The Rise Of Couch Dining Is Worse Than It Sounds

Nearly 20 percent of people now eat dinner on the sofa as screens, shrinking kitchens, and shifting routines are reshaping mealtime — and what it might take to reclaim it. Nearly one in five people now eat dinner on the sofa. That’s according to new findings inside Ikea’s latest global Cooking & Eating survey, one of the largest of its kind, with more than 31,000 respondents across 31 markets. Less than half — 44 percent — of people worldwide sit at a kitchen table for dinner. Eighteen percent eat on the couch. Four percent eat in bed. Another 4 percent stand in the kitchen. In the U.K., the sofa has effectively replaced the table: 48 percent eat there, while only 31 percent sit at a kitchen table. Americans and Hungarians are twice as likely as the global average to eat in bed, at 9 percent compared to 4 percent. Dinner remains the most commonly shared meal of the day, but the ritual is fraying. The average global dinner time is 6:44 p.m., stretching later in Spain to 8:54 p.m., while Finland clocks in early at 5:17 p.m. Most people finish in under 30 minutes, and low-income earners are twice as likely to complete dinner in less than 10 minutes compared to higher-income households. ”Despite the emotional importance of food, shared meals are under pressure,” Lorena Lourido Gomez, Global Food Manager at Ikea Retail (Ingka Group), said in a statement. “Busy schedules, compact living, and competing priorities make it harder for people to come together, not just at the same time, but in the same place,” she says. Ruizhe du The data suggests distraction is compounding the shift. Only 7 percent of households maintain device-free dining policies. Fifty-four percent watch television while eating alone, and 40 percent do so even when eating with others in the home. At the same time, 60 percent say connection through food matters to them. “Together, these findings reveal how modern life is reshaping one of our most human rituals, reflecting growing concerns about loneliness and digital distraction, even as 60 percent say connection through food matters to them,” Lourido Gomez says. “It’s clear that food remains one of the strongest love languages across cultures. That’s why we’re putting even more focus on Cooking & Eating this year to help bring people back together around food, and to design for real, meaningful moments in everyday life.” “How we live in our kitchens is transforming,” says Nanette Weisdal, Range Manager for Kitchen & appliances at Inter Ikea Group. “These spaces are no longer just for cooking, they’re where we gather, connect, and create memories.” Reclaiming the table, even in small spaces Space constraints are real and so are the impacts of eating while watching television. Only 32 percent of respondents say they are satisfied with their kitchen overall. A quarter cite lack of storage, and another 25 percent point to insufficient surface space. Twenty-four percent say their kitchen is simply too small. In total, 46 percent selected at least one of these frustrations. That feeling intensifies among urban residents, households with children, and Gen Z and Millennial respondents, each hovering around 50 percent reporting limited space. Reclaiming mealtime may start less with square footage and more with intentional design. A compact drop-leaf table, a movable island, or even a cleared coffee table reset for dinner can signal that eating is distinct from scrolling. If Brits are nearly three times as likely as the global average not to have a dining table, then reimagining what qualifies as a “table” becomes part of the solution. A designated surface, however small, creates psychological separation from the sofa. Bluewater Sweden A study published last spring found that television viewing while eating “likely continues to promote overeating,” suggesting that people eat more when they watch TV versus when there is no television on. The researchers noted that television viewing has been shown to increase food intake, including at subsequent meals, indicating that the effects of TV on eating may extend beyond just the meal in front of you. Research led by Kevin Hall at the National Institutes of Health, published in Cell Metabolism, found that participants assigned to an ultra-processed diet consumed about 500 more calories per day than those eating minimally processed foods, even when meals were matched for nutrients. The study suggested that texture, speed of eating, and satiety signaling all played roles. Pair that with distracted dining — television on, posture reclined, meals finished quickly — and the environment begins to favor passive over intentional consumption. At the same time, the rise of GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy has reshaped the public conversation around appetite suppression and weight management. We are medicalizing hunger while normalizing eating patterns that make it harder to register fullness in the first place. The Ikea findings do not claim causation, but they illuminate a broader cultural tension: convenience has become the default setting for dinner. Reducing screen creep and time pressure The survey reveals that eating has become fragmented, informal, and mobile. Yet dining tables still serve as social anchors. Thirty-one percent use them for celebrations and special occasions, 29 percent for connection and togetherness, and 20 percent as a place to talk about the day or the news, especially among women, rural households, and families with children. Time remains the most cited weekday cooking barrier, particularly among younger generations: 38 percent of Gen Z and 33 percent of Millennials identify it as a top challenge. Layer in fast-paced urban living and children, and the pressure compounds. But a 20-minute meal at a cleared surface without devices may carry more connective value than a longer meal eaten passively in front of a screen. Given that most dinners already conclude within half an hour, reclaiming even ten screen-free minutes could restore a sense of ritual. The table, in other words, has not lost its meaning. It has lost its default status. And in many households, it now competes heavily with the glow of a screen. Only 7 percent of respondents report device-free policies at the table. Damian Barczak The data also shows how broader lifestyle pressures shape the shift. One in five people snack at night, a pattern most common among younger age groups and in urban markets. Households with children report higher levels of kitchen frustration, and 46 percent of respondents overall selected at least one concern tied to limited space, including insufficient storage or surface area. But the rewards of proper family meals outweigh the constraints. According to Johns Hopkins clinical dietitian Jaclyn Rose, family meals are often more nutritious than eating in isolation. “Family meals typically involve more fruits and vegetables than fast food or casual restaurant fare,” Rose explains. “Plenty of research shows that regular family meals increase overall intake of calcium-rich foods, fruits and vegetables, fiber, folate and vitamins A, C, E and B6.”Rose says patterns developed in childhood can “shape an adult’s relationship with food and set a foundation for healthy eating habits.” And, she says, there are ways you can make it easy on yourself. “In fact, it’s absolutely acceptable to keep things simple.” She recommends shortcuts such as bagged salad greens, frozen vegetables, pre-cooked proteins — even veggie burgers work with healthy toppings. “A family dinner doesn’t have to be an elaborate feast prepared from scratch,” she says. Related on Ethos:

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