Don’t stand so close to me! Why 3ft is perfect distance from a stranger

MIND the gap... because the closest a Briton can stand next to a stranger without feeling uncomfortable is three feet.

Coming any nearer makes us awkward – even if we don’t show it.

Researchers found that Argentines were the most relaxed with strangers and set a limit of 76.5cm before they felt uneasy. Romanians liked to keep the biggest gap, at 1.39m.

despite having a reputation for standoffishness, the study revealed that Britons were not the most protective about their personal space. At an average distance of 99.4cm, the UK was ranked 26th in a list of 42 countries whose citizens feel most ill at ease with strangers.

We were more comfortable at closer distances than those in China, Portugal or Brazil.

The study said cultural differences could be behind the differences – but other factors were at play. In general, those in warmer countries were more likely to want to stand closer, but older generations and women prefer to be further apart. The research, led by academics at the University of Wroclaw in Poland, involved asking almost 9,000 participants from 42 countries to point out on a graphic how close they would stand to a stranger.

Both Americans and Germans are more at ease at closer distances than the British. It could explain why Theresa May had an awkward exchange with Angela Merkel last year – holding each other in a halfhug rather than a full embrace.