Communication permeates all aspects of human life: personal, social, family, and business. Communication statistics illustrate how effective proper communication is. Considering that most work has been done remotely because of the coronavirus outbreak, connecting and communicating with colleagues is now more crucial than ever.

Efficient interaction between employees and leaders or managers is vital for proper information exchange, cooperation, and transparency. A well-informed employee can successfully complete tasks, which results in higher productivity. In turn, increased productivity leads to greater success at work and may eventually result in promotion.

Communication Facts and Stats (Editor’s Choice)

  • 65% of companies primarily communicate with their clients via email.
  • 74% of people frequently lose files.
  • Repeating information is annoying for 85% of people.
  • 26% of US businesses provide smartphones to their workers.
  • 65% of customers prefer contacting businesses by phone.
  • There are over 4 billion email users globally.
  • 13% of Americans check their email while still in bed.
  • Poor communication may cost a large corporation $62.4 million per year.

Digital Communication Stats and Facts

Communication is an integral part of people’s lives. One might say that, without it, human life wouldn’t make much sense. Nowadays, most people choose the internet as the most convenient method of correspondence.

Emails have long been one of the primary means of digital communication. The era of smartphones and instant messaging has resulted in a growing number of users constantly chatting with each other for both personal and business purposes.

1. 4.13 billion people were connected to the internet in 2019.

Communication research trends point out an impressive and ever-increasing number of internet users on a global scale. Last year, there were 4.13 billion internet users. Only a year before, there were 3.2 billion users connected to the internet. As of June 2020, there were 4.57 billion active users worldwide, accounting for 59% of the world population.

2. 2.5 billion internet users come from Asia.

Information and communication technology trends reveal that Asians use the internet the most. Namely, the highest number of internet users log in from Asia. A colossal 2.5 billion Asians use the internet every day. Europeans are the second biggest population of internet users, totaling 727 million. North America has nearly 333 million internet users, while Latin America has 467 million.

3. North America has an internet penetration rate of 90.3%

According to digital communication facts, the internet penetration rate is the percentage of a country’s overall population that uses the internet. The highest penetration rate is seen in North America, amounting to 90.3%, followed by Europe with 87.2%. In contrast, Africa has an internet penetration rate of only 47.1%, while Asia has a slightly higher penetration rate, standing at 59.5%.

4. 854 million people in China used the internet in 2019.

Trends in communication show that China was a country with the highest number of internet users last year. 854 million people in China were connected to the internet as opposed to 313 million internet users in the United States. India takes second place with 560 million people connected to the internet, while the UK has 63.54 million internet users.

5. 91% of users connect to the internet via mobile devices.

Fun facts about communication show an incredible increase in mobile device users. Nowadays, 91% of internet users use their smartphones or tablets to surf the internet, browse social media, or chat.

Regarding social media, nearly nine out of ten internet users worldwide use social media every month. As a result, the six most famous social networks have over a billion active users per month.

However when it comes to business opportunities, one in four people doesn’t network at all.

Intriguing Communication Facts and Statistics

A range of handy communication tools is supposed to facilitate correspondence. Still, even with all those communication tools at hand, people are still not sure how to communicate. This is the case with business correspondence.

Is it better to phone or email clients? Should recruiters text or use a messaging app? Is it more convenient for colleagues to use instant messengers or send emails?

6. There are over 4 billion email users in the world.

The very first email was sent almost half a century ago. Nowadays, 49 years later, the world sees an incredible 4 billion email users sending and receiving a few emails on a daily basis. According to statistics on communication, there will be 7.71 billion email accounts by 2021.

Currently, those 4 billion users share about 306.4 billion emails every day. In three years only, that figure will jump to nearly 350 billion. Can you imagine what that number would be in 2030?

7. 65.9% of emails remain unopened in North America.

North Americans aren’t quite keen on opening their mails, no matter if they’re personal, promotional, or business. Communication fun facts uncover that only 34.1% of emails are opened and read. Regarding professional service emails, that number is even smaller and amounts to 20.89%.

8. 13% of Americans check their work emails while still in bed. 

Smartphones have made handling emails a lot easier. Now you can open your inbox, write, and send emails from anywhere at any time, provided that you have an internet connection. Americans, however, are keen on checking their emails in somewhat unexpected places or situations.

According to communication facts and stats, 13% of Americans check their email while they’re still in bed. 25% of US residents check their emails while they’re having breakfast, whereas 15% do so while commuting.

48% of employees, however, don’t tend to check their email inbox until they begin working.

9. Workers whose employers know how to use smartphone technology efficiently are 23% more content.

There are still companies that believe the use of smartphones is bad. Luckily, corporate communication trends show that there are employers who recognize the efficiency of smartphones and encourage their workers to use them. Those employees are 23% more satisfied than workers from companies that don’t support smartphone use. Besides, they are 16% more productive, 18% more creative, and 21% more loyal. Using (business) smartphones isn’t that undesirable, after all.

10. 65% of customers prefer contacting businesses by phone.

Some people think that phone calls are the most effective method of communication. Therefore, business communication trends disclose that over two-thirds of customers find it more convenient to contact a company by phone. Interestingly enough, 86% of those calls are put on hold, causing 32% of callers to hang up immediately.

11. 92% of people had to repeat information to people within their organization.

Almost all people within one organization are forced to repeat a piece of information to one or two colleagues. According to communication statistics in the workplace, 85% find this extremely annoying.

12. 74% of individuals chose one business over another because of disorganization. 

Only 26% of people are happy with the organization they’re dealing with, particularly when communication is in question. The remaining 74%, however, stopped cooperating with businesses and chose the competition. The primary reason was poor organization.

13. 65% of companies use email as their primary means of communication.

Out of all communication tools, over two-thirds of companies choose email to communicate with clients. Other available means include online communication tools such as messaging apps (16%), phone calls (9%), and face-to-face meetings (5%). Even though some might find email correspondence somewhat obsolete, the figures show that companies still prefer it to other communication tools—70% of employees said digital technology improved their collaboration.

14. 39% of companies prefer communication with employees via emails.

Emailing might be convenient for communication with clients or customers but also with employees. As for communication in the workplace statistics, slightly over one-third of businesses favor emailing as the primary method of communication with coworkers. Phone calls are the least preferred method (2%), while online tools are the second-favored (28%). 22% of organizations choose face-to-face meetings as the primary means of communication among colleagues.

15. 74% of people tend to lose files shared with others.

Do you save everything others have shared with you? Moreover, do you know where exactly those files are stored? Interesting facts about communication show that only 26% of people know where they saved files shared with them. 74% have no idea where those files might be. What’s more, 65% have lost them on an HDD or in an email inbox.

16. 89% of individuals think that efficient communication is essential.

Proper communication among employees is far more significant for a company’s success than people think. Communication statistics 2019 show that nearly 90% of individuals are aware of the importance of efficient business correspondence. Still, 8 out of 10 employees rate communication in the workplace as average or poor. For an unknown reason, communication among colleagues or between managers and employees appears to be somewhat unsuccessful. This, in turn, may have a negative effect on workers’ productivity and results.

Internal Communication Statistics and Facts You’d Like to Know

Efficient correspondence in the workplace is vital for both short-term and long-term goals. Poor communication may have an adverse impact on employees’ output and results, primarily because they don’t know what’s expected of them.

17. 60% of business organizations don’t have a long-term plan for internal communication. 

Companies are well-aware of the significance of efficient communication. However, they are not aware of how disconnected their workers feel. Internal communication trends show that two-thirds of companies don’t have a strategy for internal communications. The lack of adequate interaction makes 74% of workers feel they’re missing out on vital news and information.

18. 69% of managers feel uncomfortable when communicating with their workers. 

Leaders and managers must know how to convey their instructions and messages accurately. Employees must know clearly what their assignments are. Miscommunication statistics indicate that broken communication may lead to poor results. Namely, more than half of the employees (57%) stated they didn’t have clear directions and assignment instructions. The main reason is that nearly 70% of managers aren’t quite comfortable interacting with their employees.

Such communication gaps might eventually result in poorly executed assignments or, in a worst-case scenario, the entire project’s failure. In fact, 86% of employees and executives report poor interaction and the lack of cooperation as the main cause of workplace failures.

19. The lack of open communication has a negative effect on 33% of workers.

Poor communication statistics show that the lack of straightforward and open communication has an adverse effect on 33% of employees, resulting in low morale. What’s more, 39% of workers think that people within their company don’t interact enough, while only 5.9% of businesses tend to communicate their goals daily.

20. 91% of workers believe that their managers don’t have adequate communication skills.

It’s not only hard skills that make a good leader or manager. Soft skills such as communication and organization play an essential role too. But communication statistics disclose that almost all employees deem that their managers lack efficient communication skills. Besides, they reported a range of different issues:

  • 57% say their managers fail to give clear directions
  • 52% claim that managers don’t have enough time to meet with workers
  • 51% claim that leaders don’t want to speak with subordinates
  • 39% admit that managers don’t give constructive criticism
  • 34% say that managers refuse to communicate with employees in person or over the phone.

21. Companies that use internal communication platforms experience an employee engagement increase of up to 30%.

Internal communications statistics 2019 report that using internal communication platforms results in a 30% increase in employee engagement. Strong employee engagement not only depends on the appreciation of an effort but also on feedback. When both are communicated effectively, the great majority of workers will work even harder. Hence, adequate internal communication is a must for companies that want to boost employee engagement.

22. 26% of American companies provide their employees with smartphones.

Facts about communication show that 26% of companies think that phones are worth investing in. Still, slightly over one-quarter of US businesses give smartphones to their workers, while 87% of organizations expect their workers to use personal smartphones for business purposes.

98% of companies that do provide their workers with smart devices report that employees don’t use them for personal purposes.

23. Over 750,000 organizations actively use Slack. 

Slack is an online communication tool that is undoubtedly among the leaders in business correspondence, according to employee communication statistics. The software sees around 12 million active users who spend about 50 million hours on Slack every week and send nearly 1.5 billion messages per month. The benefit of this messaging app is that you can contact everyone directly or create channels with many users. Those channels may be open so that everyone can see what is shared or private where you share confidential information with a few colleagues.

24. The number of emails that Slack users receive is reduced by 48.6%. 

As 2019 workplace communication statistics show, there were some interesting changes within organizations when Slack started to be used. Slack users received almost 50% fewer business emails, while the number of meetings was reduced by 25.1%. What’s more, 80.4% of respondents said that the use of Slack led to increased transparency.

25. 64% of companies find conveying their purpose, value, and strategy to workers a crucial priority.

Communication statistics 2020 show that companies want their workers to be familiar with their culture and objectives. More than two-thirds of organizations find it essential to communicate their values, strategy, and purpose to workers. They believe that employees should be familiar with those to adapt and accept the company’s values and goals as soon as possible.

26. Bad communication costs companies $62.4 million a year. 

Effective communication statistics indicate that inadequate and insufficient communication in the workplace may result in high expenses. Miscommunication affects smaller companies, as well. Companies with 100 workers lose $420,000 on average per year due to poor communication. Lager companies’ annual costs of poor communication are much greater, amounting to a whopping $62.4 million.

Communication Is Key to Successful Relationships

Direct communication is necessary outside the business environment too. The basis for all successful relationships and marriages is an open and constructive conversation between partners. If communication is poor, such relationships or marriages are bound to fail.

27. 65% of experts claim that communication problems are the number one cause of a divorce.

As communication statistics in relationships show, the lack of efficient and mutual communication eventually leads to a breakup. An open conversation is fundamental for a healthy relationship. What’s more, out of 100 experts, more than two-thirds regard the lack of effective and two-way communication as the main cause of the ever-growing number of divorces.

28. 60% of women ended their relationships because their partners talked about themselves too much.  

Communication is not a one-way street. If one partner tends to talk too much and only about themselves, such a relationship is bound to end sooner or later. Two-thirds of women broke up with their partners because they thought they were the center of the universe.

29. 36% of couples believe that constructive arguing strengthens relationships. 

Communication statistics indicate that a healthy argument may ensure a stable and long relationship. Over 35% of couples believe that learning to argue in a constructive way is crucial for a strong relationship. Taking into account that a constructive argument is just one form of two-way communication, it doesn’t come as a surprise that it has such a significant impact on relationships.

What These Communication Statistics Mean

Probably the most vital of all life skills is the ability to communicate efficiently. Put simply, communication is the process of exchanging information between two or more interlocutors. It’s a skill that enables us to convey and grasp messages and information.

Facts about communication skills are quite intriguing. Not all who communicate have good communication skills. Sometimes, it may take a lifetime to master them. But when you do so, you may rest assured that miscommunication will never cross your way. Improving your communication skills can be beneficial for all aspects of your life — private, social, professional, family, etc.

As communication is a two-way street, it includes both sending and receiving pieces of information. Therefore, it requires you to be a good speaker but also a good listener.