Opposites don’t attract: couples more likely to be similar than different, study shows

Lots in common: couples are likely to share core beliefs and values, and have a similar number of previous sexual partners. Photograph: Hinterhaus Productions/Getty Images

The power of animal magnetism has brought countless couples together, but when it comes to who we fall for, scientists say there’s little truth in the old adage that opposites attract.

A study on romantic relationships found that for more than 80% of traits analysed – from political views to drug taking and the age at which people first had sex – partners were often remarkably similar.