Canadians Are Hanging Out With Friends Less — Especially Working Adults

If it feels like you barely see your friends anymore, you're not imagining it.

A new report from Statistics Canada shows that Canadians are spending way less time with friends than they used to — and it’s working-age adults who are pulling the biggest disappearing act.

Back in 1986, nearly 48% of Canadians saw friends on a typical day. Fast forward to 2022? That number dropped to just 19.3%. Oof.

The biggest drop? People between 25 and 64 — aka, those of us juggling jobs, families, errands, and whatever else adulthood throws at us.

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And when people do manage to meet up, they’re spending less time together. The average hangout has shrunk from 5 hours in 1986 to just 3.8 hours in 2022. That’s barely enough time for a good catch-up, let alone a wine-fuelled rant session.

Even teens and young adults (aged 15 to 24) — a group you'd think would be glued to their friends — saw a huge drop in day-to-day friend time, with over a 30 percentage point decline.

We're More Socially Stretched Than Ever

The report also revealed that more Canadians are feeling “pressed for time” than at any point since the early 1990s. In 2022, nearly one in four people said they feel constantly crunched for time, up from just 15% thirty years ago.

So yeah, between work stress, digital distractions, and just trying to keep life on track, it’s no wonder friendships are taking a hit.

Moral of the story? If you’re feeling a bit friend-deficient, you’re not alone — and maybe it’s time to send that “We need to catch up!” text for real this time.