7 Human Error Statistics For 2025

Have you ever wondered how much human error affects businesses every day? Mistakes happen, whether it’s a small typo, a missed step in a process, or a decision made under stress. These errors can lead to wasted time, financial losses, and even damaged reputations.

In this blog, we’ll dive into seven eye-opening statistics about human error and ways to overcome such errors with the help of automation and other tools.

Top 7 Human Error Statistics

4 mistakes occur out of every 100 data entries which is a 4% error rate.
Non-compliance with laws can cost you a fine from $50 to $10,000
Workplace accidents cost 3 million jobs every year
An accounting typo can turn into a loss of $225 million
Human error account for 80% of the process failures
Profits take up to 30% due to inefficient inventory management.
Average worker checks their phones 96 times a day for personal work.

Data Entry Human Error Statistics

Automated data entry systems are highly accurate, with an accuracy rate of 99.96% to 99.99%. On the other hand, human data entry accuracy ranges from 96% to 99%.
When no verification steps are in place, the error rate for data entry can be as high as 4%, meaning 4 mistakes for every 100 entries.
For 10,000 entries, automated systems would make 1 to 4 errors, while humans could make between 100 and 400 errors. In comparison, humans make up to 100 times more errors than automated systems.

Cybersecurity Human Error Statistics

Out of 100 cyber breaches 95 are caused by human error, meaning they were likely preventable.

The average time between the breach identification and its settlement is 3 to 5 years; costing business time and money.
If a company is non-compliant with Cybersecurity Law, the fines vary from $50 to $10,000

29% of businesses that experience a data breach end up losing revenue.
80% of businesses that faced breaches had their customer’s personal information compromised.
60% of small businesses that are victims of a Cyber Attack go out of business within six months.

Work Accidents Human Error Statistics

Globally nearly 3 million workers lose their lives due to work-related accidents.

Approximately 80% of aircraft accidents are due to human error. That can include mistakes by pilots, maintenance mechanics, and air traffic controllers

Around 75-90% of marine accidents involve human error, which consists of operational and functional mistakes.

maritime accidents involving human error

In the construction sector, human error is considered the root cause of 80% of major accidents.

construction accidents due to human errors

In the manufacturing industry, 23% of downtime is caused due to human error.

manufacturing down times due to human error

95% of data breaches in an organization occur due to human error.

Accounting Miscalculation Human Error Statistics

A single typing error by an employee cost the company $225 million when, instead of selling one share for ¥610,000, they mistakenly sold 610,000 shares for ¥1 each.
A scientist on a satellite sent to Mars got confused during the conversion between metric and imperial units which caused a loss of $125 million in addition to the failure of the mission.
Financial and accounting professionals comprise 27.5% of data entry errors due to manually inputting incorrect data.

18% of accounting errors involve saving a file with financial information to a personal device and corrupting the data.

Supply Chain Human Error Statistics

Human errors account for about 80% of process deviations in warehousing industries

warehousing delays because of human error

The average cost of picking up errors ranges between $20-$60. This can turn into a substantial amount according to the frequency of error.
Businesses globally spend 20% of their budget on rectifying human errors in logistics.
With the help of automation in the supply chain companies can save around $3 million per facility
By improving inventory accuracy by 4%, companies can save over $407K annually at each warehouse location.

Inventory Management Error Statistics

50% of all inventory errors are due to picking errors.
Lack of proper training for warehouse staff can lead to an increase in unplanned downtime by 35%
Around 50% of spare parts in warehouses are obsolete which takes up unnecessary space and increases carrying costs.
Businesses lose 10% to 30% of their annual profits due to inefficient inventory management.

Time Management Error Statistics

Approximately 70% of the total cost of a business is tied up in labor or employee costs.
The average worker spends 51% of every workday on low to no-value costs.

82% of businesses still need to install time management systems, so the targets are not achieved in a timely manner.

Businesses with no time management systems

Average worker checks their phone 96 times a day for personal work.

Unnecessary meetings that could have been handled through email cost businesses approximately $2.5 million.

Common Areas Humans Make Errors

When you’re working, it’s easy to make mistakes in common areas like data entry, communication, or handling deadlines. Typing errors, misreading instructions, or forgetting to double-check details can lead to problems. Other areas where humans are prone to cause errors consist of:

Stress
Fatigue
Bad-equipment
Decision making
Lack of resources
Disregarding safety

Root Causes and Contributing Factors of Human Errors

Human error happens to everyone, but it often has deeper reasons behind it. Whether it’s due to stress, lack of training, unclear instructions, or just being tired, these small mistakes can have big consequences.

In the following section, you’ll learn about the root causes and factors that lead to human error, which will help you understand why they happen, their impact, and how you can minimize the damage.

Psychological Factors

Psychological factors play a big role in why mistakes happen by your workforce. Stress, fatigue, or even being overwhelmed can affect how you focus and make decisions, leading to errors.

A fatigued worker has an approximately 62% higher risk of accidents, as compared to a well-rested worker.
Globally 79% of adult workers experience work-related stress causing a lack of interest and motivation towards work.
32% of workers on average suffer at their jobs due to emotional exhaustion
People who work evening or night shifts (4.8%) or rotating shifts (3.9%) experience more serious mental stress compared to those who work regular day shifts (2.3%).
Workers without paid sick leave are more likely to experience serious psychological distress (5.4%) compared to those with paid sick leave (2.2%).

Environmental Factors

The environment your business operates in plays a big role in workplace errors. Conditions like poor lighting, excessive noise, irregular shifts, and long hours can affect focus, energy levels, and decision-making, increasing the chances of mistakes.

Worker’s attention and alertness is decreased in early morning and late night shifts. Accident rates are 18% higher during evening shifts and 30% higher during night shifts compared to day shifts.
Working shifts exceeding 12.5 hours increases the risk of struggling to stay awake by 50%, leading to more errors.
If your workers are experiencing high stress levels, this can impair their effectiveness and increase the chances of human error.
Engaging in monotonous, repetitive tasks can lead to decreased attention and increased error rates over time. Therefore, automation is key to avoiding human error.

Economic Impact

Human error can increase your business’s direct and indirect costs of operation, which will directly affect your profits and the overall working of your business.

Direct costs of human error may consist of lost sales, increased labour costs, wasted resources, and opportunity costs.
However indirect costs may consist of reduced morale and damaged business reputation.
The direct cost of human error resulted in 15,000 marine liability insurance claims, 75% of the claim values, totalling over $1.6 billion.
Beyond direct expenses, human errors can cause indirect costs like lack of productivity and low worker morale resulting in damage to the long-term profitability of your business.
To overcome the impact of human errors businesses incur costs for implementing corrective actions, conducting training programs and enhancing safety measures.
On average, the training cost companies spent per worker was $954, with each employee receiving 57 hours of training.

How to Minimize Human Errors

Instead of current manual systems in your business, if you implement automation for daily and regular tasks it will minimise the risk of human error. The right initiatives depend on what you’re trying to fix—from equipment failure to data entry errors.

Training Impact

The fast-paced and ever-changing nature of business can create significant risks. Regular training is critical for reducing the risk of human error at your business.
It ensures there is a significant minimisation of human error by keeping employees informed and educated on regulations, procedures, and safety protocols for secure and efficient operations.
On average, the training cost companies spent per worker was $954, with each employee receiving 57 hours of training.
Training costs consist of direct costs and Indirect costs; the total is apportioned amongst the total number of employees.
Company training programs result in 218% higher income per employee than those without training. These companies also enjoy a 24% higher profit margin.
Companies are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable when they offer training to employees.
70% of employees would be somewhat likely to leave their current jobs to work for an organization known for investing in employee training.

Technology Solutions

You can rely on technology to cut down on human errors by automating repetitive tasks and reducing manual work. With tools like AI, automated data entry software, and real-time alerts, you’ll catch mistakes before they happen and keep things running smoothly and accurately.

Automating regular tasks can drastically reduce human errors. For instance, automation in data entry can lower error rates by up to 80%.
Utilizing human-machine interfaces has proved to cut errors by 30% as compared to traditional systems.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can predict and prevent errors by analyzing patterns and suggesting corrections in real time. For instance, predictive maintenance systems reduce operational errors by over 70%.
Using real-time monitoring systems like IOT-enabled devices provides real-time updates and alerts on abnormal activities, significantly reducing human error risk.
Automated workflow ensures tasks are completed in the correct order and within due time.

Automate Your Data Entry with DocuClipper

Human errors are inevitable, but their impact on your business doesn’t have to be. Whether it’s processing bank statements, invoices, or receipts, even small mistakes can lead to costly consequences.

DocuClipper simplifies your financial workflows by automating tedious tasks like document data extraction and entry, minimizing the risk of errors.

With DocuClipper, you can process financial documents quickly and accurately. It captures and organizes data from your invoices, receipts, and bank statements, so you can focus on strategic decisions instead of fixing mistakes.

Ready to reduce human errors and improve efficiency? Start using DocuClipper today and experience a smarter way to manage your financial data.

FAQs about Human Error Statistics

Have questions about human error and its impact on the workplace? Here are some quick answers to help you understand and address common concerns effectively.

What are human error examples?

Human errors are common across industries. These may include data entry mistakes, miscommunication, poor time management, lapses in safety measures, improper use of equipment, psychological factors like stress and fatigue

What is a normal human error rate?

Manual data entry is prone to errors, with studies indicating an average human error rate of approximately 1%. This means that for every 1,000 orders processed manually, about 10 may contain errors, leading to potential customer dissatisfaction and additional costs for corrections.

What percentage of data loss is caused by human error?

Human error is a significant contributor to data breaches, 74% involve human mistakes. Additionally, 43% of data loss incidents were caused by internal workers, with half of these cases being accidental.

Which percentage of incidents are caused by human error?

Human error is a significant factor in vehicle collisions. A report analyzing British and American crash data found that driver error, intoxication, and other human factors contributed to approximately 93% of crashes. This underscores the critical role of human behavior in road safety and the importance of addressing these factors to reduce accidents.

What is the biggest cause of human error?

The commonly noticed reasons for human error in the workplace are psychological, environmental, organisational, and technical factors.

What is the probability of human error?

The average person makes about one mistake for every 1,000 routine tasks or decisions, which equates to a probability of human error of approximately 0.1%.

How do you calculate the human error percentage?

Human error percentage is typically calculated as the ratio of errors made to the total opportunities for errors, expressed as a percentage. Here’s how you can calculate it:

Human Error Percentage=(number of errors / total tasks)*100

What percentage of all events are attributed to human error?

Approximately 60 to 80% of accidents are attributed to human error.

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Related Information

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