Almost 20,000 people are having affairs in Brighton and Hove, a new report has claimed.

The Infidelity Index, which uses data from Illicit Encounters, a dating website for married people, found that adultery is “booming” in the city, with 12 per cent more people cheating on their partner compared to last year.

Some 19,233 people in the city have been having an affair in Brighton and Hove according to the index, up from 16,973 last year.

Despite the increase, Brighton has dropped from third to tenth in a national ranking of adulterers in proportion to the population, at 3.7 per cent.

Chester topped the list with 4.52 per cent of the city cheating on their partners, followed by Canterbury with 4.4 per cent and Leeds with 4.31 per cent.

Lewes and Newhaven each saw more cheaters this year, up six per cent and ten per cent respectively, while Hastings and Eastbourne saw a 40 per cent and 24 per cent drop in the numbers of people having affairs.

Number of people having affairs in Sussex towns and cities

  • Brighton and Hove - 19,233
  • Crawley - 2,070
  • Horsham - 1,164
  • Chichester - 898
  • Eastbourne - 724
  • East Grinstead - 676
  • Bognor - 653
  • Haywards Heath - 648
  • Worthing - 589
  • Littlehampton - 563
  • Uckfield - 551
  • Burgess Hill - 538
  • Lewes - 440
  • Shoreham - 292
  • Arundel - 291

A spokeswoman for Illicit Encounters said: “The cost of living crisis has been a huge factor in boosting the numbers of affairs.

“Sex is one of the few things you can do which is free and is a good way to relieve stress.

“Fewer unhappy couples can afford to divorce because the cost of setting up two homes is astronomical. Far cheaper to stay in an unhappy relationship and have a discreet affair.

“A second factor has been life finally returning to normal after Covid and cheaters making up for lost time after two years of restrictions.

“The run-up to Christmas is always a boom time for affairs because most people are back in the office and looking for some fun.”