IKEA Retail (Ingka Group) has published its 10th annual Life at Home Report, one of the world's biggest annual studies into how people live and what makes them happy at home.
In this year’s report, IKEA has reflected on a decade of data collected from more than 250,000 research participants around the world, to identify the eight essential needs for a better life at home – control, comfort, security, nurturing, belonging, enjoyment, accomplishment, and aspirations.
The report found that those who often feel their emotional needs are met are much more positive about the future: 47% feel positive about their future.
“Now we have the formula for creating a better life at home, we want to help as many people as possible ease the big tensions that get in the way – whether it’s finding enough privacy or making more sustainable choices – and put home at the heart of living well," says Belén Frau, global communication manager, IKEA Retail. "We’ve got the knowledge and the solutions to give everyone the opportunity to make a better life at home.”
This year's report also indicates that: pets boost at-home happiness (52% of those surveyed say that home is their favourite place in the world, and this rises to 60% of people that have pets); a dream home equal a dream life (72% say it is important to have a home that helps them feel positive about the future, and sleep is the secret weapon for a better everyday; 40% say that a tidy and organised home makes them feel more content and relaxed; almost three quarters (72%) of people who think they live sustainably today also feel positive about their current life at home; and 40% people who felt more positive towards their home also saw a positive impact on their mental health during the previous year.
Surprisingly, one in three people say they feel more at home outside of the space they live in. In February, the first Life at Communities Report from Ingka Centres will explore what makes people feel at home beyond their home environment.
For the first time, this year’s report also imagines a variety of possible futures for life at home in 2030 and beyond, imagining different future scenarios, where: distant family members join Sunday lunch in hologram form; bio-solar wallpaper uses algae to generate electricity from sunlight; and chairs are created by 3D printers using a mushroom compound.
Katie McCrory, global leader for the IKEA Life at Home Report, adds: “Over the years, it’s become clear that the way we feel about home has a massive impact on how we feel about ourselves. Our research shows that by making positive changes to our home, we can create enormous impact in our lives and in the communities around us. A better life really does start at home!”
Download the full report here.
