Skip to main content
EN CAEnglish

Economy and household finances rank as Canadians’ top concerns in annual IKEA Life at Home report

Young couple seated on sectional sofa in living room with pet dog lying in foreground
Corporate newsLife at home, Reports and summariesJanuary 11, 2023
Canadians look to pull back spending on hobbies in and out of the home to address household finances as cost of living crisis hits home.

Burlington, ON, January 10, 2023 – According to the annual IKEA Life at Home report, two thirds of Canadians (67 per cent) are concerned with the general economy and more than half (57 per cent) with household finances. In this year’s report, financial woes outrank fears around the impact of climate change (56%) as the top concerns in people’s lives. Survey respondents indicated that if the cost of living significantly increases in the future, four in 10 Canadians (42 per cent) expect their hobbies or interests, including experiences, travel, and restaurant visits, to be negatively impacted. 

“Our Life at Home report explores the everyday realities consumers are facing today, and with global cost of living concerns top of mind, once again we collectively focus on making the most of our homes,” said Carmen Ciesielski, Director of Home Furnishing & Design, IKEA Canada. 

“As Canadians continue to make adjustments big and small to meet the diverse needs of home, we remain committed to ensuring that they can find both quality and affordable solutions whenever and wherever they choose to meet us," Ciesielski continued.

During these challenging times, Canadian homes serve as a refuge for their residents, with nearly seven in 10 (68 per cent) feeling like they can be themselves at home and over a third (37 per cent) feeling more positive about their home, compared to the same time last year. The IKEA Life at Home report also shows that Canadians are more likely to find comfort and ownership important, when compared to the global average.

Further key findings from the IKEA Life at Home Report highlighting Canadian attitudes and activities from within their homes include:

  • almost 4 in 10 (37%) have talked to themselves while home alone
  • more than a quarter (28%) have slept somewhere other than in their own bed at home
  • more than 1 in 4 (27%) have pretended to have plans because they wanted to stay home instead
  • one in five (21%) have eaten a meal in bed
  • more than 1 in 10 (14%) have hidden from people they live with to get some privacy at home
  • one in 10 (10%) have done work while in the bathroom

The global Life at Home Report from IKEA is the biggest report of its kind in the world. Every year it gives a unique snapshot of how people are living and feeling at this moment in time. Find the full report here: ikea.com/ca/en/life-at-home/

 

ABOUT THE IKEA LIFE AT HOME REPORT

The quantitative research was carried out by YouGov on behalf of Ingka Holding B.V. – IKEA Group. YouGov is an international research and data analytics group. The quantitative Life at Home study was conducted as an online survey among a national representative sample of people aged 18+ in 37 countries, where a total of 37,405 interviews were collected. The following countries were included: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States. The data collection was completed in the period from July to August 2022. Quotas have been applied on gender, age and region, and data was weighted according to the dimensions of gender, age and region on the basis of an ideal weighting from statistics in each country, so that the results are representative of the population in regard to the target group. Bases: All adults = 37,405