Data › Couples
Data · Couples
How much time do couples spend together?
Americans who live with a partner spend about 5 hr 10 min a day with them, on average. About 23 min of it is mainly talking.
Numbers last updated October 2026. We refresh them each summer, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases a new year.
By age
Average time a day with their partner, for people who live with one.
It dips in the busiest working and parenting years and rises after retirement.
See the numbers
| Age | Together a day | Mainly talking | Diaries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15–24 | 4 hr (± 35 min) | 30 min (± 15 min) | 224 |
| 25–34 | 5 hr (± 10 min) | 25 min (± a few min) | 1,661 |
| 35–44 | 4 hr 35 min (± 10 min) | 20 min (± a few min) | 2,464 |
| 45–54 | 4 hr 20 min (± 10 min) | 20 min (± a few min) | 1,913 |
| 55–64 | 4 hr 55 min (± 10 min) | 20 min (± a few min) | 2,277 |
| 65–74 | 6 hr 30 min (± 15 min) | 25 min (± a few min) | 2,653 |
| 75+ | 7 hr 20 min (± 15 min) | 20 min (± a few min) | 1,649 |
People who live with a partner. ± is the margin of error.
What couples do together
Of those 5 hr 10 min, on average a day:
This counts the main thing people wrote down, so talk over dinner counts as eating.
See the numbers
| Doing | A day | Give or take |
|---|---|---|
| TV and movies | 1 hr 35 min | a few min |
| Eating and drinking | 45 min | a few min |
| Chores | 40 min | a few min |
| Other leisure and sports | 35 min | a few min |
| Everything else | 30 min | a few min |
| Travel | 25 min | a few min |
| Talking and socializing | 25 min | a few min |
| Caring for others | 15 min | a few min |
With kids at home
Parents living with a partner and their own child under 18, average time a day with the partner.
“Just the two of them” means no child of theirs was there, so it includes the hours after bedtime.
Through the day
The share of people who live with a partner who are with them, each half hour. At 8 p.m., it’s about 53%; at noon, about 25%.
Sleep and getting ready aren’t counted, since the survey doesn’t ask who was there.
How it feels
Americans rated time with a partner 4.6 out of 6 for happiness, about the same as time with friends or family, and well above time alone (4.1) or with coworkers (3.8). See all of it
In Canada
Canadians who live with a partner spend about 5 hr 50 min a day with them (give or take 10 min), counted the same way, from Statistics Canada’s 2022 survey. The two surveys ask in different ways, so compare the patterns rather than the numbers.
What this means for you
- Pick the moment. With about 23 min of real talk on an average day, a hard topic goes better at a calm time you choose than squeezed in at the end of a long one. Cool down, then talk ›
- Say the hard thing plainly. Clear and kind works better than hinting, or holding it in until it bursts out. Honest and hearable ›
- Show you heard them first. Say back what you understood before you make your point. Understand before answering ›
- Talk about what happened, not who they are. “You were on your phone at dinner” lands better than “You never pay attention.” Describe, don’t diagnose ›
General ideas from the principles Porcupine is built on, not advice for your situation.
Got something to say to your partner?
Write it the way it comes out. I’ll show you if the quills are up, and a version with them down.
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Common questions
How much time do couples spend together a day?
Americans who live with a partner spend about 5 hr 10 min a day with them, on average, counting every day of the week. It’s about 4 hr 35 min for people 35 to 44 and about 7 hr 20 min for people 75 and older.
How much do couples talk a day?
About 23 min a day goes mainly to talking and socializing. That counts only time when talking was the main thing they were doing, so talk over dinner or in the car counts as eating or travel.
Do parents get time alone together?
Parents whose youngest is under 6 average about 1 hr 10 min a day with their partner without their kids there, much of it after bedtime. When the youngest is 6 to 17, it’s about 1 hr 45 min.
Where do these numbers come from?
From one-day diaries in the American Time Use Survey, run by the US Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Porcupine works out the averages and their margins of error.
Guides for partners
Find the words with Porcupine
PorcupineFive hours together, and about 23 min of real talk. I can help you make the hard talks count: say the hard thing, hear their side, and find a way forward together.
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Just your email. How we handle it
More from the data
- Who fills your day?Partners, kids, friends and family, at every age
- How much time do people spend with friends?Down 55% since 2003, for men and women alike
- How much of your time with your parents is behind you?Pick your age to see your share
How we counted
- Each person in the survey writes down one day, hour by hour, and who was with them: in the same room at home, or with them when out. Calls, texts and video chats don’t count, and nobody is asked who was there while they slept, washed or dressed.
- Every number is an average from a sample, weighted to stand for people 15 and older living in their own homes, so each comes with a margin of error. Hover or tap a chart to see it. Numbers too uncertain to trust are left out.
More on how we counted
- Time can count twice: a dinner with a partner and the kids counts for both.
- The lifetime chart compares people of different ages today, not one life followed over the years.
- “People who live with a partner” means a spouse or unmarried partner lives in their home. Source: Porcupine’s analysis of the American Time Use Survey, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, which hasn’t reviewed these pages, 2023–2025 for these numbers; the happiness ratings are from 2021.
These pages are general information, not professional advice.