The lunch break is a deeply ingrained part of the daily lives of French workers. 91% say they take a lunch break, and 79% of them do so every day. As a symbol of our food culture and gastronomy, nearly 9 out of 10 working French people (88%) consider the lunch break a necessary or even indispensable part of their day.
For nearly 7 out of 10 working French people (65%), the lunch break is a shared ritual: 51% of respondents say they share it with their professional contacts (colleagues, clients, service providers) and 14% with their loved ones (family, friends).
The average length of the lunch break is 46 minutes.
Differences are more evident in terms of the time of day when this meal is eaten, with lunch breaks following the sun’s path. While it is mostly taken between 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m., workers in eastern France eat lunch earlier, while those in the west eat later.
Despite the faster pace of life, 74% of French people devote as much or more time to it as they did in the past. Only 26% say they devote less time to it.
According to Jérôme Fourquet, Director of the Ifop Opinion department: “This study shows the French people’s strong attachment to their lunch break. Workers hold this ritual in high regard despite changes in work arrangements (working from home, self-employment, staggered schedules). The lunch break is thus a key component of quality of life at work and the development of social bonds within organizations.”
