Missed Call Statistics: Every Number, Sourced

Missed-call numbers get repeated across the internet until nobody remembers where they came from. This page exists to fix that: every statistic below links to the publisher we found it in. If a number here is wrong or superseded, tell us and we’ll correct it.

How many business calls go unanswered

• 62.2% of calls to small businesses go unanswered. They answer only 37.8% of incoming calls (Aira, 2026).
• The average small business misses 6.8 calls per day (Aira).
• 45% of leads reach out outside business hours (Verse.ai). Coverage gaps, not laziness, drive most missed calls.

What callers do after you miss them

• 85% of callers who reach voicemail never call back (Emitrr).
• 62% of unanswered callers contact a competitor instead (Emitrr).
• Callers who reach voicemail often hang up within seconds. See why callers don’t call back for the behavior behind the numbers.

What it costs

• ~$126,000 per year in lost revenue for the average small business (Aira).
• Legal services: $3,500–$5,200 lost per missed call; a salon loses ~$85 per visit but ~$2,400 in lifetime value (Aira).
• Because only ~38% of calls are answered, most ad-generated phone leads never convert. You pay for the click either way.

How to use these numbers

Multiply your own missed calls by your close rate and job value. The calculator does it in ten seconds. If the yearly figure is uncomfortable, the fixes range from free text-back setups to a full AI receptionist.

Citation policy: link to this page freely; we keep it updated as studies are replaced.