When it comes to friendships, there are countless factors that go into creating compatibility. However, one element in particular may be more divisive than expected: personal hygiene. CivicScience data show that 31% of respondents would end a friendship over bad personal hygiene practices, while the exact same percentage say they would not end the friendship over that issue. Meanwhile, 38% say they aren’t sure what they would do. 

Men are more likely than women to say they would end a friendship over bad personal hygiene (35% vs 27%), while women are more likely to say they’re not sure (42% vs 35%). Income also plays a role, as those making $100K+ annually lead in their readiness to drop an unhygienic friend. By contrast, those who make $50K or less are the most likely to say they would do no such thing.

However, this is just the start of what distinguishes those who would drop a friend over bad hygiene versus those who would not and those who aren’t sure. Here’s the data to know: 

Workspace Cleanliness: While 42% of those who would end a friendship over bad hygiene say their workspace is usually cluttered, just 30% of those who would not end a friendship for that reason say the same. 

Friendship Mix: Those who would end a friendship over bad hygiene practices outpace all others by at least eight percentage points in identifying strongly as someone who has a mix of friends from all cultures and backgrounds. 

Trust in Friends: While 45% of those who would not end a friendship over bad hygiene practices say they trust their friends ‘a lot,’ just 39% of those who aren’t sure what they’d do about a friend with bad hygiene say the same. 

Refrigerator Cleaning Habits: Those who would end a friendship over bad hygiene practices outpace all others in cleaning out their refrigerator before a trip by at least eight percentage points. 

Social Influence on Social Media: More than one-in-three (36%) of those who would end a friendship say they are influenced to buy products by their friends on social media. By contrast, nearly half (46%) of those who would not end a friendship over bad hygiene practices and 33% of those who aren’t sure what they would do say the same. 

Working Through Lunch: Those who would end a friendship over bad hygiene practices are nearly twice as likely to continue eating lunch while working as those who aren’t sure what they would do (40% vs 22%). 

Clearly, the choice to end a friendship–or not–over bad hygiene practices isn’t just an interpersonal dilemma. Rather, it’s a key indicator of spending behaviors that extend beyond social time and into every aspect of a consumer’s life.  

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This article’s data comes solely from CivicScience’s database, which contains nearly 700,000 poll questions and 5 billion consumer insights.