Going deeper into
life at home

We’ve been publishing the IKEA Life at Home Report annually since 2014, and every year, we pull back the curtain on what’s new and what’s changed. By speaking to people all over the world, we hope to get a clearer understanding of what life at home looks and feels like today – and how we can help make it better.

Studying the most important place in the world

As our world continues to change and challenge us, having a place to feel at home has never been more important.

On its own, data isn’t enough to understand what makes a good home, so we bring empathy and understanding into all our research. What we find helps us make business decisions that improve how people are living today, and challenge us to help everyone live better tomorrow.

While everyone wants ­– and deserves – to thrive in their lives at home, we know that too many people struggle because their home isn’t able to meet their needs. Using our research to inspire solutions, we’re on a mission to put this right.

 

Our research methods

Our annual IKEA Life at Home Report is one of the largest and most distinctive research projects of its kind, involving qualitative and quantitative research into the views, needs and dreams of people all over the world.

For the 2022 report, we made home visits in Germany, India, Japan, UK and USA. We also ran a survey of over 37,000 people in 37 countries.

It’s not always easy to get people to open up, so we strive to create safe spaces for them – online and offline – and use various tools to encourage honest discussion and reflection.

Read our reports for more information about the research methodologies we use each year.

The four dimensions of home

Our 2016 report found that, across the world, we describe where we live in terms of space and place, and the things and people we live with. These four dimensions help us understand the functional role of homes.

Space

59%

of people play music to make their living space feel more homely

Place

38%

of people consider their neighbourhood part of their home

Relationships

48%

of people say home is where they have their most important relationships

Things

42%

of people say it’s things they’ve bought themselves that make home reflect who they are

The ingredients that create the feeling of home

Home is more than a place – it’s a feeling. In 2018, we identified five emotional needs that our homes must meet to make us feel ‘at home’: comfort, security, belonging, ownership and privacy.

 

When the pandemic uprooted our lives, we asked our homes to work even harder. As a result, our research this year found two extra emotional needs our living spaces need to support: enjoyment and accomplishment.

 

Read the Life at Home Report 2022

Make Yourself at Home. More than 37,000 people, 37 countries, one focus: how can we create a better life at home?