Scope & Methodology: This report covers the period of Q4 2022, from October 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022. During this time, the Vantage Space platform was used to collect 2,087,427 observations across 41,841 spaces, in 21 countries. The data is analyzed globally and broken down into three key regions: EMEA, APAC, and AMER.
Our data is collected through visual observations, capturing two types of occupancy: "active" (individuals physically present in a space) and "passive" (signs of life, such as belongings indicating recent use). We combine both active and passive occupancy to calculate our "occupancy figure," which represents the capacity that is not available for use by others.
Q4 2022 saw a decrease in global average occupancy, dropping to 32.0% (-4.0% from Q3 2022). This decline was particularly sharp in AMER, which fell 12.0 points to 23.0%. EMEA also saw a slight decrease to 33.0% (-2.0%). In contrast, APAC bucked the trend with a significant increase, rising 6.0 points to 44.0%, becoming the region with the highest occupancy. The end-of-year period often sees fluctuations due to holidays and project cycles, potentially explaining some of the regional divergence, particularly the AMER drop.
| Region | Average Occupancy (%) |
|---|---|
| Global | 32.0% (-4.0%) |
| EMEA | 33.0% (-2.0%) |
| APAC | 44.0% (+6.0%) |
| AMER | 23.0% (-12.0%) |
Table 1: Average Occupancy by Region. Note: The percentage changes are calculated based on the previous quarter’s data (Q3 2022).
Chart 1: Average Occupancy by Region and Overall
Space Type Definitions: Because offices vary widely - especially in how each company labels their own spaces - we've standardized our definitions to keep everything clear and consistent. Below you'll see how we define each space category.
Global occupancy decreased across all space types compared to Q3: Work Spaces (-2.0% to 34.0%), Meeting Spaces (-4.0% to 24.0%), and notably ‘Other’ spaces, which saw a significant drop (-18.0% to 34.0%). This large decrease in ‘Other’ space usage was primarily driven by AMER (-27.0 points). APAC saw growth in Work (+7.0 points) and Other (+1.0 point) spaces, aligning with its overall occupancy increase. EMEA experienced a rise in Other (+12.0 points) and Meeting (+3.0 points) spaces but a dip in Work Space usage (-4.0 points). AMER saw declines across all categories, especially Work (-8.0 points) and Other spaces.
| Region | Work Space (%) | Meeting Space (%) | Other Space (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global | 34.0% (-2.0%) | 24.0% (-4.0%) | 34.0% (-18.0%) |
| EMEA | 35.0% (-4.0%) | 26.0% (+3.0%) | 33.0% (+12.0%) |
| APAC | 48.0% (+7.0%) | 22.0% (-5.0%) | 44.0% (-1.0%) |
| AMER | 23.0% (-8.0%) | 24.0% (-6.0%) | 32.0% (-27.0%) |
Table 2: Average Occupancy by Space Type. Note: The percentage changes are calculated based on the previous quarter’s data (Q3 2022).
Chart 2: Average Occupancy of Meeting Type Spaces by Region and Overall
Chart 3: Average Occupancy of Work Spaces by Region and Overall
Meeting rooms are spaces designed for collaborative activities, such as team meetings or client presentations. The efficient use of these often high-value spaces remains a key focus for workplace optimization.
| Region | Average Meeting Size (Attendees) |
|---|---|
| Global | 2.4 (-0.1) |
| EMEA | 2.3 (-0.3) |
| APAC | 2.9 (+0.4) |
| AMER | 2.2 (-0.3) |
Table 3: Average Meeting Size by Region. Note: The changes are calculated based on the previous quarter’s data (Q3 2022).
The global average meeting size decreased slightly to 2.4 attendees (-0.1). EMEA and AMER saw small declines, while APAC saw an increase to 2.9 attendees (+0.4). Despite lower overall meeting space occupancy globally, the size of meetings remained small, with APAC being the exception, showing slightly larger group collaborations during Q4.
Chart 4: Global Meeting Room Capacity vs Usage
Chart 5: EMEA Meeting Room Capacity vs Usage
Chart 6: APAC Meeting Room Capacity vs Usage
Chart 7: AMER Meeting Room Capacity vs Usage
The meeting room capacity versus usage data for Q4 2022 reinforces the established trend: a surplus of large rooms and high demand for small ones. Over half (52.1%) of global meetings involved just one person, while only 15.4% of rooms are designed for single occupancy. This pattern is consistent across regions, with AMER (56.8%) and EMEA (53.7%) showing particularly high single-person meeting rates. Rooms designed for 5+ people represent over 40% of the global portfolio but hosted less than 10% of meetings. The data strongly suggests a continued need to shift towards providing more small, private spaces.
Q4 2022 closed with a global average occupancy of 32.0%, representing a decrease from Q3, largely driven by a significant drop in AMER. APAC emerged as the region with the highest occupancy. While meeting space occupancy decreased globally, average meeting sizes remained small, with APAC being a slight exception. The most consistent finding across quarters remains the stark mismatch between the supply of large meeting rooms and the predominant use pattern favoring single-person or small-group meetings. As organizations navigated the end of 2022, optimizing space to better support individual focus work and small collaborations remained a critical, data-supported priority.
About Vantage Space: Vantage Space is the world's leading workplace occupancy study app, designed to empower organizations with data-driven insights into their workplace usage. Simple to set up, easy to use, Vantage Space enables workplace leaders to gather the data they need to make strategic decisions about space planning and design.
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