% | 11.11% | 9.95% | 7.84% | 14.79% | 8.57% | 11.56% | 13.54% | 9.64% |
| Family | 21% | 28.52% | 17.24% | 22.16% | 32.10% | 26.70% | 27.45% | 26.04% | 20.71% | 23.12% | 20.83% | 27.11% |
| Travel | 10% | 28.52% | 13.10% | 9.66% | 11.11% | 13.12% | 15.69% | 13.02% | 11.43% | 10.40% | 15.63% | 16.87% |
| No resolutions | 53% | 25.86% | 53.79% | 40.34% | 37.04% | 42.99% | 29.41% | 42.60% | 47.50% | 47.98% | 39.58% | 40.96% |
Methodology
- A total of 2,000 people were questioned throughout Great Britain, with representative quotas for gender, age and region.
- The research was conducted in December 2022.
Click here for more research. For all media enquiries, please contact
Matt Mckenna
Head of UK communications
T: +44 20 8191 8806
Head of UK communications
T: +44 20 8191 8806
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