Engagement rings are one of the biggest talking points when people get engaged, and one of the biggest worries for men across the UK who are about to pop the question. Often price is one of the first things people ask about, and as wedding season approaches we decided to see which areas of the UK spend the most on engagement rings, and which spend the least.
We analysed the price of engagement rings purchased through our site, from customers across the UK over the past five years, and found that spend on engagement rings varied wildly depending on location, with a seemingly clear north-south divide.
Our research shows that unsurprisingly those in London spend the most, with an average spend of £8,000, and Burnley spends the least, with an average spend of just £347 per engagement ring.
Expectedly, romantics in London are the biggest spenders, with residents of Oxford and Edinburgh following closely behind in second and third. Regions which are spending the least amount of money on engagement rings can be found mostly in the north of England.
Peterborough is one of the more generous towns, coming eighth out of the big spenders, but having a modest average salary of £21,500 and spending on average £4,200 on engagement rings. Wigan is one of the most frugal cities, with residents spending just £600 on engagement rings despite earning an average salary of £27,283.
A list of the top ten highest and lowest spenders is below, along with the average salary for each city/town*.
Biggest spenders
- London £35,235 – £8,000
- Oxford £29,495 – £7,600
- Edinburgh £28,100 – £6,980
- Brighton £25,356 – £6,442
- Bournemouth £24,267 – £5,000
- Cambridge £30,914 – £4,895
- Bath £24,595 – £4,699
- Peterborough £21,500 – £4,200
- Manchester £32,500 – £4,125
- Salisbury £24,127 – £3,988
Most frugal
- Burnley £19,368 – £347
- Wigan £27,283 – £600
- Bradford £20,991 – £654
- Barnsley £24,449 – £730
- Blackburn £20,082 – £849
- Sunderland £20,918 – £900
- Newcastle £25,033 – £935
- Newport £22,893 – £940
- Gloucester £24,212 – £965
- Belfast £25,579 – £995
Andrew Campbell, founder of AC Silver said,
“Much pressure is placed on individuals when planning a proposal, including finding the ‘perfect ring’. We believe wherever your location and whatever your budget, you should be able to treat your special someone to a stunning ring. Thankfully, long gone is the rule of having to spend the equivalent of two or three months salary to buy an engagement ring.”
“Interestingly we have seen different spending habits across the UK. To be noted; when buying an antique diamond, it significantly reduces the impact of precious stone mining and predominantly will ensure you gain the best value diamond or gemstone for your budget.”
*https://www.payscale.com/