In an online survey just released by GfK, half (49%) of Canadians report that they entertain guests in their homes at least monthly, with 15% saying they host either daily or weekly. While these figures are impressive, they still place Canada in the middle of the pack in this study of 17 countries.

On the other hand, 10% of Canadians say that they never entertain guests in their homes. These insights are from an online survey of over 22,000 consumers (ages 15 or over) worldwide. GfK asked people how often they entertain guests in their homes, which can cover everything from dinner parties to having friends over to watch a film or sports or simply chatting over coffee.

Globally, a quarter (25%) of people entertain guests in their homes either daily or weekly, on average, and another one-third (34%) entertain monthly. Only 9% of people say that they never entertain guests at home.

Mexicans and Argentinians are the most frequent hosts out of all 17 countries surveyed, with 42% and 39% (respectively) reporting that they entertain either daily or weekly. In contrast, Koreans and Japanese are least likely to entertain at home, with over a quarter (28% and 27% respectively) saying they never do this.

Among Canadians, gender makes little difference to how often people entertain. Roughly one-third of both genders (35% of women and 33% of men) entertain monthly at home. Men are slightly more likely than women, however, to entertain daily or weekly (16% for men versus 13% for women), while the sexes are equally likely to report hosting less often than once a month (42% for women versus 41% for men).

Parents, young adults are most frequent hosts

Canadians in households where there are no children under age 20 living at home are less frequent hosts than those with children. In the no-child homes, only 13% entertain guests on a daily or weekly basis. This percentage rises to 18% for those with teenage children (13 to 19 years old), and peaks at 22% for those with children ages six and under.

When comparing different age groups in Canada, the frequency of entertaining guests at home tends to decrease as people get older. Almost one-quarter (23%) of those in their twenties say they entertain guests either daily or weekly; this figure falls to 17% for those in their thirties, 15% for those in their forties, and only 9% for those over sixty. 

By combining these survey insights with purchase data from consumer panels and point of sales tracking, plus market knowledge of cultural influences, GfK helps manufacturers, supermarkets and retailers to identify high-potential audiences and opportunities, both globally and at country-specific level – covering areas such as FMCG, groceries, beverages, domestic appliances, home entertainment or technical consumer goods.

More data is available in GfK’s complimentary global study reports showing findings for each of the 17 countries, by gender, age, family stage and income.

About this study

GfK asked over 22,000 consumers (aged 15 or over) online in 17 countries how often they entertain guests in their home, selecting from: Every day or most days; At least once a week; At least once a month; Less often; Never.

Fieldwork was completed in summer 2016. Data are weighted to reflect the demographic composition of the online population aged 15+ in each market. The global average given in this release is weighted, based on the size of each country proportional to the other countries.

Countries covered are Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Russia, South Korea, Spain, UK and USA.

About GfK

GfK is the trusted source of relevant market and consumer information that enables its clients to make smarter decisions. More than 13,000 market research experts combine their passion with GfK’s long-standing data science experience. This allows GfK to deliver vital global insights matched with local market intelligence from more than 100 countries. By using innovative technologies and data sciences, GfK turns big data into smart data, enabling its clients to improve their competitive edge and enrich consumers’ experiences and choices.

For more information, please visit www.gfk.com/en-us/ or follow GfK on Twitter​.