How many people experience flight shame?
In 2023, 27 percent of people who sometimes travel by aeroplane reported experiencing ‘flight shame’ – a feeling of guilt about travelling by air because of its impact on the climate. That was an increase since 2020, when 19 percent reported experiencing flight shame. There was also a rise in the number of people willing to reduce their air travel for recreational purposes.
In 2020, 46 percent of adults said they had travelled by air at least once in the previous twelve months. By 2023, that number had fallen slightly to 41 percent. Of these, 14 percent had flown for business purposes and 85 percent for a holiday or city trip. Younger people fly more frequently than older people. In both 2020 and 2023, 8 percent of respondents said they had never flown at all.
| Yes, in the past 12 months | Yes, more than 12 months ago | No, never | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 41.3 | 50.7 | 8.0 |
| 18-24 yrs | 61.3 | 28.2 | 10.5 |
| 25-34 yrs | 57.5 | 37.2 | 5.3 |
| 35-44 yrs | 43.6 | 48.3 | 8.1 |
| 45-54 yrs | 44.6 | 49.4 | 5.9 |
| 55-64 yrs | 37.9 | 54.2 | 7.9 |
| 65-74 yrs | 25.3 | 65.3 | 9.4 |
| 75 yrs and over | 13.8 | 75.0 | 11.2 |
Over 4 in 10 do not feel any guilt at all about air travel
Between 2020 and 2023 there was an increase in the number of people who sometimes travel by air but feel guilty about this because of the impact on the climate. There were also fewer people who experience no flight shame at all: a drop from 50 percent to 43 percent. The share of people who have no strong opinion about flying remained almost unchanged. Women are more likely to experience flight shame than men, and older people feel more guilty about flying than younger people.
More people willing to reduce air travel for leisure purposes
Among adults who sometimes travel by aeroplane for leisure purposes, 36 percent say they would definitely be willing to do so less often for the sake of the climate. That was a higher proportion than in 2020, when 27 percent said this. In 2023, 29 percent said they would not be willing to reduce the number of flights they take. In both years, around 1 in 10 people said they would be willing to stop travelling by aeroplane for leisure purposes altogether.
| Group | Jaartal | Yes, definitely | Maybe | No |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reduce | 2023, Reduce | 36.2 | 34.4 | 29.4 |
| Reduce | 2020, Reduce | 26.7 | 37.7 | 35.6 |
| Give up | 2023, Give up | 10.9 | 24.8 | 64.3 |
| Give up | 2020, Give up | 10.2 | 23.5 | 66.3 |
Source
News release – Young people see their own lifestyle as less climate-conscious