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The PR industry is one of the fastest-growing in the world, spanning nearly every sector and drawing on talent from various disciplines. As such, it's constantly evolving.
Whether you’re considering the services of a PR agency, building an in-house comms team, or exploring a career in the field, staying informed about key trends and data can make all the difference to a successful campaign or career.
With that in mind, here are 46 essential PR statistics to keep you in the loop.
There has been a 34% increase in the search term “digital PR” since 2020 worldwide. Organisations increasingly realise they risk losing credibility without a strong online presence.
This is why 84% of PR leaders have highlighted rising demand from C-suite execs for their services.
In fact, companies that engage in regular PR activities see an average revenue increase of 23%.
As a result, it isn’t surprising that the global PR market is expected to grow to more than $133 billion by 2027.
PR firms currently charge $20/hour to $500/hour, with an average rate of roughly $125.
About 71% of PR professionals expect earned media to be harder to secure in the next five years.
Over half of PR professionals say their biggest challenge is simply getting journalists to respond to pitches.
Just under half (48%) of PR professionals say having enough resources is a top challenge.
31% of digital PR professionals say measuring the impact of their work is difficult.
Almost a third of PR professionals (30%) say coming up with fresh, newsworthy campaign ideas is particularly tough.
Lastly, 72% of PR professionals state that politics continues to heavily influence the industry for good or bad.
With PR professionals under pressure to deliver for clients, 85% say media relations is their number one focus. In fact, it takes up at least 25% of their work time.
To re-emphasize how difficult media relations can be, journalists respond to just 3.27% of the pitches they receive.
That said, almost all journalists (92%) still favour 1:1 email pitches.
Most journalists (91%) also say pitches under 300 words captivate them better.
A smaller group (67% of journalists) prefer pitches under just 200 words.
75% of journalists say it's essential for PR professionals to understand their audience.
68% of journalists stress pitches must be backed by data or research to provide credible news angles.
91% of PR professionals like to maintain relationships with journalists by email, while 47% also prefer to meet in person.
Before pitching, 54% of PR professionals either always or frequently follow journalists on social media.
A similar number of PR professionals (51%) agree that Tuesday is the best day to pitch.
Meanwhile, 85% of PR professionals say morning is the best time to send a pitch. 64% of journalists agree.
Media engagement is critical, particularly in the B2B world, with 93% of purchases beginning with an online search.
On the other hand, 65% of consumers feel more connected to brands with a robust social presence. As a result, PR professionals must balance media relations with sufficient social media activity.
Facts, honesty, and clear communication are critical to building long-term trust and credibility since 94% of consumers surveyed remain loyal to a transparent brand.
80% of business decision-makers would rather gather information through articles than advertisements, highlighting the value of thought leadership-driven articles.
70% of consumers would also rather get to know a company via articles than ads.
Of all the tools PR professionals use, 98% say they spend the most time using email throughout the day.
Over 50% of digital PR professionals use media monitoring tools and databases daily to track coverage.
64% of PR professionals are using AI tools to streamline their workflow.
However, 17% of PR professionals don't use any PR software.
Interestingly, over half of PR teams (51%) now work closely with SEO teams on campaigns to optimise articles and improve search engine rankings for their clients.
PR teams do this to deliver as much value for their clients as possible. Research shows that for every dollar spent on SEO, businesses earn an average of over $22.
In 2024, 70% of PR professionals briefed their leadership on measurement and reporting once a month or more.
That said, 44% of PR professionals now plan to spend more time on internal communications. This is essential to maintain positive and productive work environments, especially considering how stressful the field can be to operate in and constantly deliver for clients.
Just 68% of adults trust search engines, likely due to the rise of misinformation.
Research shows that a true rumour is confirmed within 2 hours. But it takes more than 14 hours to debunk a false one.
Meanwhile, according to a global survey by Statista Consumer Insights, one in five respondents in each country said they do not trust mainstream media.
Amid dwindling consumer trust, 95% of PR professionals admit to sharing true information only “often” or “sometimes", highlighting the blurred ethics of spin.
66% of PR professionals below the director level are female. Just 34% are male.
Yet, 54% of directors are male while 46% are female.
Over half of PR professionals say they work more hours than they are paid.
95% of PR professionals say they’re not worried about budget cuts. This reflects the industry's resilience and adaptability.
90% of PR professionals believe PR and marketing are integrating to create cohesive, compelling campaigns that amplify their message and drive results.
72% of PR professionals consider storytelling the most important skill for the future to outperform competition, connect deeper with audiences, build trust, and create memorable campaigns.
Less than 50% of PR professionals have a documented crisis communication plan. This could prove troublesome in the coming years as crises intensify due to geopolitical tensions, economic instability, rising natural disasters, and more.