By 2018, what was the typical response rate for a U.S. telephone survey?
Answerabout 6%
Phone survey response rates have collapsed over the past two decades as people screen unknown calls.
Source: Pew Research Center (2018) pewresearch.org
Society · Facts & sources
Call facts & stats
4 sourced facts about telephone surveys, each with the context behind the number. 4 more are in today's round and appear here after it closes.
The basics
Going deeper
About how many robocalls hit U.S. phones per month in recent years, crowding out real survey calls?
Answerabout 3.4 billion per month
The flood of robocalls is a major reason people have stopped answering calls from unknown numbers, including legitimate pollsters.
Source: Pew Research Center (2018) pewresearch.org
Expert level
Studies from 1997, 2003, 2012 and 2016 found what relationship between response rate and survey accuracy?
Answerlittle relationship found
Despite falling response rates, repeated studies found declining participation didn't necessarily make surveys less accurate.
Source: Pew Research Center (2018) pewresearch.org
By 2006, what share of U.S. households were 'cell-phone only,' up from 2.9% in 2003?
Answerabout 12.8%
The rapid shift to cellphone-only households in the 2000s forced pollsters to change how they reached people.
Source: Wikipedia, Opinion polling (2006) en.wikipedia.org
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