what percentage of people make purchases d...

About half of people report making at least some purchases because of FOMO (fear of missing out), with many surveys clustering in the 40–60% range of consumers saying FOMO has driven them to buy something at least once.

What this means in practice

When people see limited‑time offers, “only 3 left” notices, or trending products—especially on social media—they often feel pressure to act quickly so they do not miss a deal or a social trend. This urgency boosts impulse buying and helps explain why social platforms and ecommerce sites lean so heavily on scarcity, countdown timers, and “what’s popular now” sections.

Quick example

Imagine a shopper scrolling in the evening and seeing a post that a popular sneaker drop is “almost sold out.” They might not have planned to buy shoes, but the idea that “everyone else is getting them” plus “almost gone” can push them into a purchase they would otherwise skip—an everyday example of a FOMO‑driven buy.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.