Vantage Space Global Trends Report: Q3 2022

1: Global Average Occupancy

Global average occupancy in Q3 2022 decreased to 36.0%, down 6.0 percentage points from Q2 2022. This dip was primarily influenced by EMEA, which saw a significant drop of 9.0 points to 35.0%, likely reflecting summer holiday periods. APAC also experienced a slight decrease to 38.0% (-3.0%). However, AMER saw a substantial increase, nearly doubling its occupancy to 35.0% (+17.0%), suggesting a stronger return-to-office push or less seasonal impact compared to EMEA.

Table 1: Average Occupancy by Region. Note: The percentage changes are calculated based on the previous quarter’s data (Q2 2022).

2: Average Occupancy by Space Type

Global Work Space occupancy decreased to 36.0% (-9.0% from Q2), reflecting the overall occupancy drop. Meeting Space occupancy saw a slight global increase to 28.0% (+2.0%), while ‘Other’ spaces surged to 52.0% (+9.0%). Regional trends varied: EMEA saw declines across all space types, especially Work (-8.0 points) and Other (-22.0 points). APAC had a slight drop in Work (-2.0 points) and Other (-1.0 point) spaces but an increase in Meeting space usage (+2.0 points). AMER showed significant gains across all types: Work (+12.0 points), Meeting (+1.0 point), and a dramatic rise in Other space occupancy (+41.0 points), driving the global average for this category.

Table 2: Average Occupancy by Space Type. Note: The percentage changes are calculated based on the previous quarter’s data (Q2 2022).

3: Meeting Room Occupancy

Meeting rooms are critical for collaboration. Tracking their usage provides insights into how teams interact within the physical office.

Table 3: Average Meeting Size by Region. Note: The changes are calculated based on the previous quarter’s data (Q2 2022).

The global average meeting size remained relatively stable at 2.5 attendees, a slight decrease (-0.1) from Q2. All regions saw minor decreases, with AMER showing the largest drop (-0.3). This indicates that even with increased overall occupancy in regions like AMER, the preference for smaller meetings persisted.

The Q3 2022 data continues to highlight the significant mismatch between meeting room supply and demand. Globally, rooms designed for one person account for only 9.1% of the portfolio but hosted 46.2% of observed meetings. Conversely, rooms built for 5 or more people constitute over 41% of capacity but were used for less than 10% of meetings. This trend was particularly pronounced in EMEA and APAC, where single-person meetings were highly prevalent despite limited availability of suitable small spaces. AMER showed a slightly better alignment, but the overall pattern remains consistent: a surplus of large meeting rooms and a shortage of small, private spaces.

Conclusion

Q3 2022 presented a mixed picture of global workplace occupancy, heavily influenced by regional factors like summer holidays (EMEA decline) and return-to-office momentum (AMER increase). The global average dipped to 36.0%. While Work Space usage generally followed the regional occupancy trends, Meeting Space usage held relatively steady or increased slightly, and ‘Other’ spaces saw a significant global rise driven by AMER. Despite fluctuations in overall numbers, the core challenge identified in previous quarters persisted: meeting room provision does not align with observed user behaviour. The overwhelming demand for single-person or small-group meeting spaces contrasted sharply with the abundant supply of larger conference rooms, reinforcing the need for strategic reallocation of space to better support focused work and small-scale collaboration.