14.5m Brits set to make a New Year's Resolution to lose weight

26.5 million people - over half of adults in the UK - will make a New Year's Resolution in 2013, according to research by thinkmoney.co.uk. But by the end of New Year's Day, over 520,000 of them (2%) will already have given up!

The most popular New Year's Resolution is to lose weight, with 14.5m people (29%) making this their New Year promise to themselves. Interestingly, women are 40% more likely to make this resolution than men (34% of women, compared with 24% of men).

Other top resolutions are to exercise and improve fitness, which will be made by 9.5 million (19%) and 6m will resolve to learn a new hobby or skill (12%).

When asked whether they think they will stick to their resolutions, nearly half of all resolvers (48%) think they'll keep their resolution for fewer than 6 months and 2% think they'll last less than one day.  However, a determined one in five (21%) said they'll stick at it all year.

The top three 'financial priorities' for the New Year are sticking to a budget (55%), shopping around for a cheaper tariff on their electricity, gas and mobile phone, etc. (41%) and paying off non-mortgage debts (31%).

Ian Williams of thinkmoney commented: "New Year's Resolutions remain as popular as ever. We start the New Year with the best of intentions and many of us say that we expect to keep to our personal promise well into the summer. But pity the two percent of resolution makers who don't make it through New Year's Day.

"But money's still tight for many and with the Christmas excess now just a memory, it's no surprise that over half of us see making - and sticking to - a budget as a financial priority for 2013."