Marie Claire UK Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Women in Sport 2026
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Spring Summer 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    • Digital Issues
    • Women Who Win
    1. Life
    2. Relationships

    Can you guess how many times the average Brit says sorry every day?

    Jadie Troy-Pryde's avatar
    By Jadie Troy-Pryde
    Published 10 July 2019 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    sorry
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    There's something really interesting about studies that analyse our habits and behaviours. For example, did you know that this is where the UK's worst neighbours live? Or that these are the things that Brits most resent paying for?

    But have you ever wondered just how polite we are as a nation? You're probably guilty of saying sorry at least once a day - whether it's because you've genuinely done something wrong or because someone else has bumped into you. It's a reflex reaction, right?

    You'll be shocked when you realise just how many times a day we apologise.

    A new study commissioned by chocolate biscuit bar PiCKUP! found that 88% of us regularly say sorry for things that aren't their fault, and the average Brit apologises eight times a day, amounting to 4,380 times a year.

    The research showed that 57% of us say sorry when someone bumps into them, and a third say it when asking a colleague to do something at work. Astonishingly, 7% of those involved in the study admitted that they apologised when someone else bumped or crashed into their car.

    You may like
    • A woman running into the sunset on the beach "Soft Hermitting" Is Trending on TikTok—and Promises to Be the Antidote to Hustle Culture
    • A woman scrolling on her phone, working on her laptop on the floor 7 Avoidable Everyday Habits That Could Be Draining Your Energy Without You Realising
    • A woman's collarbones with a shell necklace and slip camisole top "Protecting Your Boundaries" Is One of 2026's Biggest Buzzphrases—But Therapists Say We're Using It Wrong

    And when we don't say sorry, others are deeply offended. More than 8 out of 10 admit they've been furious when someone hasn't apologised for something they've done wrong.

    But being too polite can be irritating to some, with 77% of Brits claiming that those who are too well-mannered are taken advantage of - and we're not happy when it comes to queue hopping, with around 7 in 10 of us complaining if someone jumps the line.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    When it comes to pay rises, though, we're less vocal with 77% of us unwilling to ask for more money at work.

    Jadie Troy-Pryde
    Jadie Troy-Pryde
    Social Links Navigation
    News Editor

    Jadie Troy-Pryde is News Editor, covering celebrity and entertainment, royal, lifestyle and viral news. Before joining the team in 2018 as the Lifestyle and Social Media Editor, she worked at a number of women’s fashion and lifestyle titles including Grazia, Women’s Health and Stylist, and now heads the Marie Claire UK news desk.

    Read more
    A woman running into the sunset on the beach
    Wellbeing "Soft Hermitting" Is Trending on TikTok—and Promises to Be the Antidote to Hustle Culture
    A woman scrolling on her phone, working on her laptop on the floor
    Female health 7 Avoidable Everyday Habits That Could Be Draining Your Energy Without You Realising
     
     
    A woman's collarbones with a shell necklace and slip camisole top
    Wellbeing "Protecting Your Boundaries" Is One of 2026's Biggest Buzzphrases—But Therapists Say We're Using It Wrong
    A woman drinking a cup of tea in bed
    Health and Fitness 5 Everyday 'Life Admin' Habits That Are Secretly Exhausting You
     
     
    Latest in Relationships
    Wedding planning
    Relationships I Love My Fiancé, but I Resent the Emotional Labour of Planning Our Wedding
    Wicker husband: Alexander Skarsgård and Olivia Coleman in the new film Wicker
    Relationships Move Over Regular Men and AI Boyfriends, The “Wicker Husband” Has Arrived
     
     
    Emotionally Unavailable Men: Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie in Wuthering Heights
    Relationships Why Are We Still Glamourising Emotionally Unavailable Men?
    Broken disco ball smashed to pieces on the floor. Black and white for a dramatic touch. Shiny backdrop is defocused.
    Relationships Why Do Men Ruin Your Birthday?
     
     
    Latest in Features
    NYFW ss27 outfits to wear now
    Fashion I Just Got Back From NYFW: These 6 Outfits Deserve a Spot in Your Autumn Rotation
    Michelle Obama Liffner bag
    Fashion Michelle Obama Just Wore the Sophisticated Bag Brand Every Fashion Insider is Obsessed With
     
     
    Poppy Wang
    Fashion 5 Experts Explain the Nuances of the ‘Mandarin Jacket’ Trend
    A woman drinking a cup of tea in bed
    Health and Fitness 5 Everyday 'Life Admin' Habits That Are Secretly Exhausting You
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.