Global daily speech drops 28% from 2005 to 2019, study finds

A study by psychologists Valeria Pfeifer and Matthias Mehl, published in March 2026, analyzed recordings from 2,197 participants aged 10–94 across the US, Mexico, Australia, and Europe between 2005 and 2019. The average daily word count fell from about 16,000 in 2005 to 12,700 in 2019—a 28% decline. Each year, individuals spoke 338 fewer words per day on average, totaling 120,000 fewer words annually (roughly 15 hours of conversation). The decline was steeper among under-25s (451 fewer words/year) but also significant for older groups (314 fewer words/year). Researchers attribute the trend to smartphone adoption, digital communication (text, email, social media), and reduced informal interactions due to self-checkout kiosks, GPS, and remote work. Data collection ended in 2019, so post-pandemic trends are unknown, but Mehl doubts a reversal. The study does not assess psychological impacts, though Pfeifer notes that face-to-face interactions build stronger social bonds than digital ones. Limitations include a focus on Western, individualist societies.