Escape to the loo! Two thirds of Brits hide in the toilet to avoid colleagues, noise… or even their own children
On World Toilet Day (19 November), a survey for Tearfund* asks people in the UK about their loo habits, as part of a new Toilet Twinning campaign to flush away poverty.
The results may surprise you!
Escape room: 62% have used the loo as an excuse to escape for some peace and quiet. More than a third of parents say they use it to take a break from their kids and 28% of people go to avoid work or colleagues
Loo with a view: 13% of 16-34 year olds surveyed have taken a selfie on the toilet
Phone on the throne: 43% of people say they’ve texted from the loo, 27% admitted they make or take calls, and 40% scroll on social media
The poll also addressed more serious issues, such as whether people had ever struggled to find a loo, reflecting the fact that 1.5 billion people - almost a fifth of the world’s population - don’t have access to their own toilet.
- 70% have been unable to access a toilet in a public space, mainly due to it being locked or out of order. For people with a disability, that figure rose to 77%
- 61% have had to go to the loo outside or in an unusual location because they couldn’t find a toilet - with two thirds of those opting for the bushes
Graeme McMeekin, Tearfund’s Head of Audience Engagement says: “Globally, the toilet crisis is urgent. People are getting sick and even dying simply because they live too far from clean water or a decent toilet. A thousand children die every single day from diseases related to unsafe water, sanitation or hygiene. That’s nothing to laugh about.”
As Christmas approaches, Tearfund is urging people to give a life-saving gift by twinning their toilet. It’ll be a present to remember and it only takes moments to order at www.toilettwinning.org - perfect for those last minute gift emergencies.
So don’t let your loo be lonely this Christmas, find its perfect match and help a community transform its future.
For more information about the work of Toilet Twinning and Tearfund, or to donate, please visit www.toilettwinning.org or www.tearfund.org
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For further information, hi-res photos, or interview requests call Sarah Mitchell on 07592 659986, or email [email protected]. For out of hours media enquiries please call 07929 339813.
Notes to editors:
- Toilet Twinning is a Tearfund owned product, funding Tearfund's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Projects.
- Tearfund is a Christian charity that partners with churches in more than 50 of the world’s poorest countries. We tackle poverty through sustainable development, responding to disasters and challenging injustice. We believe an end to extreme poverty is possible. Tearfund is also a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee. For more information about the work of Tearfund, please visit www.tearfund.org.
- *Savanta interviewed a nationally representative audience of 2,068 individuals between 8th and 11th November 2024. Savanta is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Full data available on request.
- Statistics on global access to toilets from WHO.
- The UN’s theme for World Toilet Day 2024 is ‘Toilets - A place for Peace’ - reflecting “the fact that, for billions of people, sanitation is under threat from conflict, climate change, disasters and neglect.”
