How many friends have you got?

Changes in the number of friends over three decades (1986–2018)

Abstract

We analyse data on the number of self-defined friends from eight cross-sectional nationally representative surveys over the past three decades in Hungary. The analysis focuses on the groups of those without any friends, those having 1-5 friends and those having at least 6 friends. With age, the number of friends significantly decreases, with the level of education it increases, and active labour market participation also coincides with larger friendship networks. The differentiating effect of gender disappears by the end of the analysed period. The significant fluctuation of the distribution of the number of friends and the rate of those without any friends may reflect differences of data gathering procedures, but also indicate a change in the inner structure of friendship networks and in the everyday definition of friendship. Data indicate a homogenisation trend present in the whole society: nowadays the overwhelming majority of the Hungarian population has at least a few friends. The rate of those without any friends has decreased, which is a positive phenomenon, but the rate of those with extensive friendship networks has also decreased, which indicates a weakening of social integration.