Canadians are spending less time with friends

Written By FWD EDITORS

Released: Friday, July 4, 2025

Canadians are becoming more isolated. More Canadians are living alone than ever before, and recent data released by Statistics Canada reveals that Canadians are spending less time with friends. Over the past 30 years, there has been a sharp drop in the percentage of Canadians who see their friends on an average day. In 1986, just under half (47.9%) of Canadians saw friends on an average day. In 2022, the proportion dropped to just under one in five (19.3%). Working-aged Canadians, those aged 25 to 64 years, experienced the sharpest decline over the past 30 years.

 

Chart of the Week

Discover powerful insights, one chart at a time. Each week, we feature a data-driven visual that highlights a key trend, issue, or story shaping Canada. See more here.

 

You may also be interested in…

Featured
How many Canadians have registered retirement savings plans?
How many Canadians have registered retirement savings plans?

Registered Retirement Saving Plans or RRSPs are an important part of the retirements savings equation for many Canadians. These plans provide additional funds upon retirement, giving people an added level of financial security. Learn how many Canadians invest in RRSPs.

How many Canadian workers are unionized?
How many Canadian workers are unionized?

In 2023, Statistics Canada reported that 5.3 million Canadians—about 3 in 10 employees—were covered by collective bargaining agreements. Of which 76.7% of public sector employees were unionized compared to 15.5% of employees in the private sector.

How many temporary foreign workers are employed in Canada’s agriculture sector?
How many temporary foreign workers are employed in Canada’s agriculture sector?

In 2023, the agriculture sector in Canada employed 280,798 people, of which 79,734 or 28% were temporary foreign workers. This represents an increase of 15,085 people from the year before.

What is the labour force survey and what does it tell us?
What is the labour force survey and what does it tell us?

The Labour Force Survey provides insights into shifting national, provincial, territorial, and regional labour trends such as employment across industrial sectors, hours worked, labour force participation, and unemployment rates.

FWD EDITORS

We’re a team of data enthusiasts and storytellers. Our goal is to share stories we find interesting in hopes of inspiring others to incorporate data and data visualizations in the stories they create.

Previous

About half of Canadians reported a high level of life satisfaction
Next

Public transit ridership climbs higher, but is still below pre-pandemic levels