"Let's Have a Meal Sometime" Used to Be a Greeting... 93% of Gen Z Feel Burdened by the Cost of Meeting Friends

"Friendflation" Driven by Soaring Prices
More People Cutting Back on Gatherings as Meal and Travel Costs Surge
93% of Generation Z Say Meeting Friends Is Financially Burdensome

Amid soaring prices, the so-called "friendflation" phenomenon—where people reduce the number of times they meet friends or avoid burdensome social appointments—is spreading both domestically and internationally. "Friendflation" is a newly coined term that combines "friend" and "inflation." As the cost of living rises, even the expenses associated with meeting friends have become burdensome, ultimately leading to changes in the way people maintain relationships.

On July 10, AlbaCheonguk, a job search and recruitment platform, released the results of a survey conducted last month among 601 members of Generation Z. According to the survey, 93% of respondents said they had felt burdened by the cost of meeting or gathering with friends due to rising prices. Nearly half of them—49.1%—said they "often feel such a burden."

This financial strain is leading to real changes in behavior. Among respondents, 71.2% said they had reduced their spending related to meeting friends over the past year, and of those, 83.9% said they had cut back on the number of gatherings themselves in order to save money.

The biggest burden cited was the cost of meals. Among the expenses involved in meeting friends, 78.4% said meal costs were the most burdensome, followed by coffee and dessert costs (40.1%), alcohol expenses (29.7%), birthday and anniversary costs (25.8%), travel costs (22.4%), and cultural activities such as performances or exhibitions (20.6%).

The most common response was that people spend between 30,000 and 50,000 won per meeting with friends, with one-third of respondents saying they feel burdened if the cost per outing exceeds 50,000 won.

Cost concerns also affected whom people chose to meet. Among Generation Z respondents who reported cutting back on spending, 88.8% said they started by reducing get-togethers with friends such as classmates or peers. The most burdensome type of friend, according to 56.4% of respondents, was "the friend who only wants to visit expensive restaurants." Friends who prefer drinking gatherings or who frequently suggest meeting up were also cited as sources of pressure.

Experts point out that it is not only price increases but also the spread of "experience consumption" culture through social networking services (SNS) that is fueling friendflation. As a result, instead of spending beyond their means, more people are choosing to be honest about their financial situation and seeking ways to meet that do not place a burden on anyone, signaling a shift in relationship culture.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.