What Percentage of Consumers Have Written an Online Review?
Up from 67% in 2020. Younger consumers are 3x more likely to write reviews.
73% of consumers have written an online review in the past year, according to BrightLocal’s 2024 Local Consumer Review Survey. This represents a slight increase from 72% in 2023, showing that review-writing behavior remains consistent and widespread. The silent majority is actually quite vocal—and increasingly so when asked directly.
Data current as of February 2025
Key Statistics at a Glance
- 73% of consumers have written a review in the past year (BrightLocal | 2024)
- 69% left a review after being asked by a business (BrightLocal | 2024)
- 42% almost always leave a review after transacting (GatherUp | 2025)
- 50%+ of internet users post reviews monthly (GWI | 2024)
- Only 2% of consumers never leave reviews (GatherUp | 2025)
Review Writing Has Become Mainstream
Review-writing is no longer a niche behavior. The data shows that nearly three-quarters of consumers actively participate in the review ecosystem:
The most telling statistic: only 2% of consumers never leave reviews. The vast majority have written at least one review, making the potential reviewer pool nearly universal.
The Power of Asking
Asking for reviews dramatically increases participation. The 2024 data shows a clear trend: businesses that ask, get reviews.
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Left review after being asked | 60% | 69% | +9% |
| Always leave review when asked | 12% | 19% | +7% |
| Asked but didn’t write review | 19% | 12% | -7% |
The trend is clear: consumers are becoming more responsive to review requests, not less. The percentage who “always” leave a review when asked jumped from 12% to 19% in just one year.
Why People Write Reviews
Understanding motivation helps businesses encourage more reviews:
- 72% write reviews to reward businesses for great service
- 60% write to warn their community about bad experiences
- 31% leave reviews hoping to provoke a business response to unresolved complaints
The reward motive wins: More consumers write reviews to praise businesses than to warn others. This challenges the assumption that unhappy customers are more vocal—satisfied customers actually outnumber them as review authors.
What Type of Reviews Do People Write?
The distribution of positive vs. negative review writers has shifted significantly:
Review Type Distribution (2024)
- Only positive reviews38%
- Both positive and negative25%
- Only negative reviews10%
Trend Since 2022
- Positive-only writers34% → 38%
- Balanced writers33% → 25%
- Negative-only writers7% → 10%
This shift shows reviewers becoming more polarized—fewer “balanced” reviewers who leave both types, more consumers who stick to one sentiment. The good news: positive-only reviewers still significantly outnumber negative-only reviewers (38% vs. 10%).
Age and Review-Writing Behavior
Younger consumers are the most active reviewers:
- Ages 25-34: 53% post reviews monthly — the most active demographic
- Millennials: 74% very likely to leave reviews for dining experiences
- Gen Z: 54% very likely to leave reviews for dining experiences
Millennials are particularly review-active, likely because they’ve grown up with review culture and see it as a natural part of the consumer experience.
Why Some Consumers Don’t Write Reviews
The 27% who haven’t written a review in the past year cite predictable barriers:
- 51% intend to write more reviews but forget
- 47% cite being too busy
- 32% would write more if businesses asked them
The implication is clear: these aren’t hostile non-reviewers. They’re potential reviewers who need a reminder. Over half say they simply forget—which is why automated review requests work so well.
What This Means for Businesses
The data makes the case for proactive review collection:
- 98% of your customers are potential reviewers — only 2% never write them
- Asking works: 69% leave reviews when asked, up from 60% last year
- Timing matters: 51% forget, so request reviews immediately after service
- Positive bias: More people write to reward than to complain
The math is simple: With 73% of consumers already review-active and 69% responding to requests, businesses that systematically ask for reviews will outperform those that don’t. The review writing population is large and willing—you just need to ask.
Sources & Methodology
This analysis draws from the following sources:
- BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey (2024) – Annual consumer survey on review behavior
- GatherUp Beyond the Stars Report (2025) – Review frequency and motivation data
- GWI Global Consumer Research (2024) – Monthly review posting behavior
“Written a review” is defined as posting any online review to any platform (Google, Yelp, Facebook, etc.) within the stated time period. The 73% figure represents consumers who have written at least one review in the past 12 months.