From going to the cinema to drinking in bars, which out-of-home activities are Britons comfortable doing by themselves?
Certain activities seem to raise eyebrows when they are undertaken alone. For some things (thumb war, tandem bicycle) this is perhaps fair enough. In other cases – for example, going into a dark auditorium where it is considered rude and disruptive to interact with other people – the sense of social faux pas may be more difficult to explain.
Nevertheless, in marketing and advertising for cinemas, restaurants, and more, people are typically seen in groups of two or more, laughing, smiling, and generally enjoying each other’s company. But new YouGov data suggests that some businesses could benefit from targeting the solo patron.
We asked about a range of out of home activities, and whether Britons would be comfortable doing them by themselves. For most of the options we provided, a substantial majority of the public are perfectly happy to go it alone, even with some more traditionally stigmatised activities. Going to the cinema by oneself, for example, is something three-quarters (75%) are comfortable to do; two-thirds (64%) would say the same of attending a play.
And while eating alone in a restaurant has been mocked on shows like Taskmaster as an act of profound existential despair, a similar proportion would be fine with doing so (64%). Three in five would also feel comfortable going on holiday by themselves (60%).
The solo activities people are less keen on include going to live music: while a narrow majority (53%) would be okay with attending a gig by themselves, over two in five (43%) would be uncomfortable. Same goes for drinking in a bar (53% comfortable; 45% uncomfortable).
Britons are split on going to a live comedy show (46% vs. 48%) and largely unhappy with the idea of going to a theme park alone (37% vs. 59%).
Which activities have Britons done alone?
There is a difference between being comfortable doing an activity alone and actually doing it. In theory, most people might be okay with the idea of a solo trip to Alton Towers, where they can go on Oblivion and then immediately go on Oblivion again without having to think about their spouse/kids getting bored of queuing; desiring to go on different, worse rides; becoming hungry, tired, nauseous etc.
But in practice, 78% of Britons who have gone to a theme park have never done so by themselves, and just 7% say they have done so often or always. It's the same with going to the theatre alone: 61% who have attended plays have ever gone alone, and just 10% have gone alone frequently. It’s a similar story with comedy (60% never; 11% always/often) and live music (60% vs. 13%), as well as solo travel (53% vs. 14%). On drinking in bars and pubs alone, half (50%) have never done this, although one in five (18%) do so frequently or exclusively.
Most Britons have gone to the cinema by themselves at some point, but it’s not commonplace. Just one in six (17%) say they have often or always treated it as a lone activity, while more than two in five (43%) have never done it. The same proportion say they have commonly eaten at restaurants by themselves, but three in ten (31%) have only ever dined at these establishments with at least one other person in tow.
Mr. Lonely? Male Britons more likely to have done activities by themselves in almost every category
Along gender lines, we can reveal that, among people who have done these activities at some point, men are more likely to have done them alone in almost every case. The exceptions are going to the gym (86% for women; 85% for men) and going on holiday (60% women; 52% men).
In terms of dining, men are more likely to have eaten fast food by themselves at some point (88% vs. 79%) or gotten a table for one at a restaurant (74% vs. 61%). They are especially more likely to have gone to pubs or bars by themselves: with 78% of male Britons having done so at some point compared to 47% of female Britons, there is a 31-percentage point gap between the genders.
Men are also more likely to have gone to the cinema (62% vs. 48%), to a museum or art gallery (69% vs. 61%), to a gig (47% vs. 29%) or to stand-up comedy (38% vs. 21%) by themselves. Twice as many women as men have also gone to theme parks by themselves (26% vs. 13%).
A possible, partial explanation: men simply have fewer people to do things with. Much has been said and written on the reported decline of male friendship (in Britainand elsewhere) and YouGov data from 2019 found that men were less likely to have a best friend.
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Methodology
YouGov Surveys: Serviced provide quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online between 30 August - 4 September 2024, with a nationally representative sample of 2,070 adults (aged 18+ years) in Great Britain, using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, gender, education and social grade to be representative of all adults in Great Britain (18 years or older), and reflect the latest ONS population estimates. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Serviced.