A quarter of Britons spend less than a minute talking on calls in a day

A new survey conducted among British adults provides some insights into how long people talk on calls in a day. The survey focused on two main types of calls: those made to friends and family, and work-related calls.

When looking at calls to friends and family a quarter of Britons reported spending less than one minute on such calls daily (26%). The majority, 37%, spend between 1-15 minutes talking to their loved ones. A smaller group, 11%, spends 16-30 minutes, while 4% spend 31-45 minutes, and 3% spend 46-60 minutes. Some 4% of the respondents spend over an hour on voice calls with friends and family each day.

In contrast, the time spent on work-related voice calls is different. Three in 10 spend less than one minute on these calls (29%), while 18% spend 1-15 minutes. Only 6% of Britons reported spending 16-30 minutes on work calls, and just 3% each for 31-45 minutes and 46-60 minutes. Slightly more consumers, 5%, spend over an hour on work-related voice calls.

Analyzing the data by age reveals some notable trends. Younger adults, particularly those aged 18-24, tend to spend less time on voice calls. For instance, only 13% of 18-24-year-olds spend less than one minute on friends and family calls, but this increases to 29% in the 55+ age group. Similarly, 23% of 18-24-year-olds spend less than one minute on work-related calls, which also trends upward to 31% in the 55+ age group.

The 18-24 age group has the highest percentage (8%), spending over an hour on friends and family calls, while this drops significantly among older adults. Additionally, 40% of respondents aged 55+ do not engage in work-related voice calls, the highest across all age groups, indicating a possible decrease in work-related call engagement with age.

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Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provide quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online in April 2024, with a nationally/ representative sample of 2,054 adults (aged 18+ years) in Great Britain, using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, gender, education and social grade to be representative of all adults in Great Britain (18 years or older) and reflect the latest ONS population estimates.