Brits have 3.5 close friends on average, with one in five (22%) saying they have just two friends they’d consider to be close, a new survey reveals.

The friendship group set-ups that the nation thinks work best are two people of the same sex, and four people of mixed sex.

However, men are more likely to be part of bigger friendship groups whereas women are more likely to prefer a close-knit group of just two.

Just 4% of Brits said that three people is the perfect size for a friendship group, proving three really is a crowd.

Over half (51%) of those polled by Foxy Bingo said being able to count on their friend to tell the truth, even if it hurts, was the most important factor in a strong friendship. This was followed closely by friends who give honest/ trustworthy advice (46%), and friends who won’t judge (46%).

The things that matter most in friendship are:

1. Count on them to tell the truth (51%)

2. Giving honest/trustworthy advice (46%) and being non-judgemental (46%)

3. Having the same sense of humour (43%)

4. Not having to speak constantly to maintain the relationship (38%)

5. Being able to sit in silence comfortably (37%)

6. Being able to keep a secret (34%)

7. Having the same interests and/ or hobbies (31%)

8. Having the same beliefs and attitudes (25%)

9. Being able to meet up regularly (20%)

10. Being on the same intellectual level (19%)

Getting on with someone’s partner, family or other friends (10%) was not seen as particularly important when making friends – suggesting that we’d rather keep our mates to ourselves.

Being a similar age was also not considered important by the majority (87%).

For women, low maintenance friendships are the best kind of friendships; almost half (44%) said it was important that they could maintain their friendship without having to speak constantly, and 43% said being able to sit in silence comfortably was extremely important. In fact, just 14% said that being able to regularly meet was an important friendship factor to them – great news for long distance friendships.

Men, however, are much more likely to feel the need to regularly meet up to maintain friendships: nearly one in three (30%) said being able to meet regularly was an important factor in their friendships.

Claire McDaid, Head of Foxy Bingo, commented on the findings: “Friendships are definitely one of the most precious things in life, and as we get older, it’s unfortunate that many of our friendship groups do get smaller. That said, much better to have fewer close friends you can truly count on!

“Being part of a community is a great way to make and maintain new friendships, and that’s something we love and encourage over at Foxy Bingo.”