A Figure in Flight

Are nearly half of flights taken by men aged 20–45 for stag dos?

The environmental charity Hubbub claimed “half of all flights taken by men aged 20–45 were for stags”. Their environmental campaign aims to encourage less flying. This figure received widespread media coverage.

Based on survey estimates, Hubbub made an inadvertent calculation error. The Censuswide survey estimates are implausible, suggesting over 6 in 10 men went on a stag do in 2019.

Why wing it?

Hubbub claimed “half of all flights taken by men aged 20–45 were for stags”. The original report stated this figure came from Censuswide.

News organisations reported this claim. Media coverage included the BBC, The Times, Daily Mirror, Metro and Euronews. On Twitter, Stanley Pignal (The Economist) and Anthony Wells (YouGov) examined the claim.

I also contacted the charity, querying this statistic. Hubbub were open and transparent about the commissioned survey. The exchange also showed how Hubbub calculated this figure.