Compliments have been proven to increase happiness, regardless of whether you’re on the giving or receiving end. With World Compliment Day on March 1st, there is no better time to see how our friendly Canadians give and receive compliments in their everyday lives.
We surveyed 1,000 Canadians about their compliment-giving habits. On average, 30.9% of Canadians give out two to five compliments per week. On the other hand, 30.6% communicate compliments daily, while 17.1% hand out compliments only once a week. 13.7% share compliments two to three times a month, while 6.5% at once a month. Only 1.2% of respondents don’t give out compliments.
Almost half (43.2%) of those given compliments are skills-based (Ex. “You have a great eye for detail”). 31.7% are appearance-based (Ex. “That’s a nice haircut”), while 16.5% are personality-based (Ex. “I love your optimism”). Only 8.6% are possessions-based compliments (Ex. “I love your shoes”).
We asked our respondents who they compliment most often. The top five categories that receive compliments are partners (31%), friends (27.6%), colleagues (18.8%), family members (18.2%), and strangers (2.8%).
More than ¾’s (82.4%) of Canadians find it easy to give out compliments, but on the contrary, a little over half (54.2%) find it easy to receive compliments.
We asked respondents (on average) how often they receive compliments. 25.2% receive them two to five times a week, while 20.4% only receive them two to three times a month. 20.2% hear them once a week, while 20% receive them once a month. Only 9.4% get them on the daily and 4.9% never receive compliments.
While over half of our respondents (51.9%) find that they receive the right amount of compliments, 42% wish to receive a compliment more often. Only 6.1% wish for fewer compliments.
We also asked our respondents who they would like to receive a compliment from more often. The top five answers were partners (30.8%), friends (19.1%), family members (18%), colleagues (14.5%), and (surprisingly) no one (9.3%).
Of those that receive compliments, 85.7% noticed that compliments have a positive effect on their self-image.
Methodology
In February 2023, we surveyed 1,000 Canadians across the country. The average age of respondents was 34.8 years old. The average annual household income was $91,961.67. 56.8% of respondents identified as female, 40.8% as male, and 2.4% as non-binary.
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