- Originally published: April 17, 2025
- Last updated: October 28, 2025
If you’ve read an article about meeting statistics lately, chances are it’s still quoting data from 2017 or maybe 2021 at best. But here’s the thing: The way we work has changed a lot since then. Hybrid work, remote teams, and back-to-back video calls are now part of everyday life. So if we’re still relying on old numbers, we’re missing the full picture.
Meetings have changed — so should the meeting statistics we use. In this article, we’ll walk through the latest stats and insights about how meetings actually work in today’s world — how much time we’re spending in them, what makes them productive (or not), and how companies can make them better.
Key meeting statistics
- Employees spend 11.3 hours per week in meetings, which works out to almost a third of the average workweek.
- The number of meetings has tripled since 2020, largely due to the rise of hybrid and remote work.
- Nearly half of professionals (46%) attend three or more meetings a day, making calls and discussions a major part of their daily schedule.
- About half of all meetings happen between 9–11am or 1–3pm, which are also the hours when many people do their most focused work.
- Eighty-six percent of meetings include at least one remote participant, making hybrid meetings the most common format.
- Seventy-two percent of workers lose time due to tech issues, such as bad audio, video freezing, or trouble logging in.
- One-third of all meetings now span multiple time zones, often pushing calls into early mornings or late evenings.
- Thirty-five percent of meetings are considered a waste of time, usually due to poor planning or lack of focus.
- Meeting time costs an average of $29,000 per employee per year, not including the extra hours spent on scheduling.
- Seventy-three percent of professionals multitask during meetings, which often signals low engagement or relevance
Guide to meeting statistics
We’re meeting more than ever
Let’s face it — meetings are a huge part of modern work life. Most of us spend a surprising amount of time in them each week. In fact, the average employee now spends about 11.3 hours a week in meetings — that’s almost a third of the workweek!
And it’s not just a few people sitting through lots of calls. According to Calendly, 78% of U.S. workers and 85% of U.K. workers say they spend at least 3 hours in meetings every week — and for many, it’s way more than that.
The daily meeting load is also pretty high. Nearly half of professionals (46%) say they attend 3 or more meetings every single day, and 50% of salespeople are in meetings for over 5 hours daily. Folks at larger companies feel this the most — 59% of enterprise employees log more than 5 hours a week in meetings, compared to just 32% at smaller firms.
Over time, we’ve definitely gotten used to having more meetings. Studies show the amount of time spent in meetings has grown by around 10% each year for the past 20 years. And thanks to hybrid and remote work, it’s easier than ever to hop on a call, so meetings have tripled since the start of the pandemic.
Meeting time patterns
If you’ve ever felt like all your meetings end up crammed into the same few hours, you’re not imagining it. Microsoft’s 2025 data shows that about half of all meetings happen between 9–11am or 1–3pm; times when many people would rather be doing their most focused work.
Tuesdays are the busiest meeting days of the week, with roughly 23% of all weekly meetings landing there. Fridays, on the other hand, are much quieter, making up only about 16%.
The problem? Packing meetings into peak productivity hours means less time for “deep work” – those uninterrupted stretches when you can really get things done. Microsoft’s research even found that by late morning (around 11am), meetings and chats reach their highest point, creating what they call “the most overloaded hour of the day.” At that point, staying focused on anything for long is nearly impossible.
What percentage of meetings are virtual?
86% of workers globally say most of their meetings still include at least one remote participant.
Whether you’re dialing in from home, the office, or somewhere in between, chances are you’ve clicked “Join” on more video calls than ever before.
The good news is: Many workers actually prefer video meetings — they’re convenient, and you don’t have to run around looking for a free meeting room.
But virtual isn’t perfect. 72% of employees say they lose time due to tech problems like bad audio, video freezing, or trouble logging in. Then, only 15% of office spaces are properly set up for video meetings, so some folks are still struggling to hear or be seen clearly.
And let’s not forget Zoom fatigue — back-to-back virtual meetings can be exhausting. Despite returning to the office, hybrid and online meetings remain more common than fully in-person ones.
Meeting frequency | Virtual meetings per week | In-person meetings per week |
|---|---|---|
0 meetings | 17% | 14% |
1–2 meetings | 38% | 35% |
3–4 meetings | 19% | 21% |
5–6 meetings | 12% | 13% |
7–8 meetings | 2% | 2% |
9–10 meetings | 4% | 5% |
11+ meetings | 8% | 10% |
Source: Owl Labs, State of Hybrid Work
Different time zones and last-minute meetings
Global teams have also changed how and when we meet. Nearly one-third of all meetings now span multiple time zones, up 35% since 2021. This often pushes calls into early mornings or late evenings to fit everyone’s schedules. Microsoft found that meetings after 8:00pm have risen 16% year-over-year, and by 10pm, about 29% of workers are still in their inboxes catching up on emails. While some remote workers like the quiet of evening focus time, many hybrid workers find late-night meetings stressful.
Another big shift is how meetings get scheduled. More are happening on the fly. Microsoft’s 2025 data shows 57% of meetings are ad-hoc calls with no calendar invite at all, and about 1 in 10 scheduled meetings are booked right before they start. While this spontaneity can be great for quick problem-solving, it can also make calendars chaotic and eat into protected focus time.
Generational meeting preferences
Older employees tend to prefer meeting in person, while younger employees are more comfortable online. In the Cvent and Harris Poll data, most leaders say Boomers and Gen X prefer in-person meetings (61% for both groups). More than half believe Gen Z prefers virtual meetings (56%). Millennials are mixed: 44% are seen as preferring in-person, while 35% are seen as preferring virtual.
Company size also plays a role. Leaders at small and mid-sized companies are more likely than those at large companies to say older groups prefer in person (Gen X 63% vs 40%; Boomers 63% vs 42%). Leaders at large companies are more likely to say older groups prefer virtual instead (Boomers 36% vs 23%; Gen X 31% vs 18%).
Communication habits split by age too. Younger workers like quick chat tools. In the Robert Walters UK survey, 62% of Gen Z say apps like Teams or WhatsApp are their go-to for work. Older groups lean more on email, with about a third of professionals over 27 choosing email as their main channel.
For deep focus, very few people pick a video call. Only 5% prefer virtual meetings when they need to get things done. And for big decisions, most people want to meet in person. Two thirds would choose an in-person meeting, while about a third would choose a video call.
What should you do with a mixed-age team, then? Match the format to the job. Use chat for quick questions, email for clear summaries and decisions, and meet in person for culture-building moments like all-hands, one-on-ones, onboarding, team building, and professional development.
Stats on meeting sentiments
People still like to meet in person when it really matters. For big decisions, 67% would choose an in-person meeting, while 31% would go with a video call. Only 5% say a virtual meeting is their go-to when they need to focus.
Leaders also say internal meetings matter. In the Cvent and Harris Poll data, 89% agree internal meetings are important for the future workplace, and 85% say their company is trying more to bring people together in person. The sessions most often held in person are all-hands or town halls (65%), one-on-ones (63%), onboarding (63%), team building (62%), and professional development (60%).
At the same time, many meetings feel unproductive.
What percentage of meetings are effective?
Well… the answer’s a bit mixed. On one hand, 55% of workers say meetings help them be more productive, especially when it comes to moving team projects forward. But on the flip side, 45% feel meetings actually slow them down, and many just don’t lead anywhere useful.
44% of workers also say they dread meetings, and time lost in unproductive meetings has doubled since 2019 to 5 hours per week. For their most recent meeting, 48% say it was unnecessary, 53% say it was a waste of time, and 61% say little was accomplished. 45% admit they sometimes make excuses to skip them.
Bad meetings also leave a hangover. Employees say they feel “meeting recovery syndrome” after 28% of their meetings, and 89% say they vent to coworkers to recover, which spreads the negativity.
Time wasted in meetings — statistics
Given that on average, employees now spend 11.3 hours a week in meetings, that adds up to about 392 hours per person per year. For companies, that means meetings take up about 15% of total work time.
Even worse? A big chunk of that time isn’t very productive. Studies show that 35% of all business meetings are considered a waste.
The biggest pain point? Tech issues. 72% of employees say they’ve lost time because meetings started late due to problems like trouble connecting to the call, audio or video not working, or glitches with screen-sharing or logins. When tech fails, it doesn’t just waste time — it throws off the whole flow of the meeting.
Another issue is meeting overload. One meeting often leads to another, and professionals tend to lose time each week because of meetings that are canceled last minute or weren’t necessary in the first place.
When your calendar is constantly getting filled with meetings, it can be hard to find time to concentrate or even take a breather, which is why 58% of employees now use some form of calendar blocking.
Some groups are doing it way more than others:
- Full-time office workers: 64% calendar block
- Hybrid workers: Only 28%
- Fully remote workers: Just 8%
Caregivers (like parents or those caring for family) are twice as likely to block off time than non-caregivers — 67% vs. 33%.
Calendar tools like Outlook and Google Calendar now even offer features to auto-decline meeting invites or set a “focus” status during chosen hours. It’s all part of a bigger trend: protecting time for deep work is becoming just as important as scheduling the meetings themselves.
The real cost of meetings
We all know meetings can eat up time, but they also come with a big price tag. And we’re not just talking about how long they run — we’re talking serious money lost:
US businesses lose around $259 billion every year due to bad meetings. In the UK, it’s about £50 billion a year.
One company report showed that meeting time can cost $29,000 per employee per year, and that doesn’t include the extra hours people spend just scheduling meetings. 43% of workers say they spend 3+ hours a week doing just that!
Meetings aren’t bad — they just need to be better planned and fewer in number. When done right, they can move work forward. But too many poorly run meetings cost time, money, and energy, and make it harder for people to get real work done.
What makes a meeting productive?
Not all meetings are created equal. Some are helpful and energizing, while others feel like a waste of time. So what separates the good from the bad? Productive meetings usually have a few things in common — and they’re not hard to spot once you know what to look for.
- Clear purpose. Great meetings aren’t just about talking — they’re about getting something done. That could mean planning the next steps on a project, making decisions, or solving a specific problem. Research from Calendly shows that when there’s a clear reason to meet, people come in more focused and ready to contribute.
- Agenda, please! A simple agenda can go a long way. It gives everyone a heads-up on what to expect and helps keep the conversation on track. Without one, it’s easy for meetings to drift or drag on. In fact, a lack of agenda is one of the top reasons meetings feel unproductive.
- The right people (not everyone). Another key? Only invite the people who really need to be there. If a meeting has too many people, especially folks who don’t have a role in the discussion, it often turns into a long and unfocused session.
When these things are missing, people get bored or check out. In fact, 73% of professionals say they multitask during meetings, especially virtual ones. Younger workers like Gen Z are even more likely to do this, with 60% saying they “always” or “very often” multitask on video calls, compared to just 34% of Boomers.
It’s not just about distraction — multitasking is often a sign that the meeting isn’t engaging or relevant enough. And when people feel like they don’t have a role or their voice doesn’t matter, they’re more likely to tune out completely. This is especially true for younger workers, who are also more likely to feel left out in online meetings.
How to make virtual meetings better
Here’s what really helps:
Introduce "no meeting" days
One way companies are fighting meeting overload is by introducing “no meeting” days – set times when no internal meetings are allowed.
The idea is simple: give everyone a guaranteed block of focus time. Early results show it works — people use that day to catch up on deep work, tackle creative projects, or clear their backlog without worrying a Zoom call will suddenly pop up. As a bonus, it also helps cut down on “Zoom fatigue” by breaking the cycle of back-to-back video calls.
Find the right timing
73% of workers agree that meetings starting before 8:00 AM are just too early. And honestly, can you blame them? Most people need time to settle in, check emails, or grab a coffee before diving into a team call or presentation.
So, when is the sweet spot?
The most preferred time for meetings is between 9:30 AM and 3:30 PM. That’s the window when people are awake, alert, and least likely to be dealing with school drop-offs, long commutes, or end-of-day fatigue.
Keep them short and focused
Virtual meetings shouldn’t go on forever. People lose focus quickly when they’re staring at a screen — in fact, employees say they start to zone out in 52% of meetings within the first 30 minutes. That’s why the best virtual meetings stick to the point and wrap up as soon as possible. A short, well-run call beats a long, wandering one any day.
Always use an agenda
It sounds simple, but it makes a big difference. A clear agenda gives everyone a roadmap — what topics will be covered, who’s leading what, and how much time is planned. Meetings without one tend to go off track or feel like a waste of time. Yet surprisingly, only 37% of meetings actually use an agenda.
Make space for everyone to contribute
One of the biggest virtual meeting mistakes is letting just a few voices dominate. In hybrid setups especially, it’s easy for in-room participants to take over, while remote folks feel left out. That’s why it’s important to check in with everyone and create space for remote team members to speak, even if they’re the only ones dialing in.
Use smart tech (and training!)
Great meetings need great tools. That includes clear audio, good cameras, and shared notes so people can stay on the same page. Unfortunately, not all offices are fully equipped with room booking software like Archie and proper video conferencing tools in all rooms, which makes it tough for hybrid teams.
Luckily, more companies are catching on to what makes meetings work. In 2024, 49% of employees said they received training on how to run better hybrid or virtual meetings, and nearly as many said their companies were using flexible workspace technology to help with things like AI note-taking and meeting scheduling.
In short, virtual meetings work best when they’re clear, inclusive, and respectful of people’s time. Keep them concise. Use a solid agenda. Make sure remote folks can participate fully. And don’t forget — a little flexibility (and the right tech!) goes a long way.
Speaking of…
Archie helps hybrid teams make meetings work — with the right spaces, the right tools, and the right data to back it all up.
A summary of the latest meeting statistics
🕒 Time spent in meetings statistics
- The average time spent in meetings per week is 11.3 hours (Fellow, 2024).
- That’s roughly 28% of their workweek (Fellow, 2024).
- 85% of UK workers and 78% of U.S. workers spend at least 3+ hours per week in meetings (Calendly, 2024).
- The average employee spends 392 hours per year in meetings — more than 16 full workdays (Flowtrace, 2025).
- Organizations spend 15% of their time in meetings (Flowtrace, 2025).
- Meeting time costs an average of $29,000 per employee per year (Flowtrace, 2025).
- 90% of people have less than 10 hours of meetings per week; 2% exceed 20 hours (Flowtrace, 2025).
- Typical meeting time blocks: 8 hours (individual contributors), 16 hours (managers), 19+ hours (executives) (Flowtrace, 2025).
- Remote employees attend 50% more meetings than in-office staff (Flowtrace, 2025).
- The number of meetings has tripled since 2020 (Microsoft, 2023).
- 62% of Gen Z (young professionals) prefer using messaging apps (e.g. Teams or WhatsApp) for work communication (Robert Walters, 2024).
- 33% (one third) of professionals over age 27 prefer email as their main way to communicate (Robert Walters, 2024).
- 67% would choose an in-person meeting for important decisions, while 31% would choose a video call (Robert Walters, 2024).
📅 Daily meeting load
- 46% of workers attend 3+ meetings per day (Calendly, 2024).
- 50% of sales professionals spend over 5 hours per day in meetings (Calendly, 2024).
- 59% of enterprise employees log 5+ meeting hours per week, vs. 32% at smaller firms (Calendly, 2024).
- Employees attend an average of 10.1 virtual meetings per week (Harvard Business Review, 2024).
- 86% of global workers attend meetings with at least one remote participant (Owl Labs, 2024).
- Only 14% of meetings are fully in-person (Owl Labs, 2024).
- 83% of people attend at least one in-person meeting weekly (Owl Labs, 2023).
⏳ Meeting duration & scheduling
- 45% of meetings are 30 minutes long — the most common length (Flowtrace, 2025).
- 94% of meetings are scheduled for 60 minutes or less (Flowtrace, 2025).
- Meeting durations have increased by 10% over 15 years (Flowtrace, 2025).
- 15% of recurring meetings are 15 minutes or less (Flowtrace, 2025).
- 8% of one-off meetings go over an hour (Flowtrace, 2025).
- Only 5.4% of meetings are auto-shortened to 25 or 50 minutes (Flowtrace, 2025).
- 50% of meetings start late, by an average of 75 seconds (Flowtrace, 2025).
- 35% of invites are sent less than 24 hours in advance (Flowtrace, 2025).
- 90% of one-off meetings are scheduled within 10 days (Flowtrace, 2025).
- 43% of people spend 3+ hours a week scheduling meetings (Calendly, 2024).
- Only 35% of enterprise workers report spending that much time on scheduling (Calendly, 2024).
📈 Meeting productivity
- 55% say meetings enhance productivity; 45% say they reduce it (Calendly, 2024).
- 53% employees report their workday is regularly interrupted by virtual meetings (Robert Walters, 2024).
- 56% say meeting productivity “depends on the meeting” — some calls are useful, others are a waste (Robert Walters, 2024).
- 13% say virtual meetings are not very productive at all (Robert Walters, 2024).
- 68% say meetings are essential for progress on team projects (Calendly, 2024).
- 78% of business leaders say in-person or face-to-face meetings are “absolutely necessary” or “very important” (Cvent, 2024).
- 33% of meetings are held virtually, even when up to 50% of attendees are in the same office (Robert Walters, 2024).
- Only 37% of meetings use an agenda (Flowtrace, 2025).
- Just 37% of meetings result in a decision (Flowtrace, 2025).
- Executives say 67% of meetings are failures (Flowtrace, 2025).
- 52% of attendees lose attention within the first 30 minutes (Flowtrace, 2025).
- Only 12.6% of invitees are marked as “optional” (Flowtrace, 2025).
- 73% of professionals multitask during meetings (Flowtrace, 2025).
- 52% of workers multitask often (34%) or always (18%) in virtual meetings (Calendly, 2024).
- Only 35% multitask in in-person meetings (Calendly, 2024).
- 60% of Gen Z always or very often multitask in virtual meetings vs. 34% of Boomers (Calendly, 2024).
- 76% of Gen Z say it’s okay to check phones during in-person meetings vs. 55% of Boomers (Calendly, 2024).
- ~50% of all meetings happen between 9–11 am or 1–3 pm (Microsoft, 2025).
- 23% of weekly meetings take place on Tuesdays (Microsoft, 2025).
- 16% of weekly meetings take place on Fridays (Microsoft, 2025).
- Meetings and chats peak around 11 am, making it “the most overloaded hour of the day” (Microsoft, 2025).
- Nearly one-third of all meetings now span multiple time zones — up 35% since 2021 (Microsoft, 2025).
- Meetings after 8:00pm have increased 16% year-over-year (Microsoft, 2025).
- By 10:00pm, 29% of workers are still in their inboxes catching up on emails (Microsoft, 2025).
- 57% of meetings are ad-hoc calls with no calendar invite (Microsoft, 2025).
- About 1 in 10 scheduled meetings are booked right before they start (Microsoft, 2025).
- 44% of workers say they dread meetings, and time wasted in unproductive meetings has doubled since 2019 to 5 hours per week (Asana, 2024).
- 45% of employees admit they make excuses or even lie to skip meetings. For the most recent meeting they attended, 48% say it was unnecessary, 53% say it was a waste of time, and 61% say little was accomplished (Asana, 2024).
- Employees experience lingering negative effects after 28% of their meetings, and 89% say they vent to colleagues to recover (Asana, 2024).
- Country differences in wasted time (unproductive meetings per week): France 9.1 hours, Germany 8.8, Japan 8.3, Australia 7.9, US 5.2, UK 4.1 (Asana, 2024).
Sources
- Flowtrace, State of Meetings Report 2025
- Fellow, Meetings Statistics: How Many Hours Do We Spend in Meetings?
- Microsoft, 2025 Work Trend Index
- Work Forward, Flex Report Q2 2025
- Calendly, The State of Meetings 2024
- Owl Labs, State of Hybrid Work 2024
- Dr Daniel Jolles and Dr Grace Lordan, LSE, When Generations Meet — The Productivity Potential of Multigenerational Meetings
- Mike Tolliver and Jonathan Sass, HBR, Hybrid Work Has Changed Meetings Forever
- Jabra, The State of Meetings in Hybrid Work
- Asana, State of Work Innovation Report 2024
- Robert Walters, Virtual Burnout – 73% of UK professionals are having their working day interrupted by virtual meetings
- Cvent & Harris Poll, 2024 U.S. Internal Meetings Impact Report
- Archie, Hybrid Work Statistics in 2025: Productivity & Preferences
Berenika Teter
Archie's Content Manager, fueled by filter coffee and a love for remote work. When she’s not writing about coworking spaces and hybrid workplaces, you can probably find her exploring one.
