The study said 44 per cent of men argued with partners over time with mates

A survey has shown how many men would spend time with pals than partners

It is the flashpoint for countless domestic rows – and now a survey has shown just how many men would rather be with their pals than their partners.

Of 1,500 men, more than half – 54 per cent – said they would prefer to spend time with their friends than their wives or girlfriends.

And perhaps unsurprisingly, 44 per cent of men have argued with their other halves about the amount of time they spend with their mates.

More reassuringly, 62 per cent of those quizzed said they preferred to go on holiday with their partner than friends, and 84 per cent said that it is their partner who knows them better than anyone else [File photo]

The average man has five friends who they typically see three times a week. But for many that isn’t enough, with 27 per cent of those surveyed saying they would like to see their friends even more often.

Dispiritingly for women, 38 per cent of the men said their best friend was the funniest person they know, compared to just 20 per cent who chose their wives. And an astonishing 69 per cent said that men are more loyal than women.

More reassuringly, 62 per cent of those quizzed said they preferred to go on holiday with their partner than friends, and 84 per cent said that it is their partner who knows them better than anyone else.

And they DO dodge the washing up Men are still not pulling their weight when it comes to household chores – despite supposed moves towards equality. A study found that they dodge housework and childcare in favour of watching television. Researchers from Oxford University studied the diaries of 1,427 couples and found that they spent 502 minutes together each day – about eight and a half hours. On average, men do 19 minutes less domestic work in that time, and watch 18 more minutes of television. Report author Giacomo Vagni said: ‘I find that, when together with their partner, men are much more likely to watch TV and enjoy leisure while women do domestic chores.’ And he said that could cause unhappiness in relationships: ‘We can assume that doing unpaid work while one’s partner is enjoying leisure activities (eg preparing dinner while the partner is watching TV) could affect the perception of fairness and equity, which in turn could affect partnership satisfaction.’ Advertisement

The average male friendship lasts for 19 years, but it is not always plain sailing, with 30 per cent admitting to having had a punch-up with a pal – but still making-up afterwards.

The study was released to mark the DVD release of the Steve Coogan film Stan & Ollie, about the friendship between Laurel and Hardy.

Two years ago a scientific study found that young men get more emotional satisfaction out of ‘bromances’ – close friendships with other males – than they do out of romantic relationships with women.

Researchers found the young men felt they could be honest with their friends and share emotions more easily, whereas they felt they had to put on a facade for their partners.