Society · Facts & sources
4 sourced facts about surveys, polling and how survey length affects responses, each with the context behind the number. 4 more are in today's round and appear here after it closes.
Answer500–1,000 people
A well-chosen sample of around 1,000 people is enough to estimate national opinion within a few percentage points — quality of sampling matters more than raw size.
Source: Wikipedia, opinion polling (2024) en.wikipedia.org
Answerabout 3%
Longer surveys lose respondents gradually rather than all at once — the drop-off actually slows down as surveys get even longer.
Source: Survey methodology research, cited via Wikipedia (2010) en.wikipedia.org
Answerabout ±3%
This margin of error, at a 95% confidence level, is the standard cited alongside most national polls you see reported in the news.
Source: Wikipedia, sampling statistics (2024) en.wikipedia.org
Answermixed evidence
Despite the common wisdom that 'shorter is better,' a formal review of the research found the evidence for that claim was inconsistent.
Source: Wikipedia, survey methodology (2024) en.wikipedia.org