God bless you, kitchen table: Hungarians are twice as likely to eat dinner in bed as the rest of the world

By: Trademagazin Date: 2026. 03. 04. 11:18

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It seems that we can finally forget the image of the disciplined kitchen table: IKEA’s latest global research, the Cooking & Dining report, highlights that the millennial ritual of eating is undergoing a drastic transformation. The survey, which examined the habits of 31,000 people – including more than 1,000 Hungarian respondents – shows that the monopoly of the classic kitchen table when it comes to meals has been broken for good. Modern lifestyles, the rise of digital devices and cramped living spaces have combined to give rise to a new phenomenon, which the report calls “Comfortable Chaos”. In this world, meals are no longer tied to a fixed point, but are even moving into the most intimate corners of the home.

Although leaving the kitchen table is a global phenomenon (globally, only 44% of respondents now have dinner there), we Hungarians were able to show something new in this regard. While on average only 4% of people in the world eat in bed, every twelfth person (8%) in our country regularly has dinner in their bedroom. This makes Hungarians – together with Americans – the world’s largest “eaters in bed”, indicating that everyday comfort often overrides the usual rules in our country.

“Although the emotional significance of meals has not diminished, the ritual of shared dinners is under serious pressure today,” points out Stuart Cowan, IKEA’s regional food manager. “We are experiencing that among Hungarians, too, the rush of everyday life and smaller living spaces are overriding traditions. We no longer organize our lives around the table, but rather take our meals wherever we can find space, be it the sofa or even the bedroom. This flexibility is our answer to the challenges of a modern lifestyle.”

This physical disorganization is also deepened by our dissatisfaction with our kitchens. The research reveals that only 32% of people worldwide are satisfied with their kitchens: most complain about the lack of storage space (25%) and work surface (25%). This frustration affects Hungarian millennials the most, as one in five young adults (20%) find hosting guests particularly stressful, primarily because they feel their home is not representative or spacious enough for social events.

The isolation of morning rituals is also telling. 58% of Hungarians start the day alone, and conversations are replaced by screens. Although we would like attention, barely 7% of Hungarian households manage to “banish” technology from the table. When eating alone, 41% of Hungarians watch TV, but nearly three out of ten respondents (26%) still reach for a video or series when they sit down to dinner with their family or partner. This kind of digital division of attention is most visible among Generation Z: 37% of them look at their phone or TV during a family meal, and 13% consciously choose to eat alone so that dinner is not a social obligation, but an uninterrupted “me-time”.

Despite the chaos and technology, we still crave security, which is what we look for most on our plates. For 45% of Hungarians, nostalgic, childhood flavors are the real comfort. In addition, awareness is also breaking new ground, as 40% cook at home to eat healthier and cheaper, and every third Hungarian is ready to eat food that is close to its expiration date in order to avoid waste.

The results of the report and domestic trends were summarized by Katalin Andor, Consumer and Customer Insights Manager for IKEA Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia: “One of the most important lessons from our research is that the function of the kitchen has changed. It is no longer just a place for cooking, but the multifaceted, beating heart of the home. We see that customers increasingly want to live in their spaces according to their own rules, and we help them to experience complete comfort and coziness, whether in front of the screens or during an impromptu dinner in bed.”