Important Procrastination Statistics, Facts and Current Trends (2022)

Procrastination is expected behavior that can have negative consequences.

It is defined as putting off doing something until later because you want to avoid it or because you are lazy.

While it may seem like an innocuous act, procrastination can lead to lost opportunities, decreased productivity, and feelings of stress and anxiety. In some cases, it can even result in financial losses.

The good news is that there are ways to overcome procrastination.

Key Facts about the Procrastination

• The average person spends about 2 hours and 25 minutes procrastinating each day.
• About 20% of people identify as chronic procrastinators.
• Procrastination costs the US economy an estimated $300 billion each year in lost productivity.
• People who procrastinate tend to have lower grades
• According to a YouGov poll, people waste around or 55 days per year!

Learn about the causes and triggers of procrastination

By understanding the causes and triggers of procrastination, you can develop strategies to help you stay on track and get things done in a timely fashion.

You can say goodbye to procrastination for good with a bit of effort.

According to the second part of this definition, there is more to procrastination.

A lack of research on procrastination might maintain the idea that sloth causes procrastination. According to psychologist and professor at DePaul University in Chicago, Joe Ferrari, academic procrastination hasn’t been taken seriously due to the large percentage of academics who struggle with it.

The majority of individuals who struggle with procrastination are anything but lazy.

In reality, many of them are extremely busy and stressed. If you have trouble getting started on a project, you are not alone.

The following information, trends, and statistics can help you understand what causes procrastination and how to overcome it, which may be just the thing you need.

Procrastination Statistics, Trends, and Facts 

Chronic procrastination increases and no one wants to do unpleasant tasks.

• According to some sources, only 5 percent of people in the 1970s were chronic procrastinators, but that number has risen to 20% today.
• According to a recent poll, about 20% of people believe that procrastination is an essential aspect of their personality. Procrastination is becoming increasingly frequent, especially bedtime procrastination, as the lines between work and life become blurred.
• Women are twice as likely to have severe bedtime procrastination as males.
• Those who suffer from low self-esteem, struggle to establish realistic objectives, task avoidance, and a high degree of distractability and recklessness are the most prone to procrastination.

Prevalence of Procrastination Statistics 

It’s safe to say that everyone has procrastinated on something at some point in their lives. Whether it’s putting off doing the dishes or avoiding a work project, procrastination is a universal experience.

However, for some people, procrastination is a chronic problem that can significantly impact their lives.

• According to recent estimates, between 20 and 30 percent of people are “chronic procrastinators.”
• This means that they regularly put off important tasks, even when doing so has negative consequences.
• Chronic procrastination can lead to financial problems, relationship difficulties, and health issues.

It can also make it difficult to succeed in school or at work.

What is the current rate of procrastination?

• Procrastination affects about 20%–30% of the adult population.
• According to one poll, approximately 80%–95% of college students procrastinate at least occasionally.
• Procrastination is regarded as a problem by 50%. More people suffer from procrastination than alcohol, drug abuse, or depression in a survey conducted by Harvard University researchers.

Causes of Procrastination Facts 

It’s challenging to figure out what causes self-sabotaging behavior, but several theories exist. Consider the information below, which discusses several reasons many people postpone tasks.

• Procrastination has traditionally been thought of as a time-management issue, but recent research claims it is linked to mood management.
• Procrastination is related to ADHD, depression, and anxiety.
• The availability of technology has been one of the most frequently discussed elements of student procrastination. Some researchers believe that new technologies have always existed or been accessible, with the question being whether people embraced them. Others maintain that millions of tailored commercials and billions of videos targeted to particular niches exacerbate procrastination.

Impact of Procrastination Facts and Statistics 

Chronic procrastination is hazardous. It has been linked to a variety of adverse mental and physical illnesses.

• Chronic procrastination has been linked to mental health problems, stress, and lowered general well-being studies.
• According to a recent poll, 94% of respondents said procrastination makes them unhappy.
• Chronic procrastinators are more likely to have headaches, colds, and digestive problems.
• A 2015 research found a link between chronic procrastination and hypertension, heart disease, and cardiovascular illness.
• Procrastination has been linked to under performance, financial stress, and low self-esteem.

Academic Procrastination Statistics 

Procrastination is not uncommon in schools. High school, college, and beyond are when students are prone to procrastination.

• Frequent procrastinators include 52% of high school students, 53% of undergraduate students, and 61% of graduate students.
• When it comes to procrastinating, undergrads most often put off writing term papers (46%), followed by weekly readings (30%) and preparing for exams (28%).
• With regular assignments (60%), term papers (42%), and test-taking (39%), graduate students tend to put things off.

Workplace Procrastination Statistics 

Adults continue to struggle with procrastination at work.

• Studies show that about 80% of individuals earn a wage and that around 76% of entrepreneurs spend 1 to 4 hours procrastinating on any given day.
• The average employee spends 3 hours procrastinating, costing businesses $15,000 per year for a $40,000 salaried worker.

Current Procrastination Statistics 

Consider the most up-to-date information on procrastination.

• In 2021, 12.4% of employees reported having procrastination difficulties due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Other Interesting Procrastination Facts & Statistics

Are you looking for other intriguing facts about procrastination? The following is a selection of fascinating facts.

• Some people may benefit from learning how to control their emotions.
• In 2014, YouTube witnessed nearly 26 billion views of cat videos. In a 2015 study of 7,000 people, procrastination was the most common reason for this development.
• It was stated that the pleasure derived from watching cat videos frequently offset the pain caused by procrastination.
• Students who practiced self-forgiveness for procrastinating while studying for an exam were less likely to procrastinate the next time they learned.
• Bedtime procrastination is a contemporary problem with three distinct characteristics: there’s no particular cause for staying up late. One knows there may be severe drawbacks to doing so, and it reduces the amount of overall sleep at night.
• Workers who experience high levels of stress or extended working hours are known to engage in “revenge bedtime procrastination.” It is employed to reclaim personal leisure time that they feel has been taken away during the day. At the expense of good sleep, this is done at the cost of quality rest.
• A survey published in 2022 found that 40% of adults were experiencing more sleep difficulties due to the pandemic. According to a study conducted by the International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, people were more inclined to stay on task while practicing mindfulness activities.

FAQs 

What helps you overcome procrastination?

According to a survey, Japanese children have the most significant level of procrastination, followed by Taiwanese pupils, Hong Kong students, American students, and Australian and New Zealand children.

What is the most common age group to procrastinate?

According to one research, procrastination decreases with age. Procter & Gamble found that young people aged 14 to 29 had the highest levels of procrastination. However, males procrastinated more than females in this age group, which was not the case.

How long does the typical person wait before doing anything?

Every day, plenty of people spend an average of 55 days procrastinating. According to a YouGov poll, people waste around 79200 minutes or 55 days per year!

Conclusion 

Many people are stuck in their ways, but it doesn’t have to be a lifelong sentence. Learning more mood-regulating skills, as well as practicing self-forgiveness and mindfulness, might assist you in overcoming procrastination.

So please treat yourself kindly and get started.

Statistics and information for this article were gathered from the following sources:

• 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