Scope & Methodology: This report covers the period of Q2 2022, from April 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022. During this time, the Vantage Space platform was used to collect 695,767 observations across 14,784 spaces, in 11 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.
Global average occupancy saw a notable increase in Q2 2022, reaching 42.0% (+5.0% from Q1 2022). Both EMEA and APAC experienced growth, rising to 44.0% (+5.0%) and 41.0% (+10.0%) respectively. However, AMER experienced a significant drop, with occupancy falling sharply to 18.0% (-24.0%). This regional disparity highlights differing return-to-office trajectories and potential ongoing challenges or different work policies in the AMER region during this period.
| Region | Average Occupancy (%) |
|---|---|
| Global | 42.0% (+5.0%) |
| EMEA | 44.0% (+5.0%) |
| APAC | 41.0% (+10.0%) |
| AMER | 18.0% (-24.0%) |
Table 1: Average Occupancy by Region. Note: The percentage changes are calculated based on the previous quarter’s data (Q1 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.
Globally, Work Space occupancy rose significantly to 45.0% (+8.0% from Q1), aligning with the overall occupancy increase. Meeting Space occupancy decreased to 26.0% (-7.0%), while ‘Other’ spaces also saw a rise to 43.0% (+6.0%). Regionally, EMEA saw increases in Work (+7.0 points) and Other (+4.0 points) spaces, but a decrease in Meeting space use (-5.0 points). APAC demonstrated strong growth across all types: Work (+11.0 points), Meeting (-1.0 point, relatively stable), and Other (+11.0 points). AMER mirrored its overall trend with sharp declines across Work (-23.0 points), Meeting (-14.0 points), and Other (-26.0 points) space types.
| Region | Work Space (%) | Meeting Space (%) | Other Space (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global | 45.0% (+8.0%) | 26.0% (-7.0%) | 43.0% (+6.0%) |
| EMEA | 47.0% (+7.0%) | 27.0% (-5.0%) | 43.0% (+4.0%) |
| APAC | 43.0% (+11.0%) | 25.0% (-1.0%) | 46.0% (+11.0%) |
| AMER | 19.0% (-23.0%) | 29.0% (-14.0%) | 18.0% (-26.0%) |
Table 2: Average Occupancy by Space Type. Note: The percentage changes are calculated based on the previous quarter’s data (Q1 2022).
Chart 2: Average Occupancy of Meeting Type Spaces by Region and Overall
Chart 3: Average Occupancy of Work Spaces by Region and Overall
Analysis of meeting room usage provides insights into collaborative behaviours within the office environment.
| Region | Average Meeting Size (Attendees) |
|---|---|
| Global | 2.7 (+0.3) |
| EMEA | 2.7 (+0.4) |
| APAC | 2.6 (+0.1) |
| AMER | 2.8 (+0.1) |
Table 3: Average Meeting Size by Region. Note: The changes are calculated based on the previous quarter’s data (Q1 2022).
The global average meeting size increased slightly to 2.7 attendees (+0.3 compared to Q1). This increase was observed across all regions, suggesting that while overall meeting space occupancy decreased globally, the meetings that did occur involved slightly larger groups than in the previous quarter.
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 Q2 2022 data further solidified the trend of meeting room mismatch. Globally, rooms designed for 1 person made up 17.2% of the portfolio but hosted 40.7% of meetings. While this is a slight improvement in alignment compared to previous quarters, the demand for small spaces still heavily outweighed supply. Large rooms (5+ people) continued to be underutilized, representing over 39% of capacity but hosting only ~12% of meetings. AMER data showed a particularly stark contrast, with 44.1% of its meeting rooms designed for 10+ people, yet these hosted only 4.5% of observed meetings. The need for smaller, private meeting spaces remained evident across all regions.
Q2 2022 showed a positive trend in global workplace occupancy, reaching 42.0%, driven mainly by strong growth in EMEA and APAC. However, a significant decline in AMER highlighted regional divergence in workplace strategies. Work Space and ‘Other’ Space utilization increased globally, while Meeting Space occupancy decreased, although the average size of meetings slightly increased. The persistent mismatch between meeting room capacity and actual usage patterns remained a key finding. The continued high demand for single-occupancy or small meeting spaces, contrasted with the oversupply of large conference rooms, underscored the ongoing need for organizations to re-evaluate and adapt their physical spaces to better align with observed collaborative behaviours and support both focus work and smaller group interactions effectively.
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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