Procrastination Statistics, Facts, and Current Trends in (2024)

According to procrastination statistics, they are a common occurrence that can have negative consequences.

To put it another way, procrastination is defined as putting off doing anything until later to avoid or postpone it.

While it may appear to be a harmless act, procrastination can result in missed opportunities, decreased productivity, stress, and anxiety.

In certain circumstances,according to procrastination statistics, it may even result in monetary losses.

The good news is that there are methods for overcoming procrastination.

Let’s have a look.

Key Procrastination Statistics

The following are some of the most important procrastination statistics, facts and trends:

• 26% of people say that they are chronic procrastinators.
• The average person spends 55 minutes per day putting off tasks.
• The top 3 reasons why people procrastinate are fear of failure, lack of interest, and perfectionism.
• 42% of people say that procrastination harms their lives.
• Students who procrastinate have lower grades than those who don’t.
• People who procrastinate are more likely to experience anxiety and depression.
• On average, people spend about 2 hours and 25 minutes each day procrastinating, on average.
• About 20% of people consider themselves chronic procrastinators.
• It’s estimated that $300 billion is lost productivity each year in the United States according to procrastination statistics.
• Procrastinators have lower grade point averages.
• People waste 55 days per year, according to a YouGov poll!

Discover the reasons and triggers for procrastination

Understanding the causes and triggers of procrastination allows you to develop strategies to help you stay on track and complete tasks on time.With a little effort, you can say goodbye to procrastination for good.

• According to the second aspect of this definition, there is more to procrastination statistics than meets the eye.
• The misconception that sloth causes procrastination may persist due to a lack of study on procrastination.
• Because so many academics suffer from academic procrastination, according to Joe Ferrari, a psychologist and professor at DePaul University in Chicago, it has not been taken seriously.
• The majority of people who struggle with procrastination are not lazy. In reality, many of them are overworked and stressed.
• You are not alone if you struggle to get started on a project.

The following information, statistics, and trends may assist you in determining what causes procrastination and how to overcome it, which might be exactly what you need.

Statistics, Trends, and Facts About Procrastination

Procrastination becomes chronic, and no one wants to do unpleasant tasks.

• According to certain studies, only 5% of Americans in the 1970s were chronic procrastinators, but that proportion has now increased to 20%.
• According to a recent poll, approximately 20% of respondents said that procrastination is an important part of their personality.
• As the lines between work and life become more blurred, procrastination, particularly bedtime procrastination, is becoming more common.
• Bedtime procrastination affects nearly twice as many women as men.

Those with low self-esteem, difficulty setting realistic goals, achieving goals,  task avoidance, and a high degree of distractability and recklessness are the most prone to procrastination.

Statistics on the Prevalence of Procrastination

It’s safe to say that everyone has delayed or procrastinated at some point in their life. Procrastination is a common condition, whether it’s putting off doing the laundry or avoiding a job assignment.

However, for some people, procrastination is a chronic issue that hurts their lives:

• According to recent estimates, 20–30% of people are “chronic procrastinators.”
• What this means is that they often put off doing important tasks, especially when they have negative consequences if they’re not done.
• Chronic delay might result in financial difficulties, relationship issues, and health concerns.
• It can also make academic or professional success difficult.

What is The Official Current Rate of Procrastination Worldwide?

• According to procrastination statistics, approximately 20% to 30% of the adult population worldwide are effected by this habit.
• According to one poll, between 80 and 95 percent of college students regularly procrastinate.
• Procrastination is regarded as a problem by 50% of the population.
• According to a Harvard University survey, more people suffer from procrastination than from alcohol, drug abuse, or depression.

Procrastination Statistics

Although determining what causes self-sabotaging behavior is difficult, several theories exist regarding these procrastination statistics.

Consider the following information, which discusses several reasons why people put off tasks:

• Procrastination has traditionally been thought to be a problem with time management, but new research claims it is also linked to mood management.
• ADHD, depression, and anxiety are all linked to procrastination.
• Technology’s ubiquity has long been a hot topic in the discussion of student procrastination.
• Some researchers feel that new technologies have always existed or been accessible, but whether people have adopted them is another story.
• Others claim that the millions of tailored commercials and billions of films targeted at particular sectors contribute to procrastination.

Facts and Statistics on the Impact of Procrastination

Chronic procrastination may be harmful. It’s been linked to a slew of psychological and physiological issues.

• Studies have linked chronic procrastination to mental health issues, stress, and decreased general well-being.
• According to a recent poll, 94 percent of respondents are unhappy because they procrastinate.
• Procrastinators are more likely to suffer from headaches, colds, and digestive issues.
• A study published in 2015 discovered a link between chronic procrastination and hypertension, heart disease, and cardiovascular illness.
• Underperformance, financial stress, and low self-esteem have all been linked to procrastination.

Statistics on Academic Procrastination (ASP)

In schools, procrastination is common. Students are more likely to procrastinate in high school, college, and beyond.

• Chronic procrastination affects 52% of high school students, 53% of undergraduate students, and 61% of graduate students.
• When it comes to procrastination, undergrads put off writing term papers the most (46 percent), followed by weekly readings (30 percent), and studying for exams (20 percent) (28 percent ).
• Graduate students procrastinate on regular assignments (60 percent), term papers (42%), and test-taking (39%).

Statistics on Procrastination in the Workplace

At work, adults continue to struggle with procrastination.

According to a survey of 2,000 workers in the United Kingdom, 86% of employees admit to procrastinating at work.

The main culprits for stalling on the job are:

• checking social media (32%)
• making personal phone calls (30%)
• browsing the internet (29%)
• chatting with co-workers (18%)

According to procrastination statistics, roughly 80% of people who work for a living and roughly 76% of entrepreneurs spend 1 to 4 hours per day procrastinating.

The average employee spends 3 hours per day procrastinating, which costs businesses $15,000 per year for a $40,000 salary.

Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, 12.4 percent of employees reported procrastination issues in 2021.

There are many potential causes of procrastination, but the most common ones are:

• Perfectionism – fearing that your work will never be good enough
• Lack of motivation – feeling like you can’t be bothered to do the task at hand
• Distraction – finding it hard to focus on what you need to do

Other Interesting Statistics & Facts About Procrastination

Do you want to learn more interesting facts and procrastination statistics?

The following are some fascinating facts:

Some people may benefit from learning emotional control.

• Cat videos were viewed nearly 26 billion times on YouTube in 2014.
• In a 2015 study of 7,000 people, procrastination was the most common reason for this development.
• According to one source for procrastination statistics, the pleasure derived from watching cat videos frequently compensates for the pain caused by the procrastination itself.
• Students who practiced self-forgiveness for procrastinating during exam preparation were less likely to procrastinate the next time they learned.

Bedtime procrastination is a modern issue with three distinct characteristics:

Procrastination has been linked to mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.

Pre-sleep activities that are not part of a regular bedtime routine (such as checking social media or work email), using electronic devices in bed, and taking longer to fall asleep according to recent procrastination statistics.

Procrastination can lead to sleep deprivation, which can have negative effects on physical and mental health, work performance, and quality of life.

A study of American adults found that those who reported higher levels of procrastination also had poorer sleep quality, more daytime fatigue, and more symptoms of insomnia.

Procrastinator Characteristic #1

There is no specific reason for staying up late. One is aware that there may be serious consequences, and that doing so reduces the amount of overall sleep at night.

Procrastinator Characteristic #2

Workers who are under a lot of stress or have to work long hours are known to engage in “revenge bedtime procrastination.”

It is used to reclaim personal leisure time that they believe has been robbed from them during the day.

This is done at the expense of good sleep and quality rest.

Procrastinator Characteristic #3

According to a 2022 survey, 40 percent of adults said they were having more sleep problems as a result of the pandemic.

People were more likely to stay on task while engaging in mindfulness activities, according to a study published in the International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology.

FAQs

What strategies do you use to overcome procrastination?

According to a survey, Japanese children procrastinate the most, followed by Taiwanese students, Hong Kong students, American students, and Australian and New Zealand children.

What age group is the most likely to procrastinate?

Procrastination, according to one study, decreases with age. According to Procter & Gamble, young people aged 14 to 29 have the highest levels of procrastination. In this age group, however, males procrastinated more than females, which was not the case.

How long does the average person wait before acting?

Every year, many people procrastinate for an average of 55 days. According to a YouGov poll, people waste approximately 79200 minutes per year, or 55 days!

Conclusion

Many people are set in their ways, but procrastination does not have to be a permanent condition. Practicing self-forgiveness and mindfulness, as well as learning more mood-regulating skills, may help you overcome procrastination.

So please be kind to yourself and get started so you don’t become part of the negative procrastination statistics.

The following sources provided procrastination statistics and information for this article:

• Solving Procrastination
• PubMed Central Gov
• Psychological Science
• Edutopia
• International Proceedings of Economics Development and Research
• Slate
• Princeton University
• Statista
• The Creatives Hour
• DePaul University
• The Telegraph
• University Affairs
• US National Library of Medicine/National Institute of Health
• VeryWellMind

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