{"id":9389,"date":"2026-08-27T06:07:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T02:07:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/matsh.co\/en\/public-speaking-anxiety-statistics-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T06:14:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T02:14:00","slug":"public-speaking-anxiety-statistics-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/matsh.co\/en\/public-speaking-anxiety-statistics-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Public Speaking Anxiety Statistics 2026: The Real Data Behind the Myths"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\n.stk-wrap{background:linear-gradient(135deg,#4a1030,#a0336e);border-radius:16px;padding:32px 36px;margin:0 0 32px;color:#fff}\n.stk-wrap h2{color:#fff;margin:0 0 16px;font-size:1.2rem}\n.stk-list{display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(auto-fit,minmax(220px,1fr));gap:16px;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}\n.stk-list li{background:rgba(255,255,255,.1);border-radius:10px;padding:14px 16px;font-size:.92rem;line-height:1.6}\n.stk-list strong{display:block;font-size:1.5rem;font-weight:800;margin-bottom:4px}\n.bignum{background:#f4f7fa;border:1.5px solid #dde3ec;border-radius:14px;padding:28px 32px;text-align:center;margin:28px 0}\n.bignum .n{font-size:3rem;font-weight:800;color:#a0336e;line-height:1}\n.bignum .l{color:#4a5568;font-size:.95rem;margin-top:8px}\n.pull-fact{border-left:4px solid #a0336e;background:#fdf3f8;padding:20px 26px;margin:28px 0;font-size:1.08rem;font-weight:600;color:#4a1030;line-height:1.6}\n.section-h{border-left:4px solid #a0336e;padding-left:14px;margin:40px 0 18px;font-size:1.3rem;color:#4a1030}\n.myth-box{background:#f8fafc;border:1.5px solid #dde3ec;border-radius:14px;padding:28px 32px;margin:28px 0}\n.myth-box h3{margin:0 0 16px;font-size:1.05rem;color:#122f42}\n.myth-row{display:flex;gap:16px;margin-bottom:14px;align-items:flex-start}\n.myth-tag{flex-shrink:0;font-weight:800;font-size:.78rem;padding:4px 10px;border-radius:6px;text-transform:uppercase}\n.myth{background:#fdecec;color:#b02a2a}\n.fact{background:#e8f5ee;color:#1b8f6e}\n.market-grid{display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(auto-fit,minmax(200px,1fr));gap:14px;margin:24px 0}\n.market-card{background:#fff;border:1.5px solid #edc0da;border-radius:10px;padding:18px 20px;text-align:center}\n.market-card .mn{font-size:1.6rem;font-weight:800;color:#a0336e}\n.market-card .ml{font-size:.8rem;color:#6b7a99;margin-top:4px}\n.related-wrap{background:#f8fafc;border:1.5px solid #dde3ec;border-radius:14px;padding:28px 32px;margin:36px 0}\n.related-wrap h3{margin:0 0 16px;font-size:1.05rem;color:#122f42}\n.related-grid{display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(auto-fit,minmax(240px,1fr));gap:14px}\n.related-card{background:#fff;border:1px solid #dde3ec;border-radius:10px;padding:14px 16px;text-decoration:none;display:block}\n.related-card strong{display:block;color:#122f42;font-size:.9rem;margin-bottom:4px}\n.related-card span{color:#6b7a99;font-size:.8rem}\n.cta-wrap{background:linear-gradient(135deg,#a0336e,#4a1030);border-radius:16px;padding:36px 40px;margin:36px 0;color:#fff}\n.cta-wrap h3{color:#fff;margin:0 0 10px;font-size:1.25rem}\n.cta-wrap p{opacity:.9;margin:0 0 20px;font-size:.95rem;line-height:1.7}\n.cta-links{display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:10px}\n.cta-links a{background:rgba(255,255,255,.15);border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.3);border-radius:8px;padding:10px 18px;font-size:.85rem;color:#fff;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600}\n<\/style>\n<p>Public speaking does not, in fact, rank above death as humanity&#8217;s greatest fear, despite that claim being repeated across thousands of articles and training brochures for decades. According to Chapman University&#8217;s rigorously conducted Survey of American Fears, only 33.7 percent of Americans reported being afraid or very afraid of public speaking in 2025, ranking it 46th out of more than 65 fears surveyed, well behind sharks, heights, and dying itself. Yet the same body of research shows communication is now the single most in-demand skill in the global job market, and the public speaking training industry alone is worth billions of dollars and growing fast. This report separates the myths from the actually-sourced data on public speaking anxiety, its career cost, and the genuine economic scale of the skill, drawn from Chapman University, the National Institute of Mental Health, LinkedIn, Grand View Research, Toastmasters International, and peer-reviewed communication research, with every figure sourced individually throughout.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/matsh.co\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/public-speaking-anxiety-statistics-2026.jpg\" alt=\"A man speaking on stage giving a presentation to an audience\" style=\"width:100%;border-radius:12px;margin:24px 0\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"stk-wrap\">\n<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"stk-list\">\n<li><strong>33.7%<\/strong>Of Americans fear public speaking, ranked 46th of 65+ fears, not first, per Chapman University<\/li>\n<li><strong>45%<\/strong>Have declined a promotion or job application because of public speaking fear<\/li>\n<li><strong>$6.8B<\/strong>Global public speaking training market size in 2025, growing to $13.2B by 2034<\/li>\n<li><strong>#1<\/strong>Communication is LinkedIn&#8217;s most in-demand skill for the second straight year<\/li>\n<li><strong>91%<\/strong>Of L&#038;D executives say soft skills matter more now than ever before<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"section-h\">The myth versus the data<\/h2>\n<p>The claim that public speaking is feared more than death traces back to older, less rigorous surveys and has been repeated so often it now functions as an unquestioned fact in the training industry. The reality, based on the Chapman University Survey of American Fears, a nationally representative academic survey run annually since 2014, looks considerably different.<\/p>\n<div class=\"myth-box\">\n<h3>Myth versus fact, side by side<\/h3>\n<div class=\"myth-row\"><span class=\"myth-tag myth\">Myth<\/span><span>Public speaking is the world&#8217;s number one fear, ranked above death.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"myth-row\"><span class=\"myth-tag fact\">Fact<\/span><span>Public speaking ranked 46th of 65+ fears in the Chapman University Survey of American Fears 2025, at 33.7%, behind sharks (34.6%), heights (34.7%), and dying (31.6%) in the 2024 edition specifically.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"myth-row\"><span class=\"myth-tag myth\">Myth<\/span><span>75 to 77% of the entire global population experiences public speaking anxiety.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"myth-row\"><span class=\"myth-tag fact\">Fact<\/span><span>The two figures aren&#8217;t actually contradictory once you separate severity. Chapman asks specifically about being &#8220;afraid or very afraid,&#8221; and gets 33.7%. Broader research measuring milder apprehension among students finds figures closer to 70%. The gap is the difference between a genuine phobia and ordinary nervousness, not two competing claims about the same thing.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pull-fact\">Social anxiety disorder, the clinical condition most closely linked to severe public speaking fear, affects 7.1% of US adults in a given year and 12.1% over a lifetime, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, a real and significant figure, though far smaller than the &#8220;75% of everyone&#8221; claim repeated across the training industry.<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"section-h\">The real career cost, where the data holds up<\/h2>\n<p>While the &#8220;ranks above death&#8221; claim doesn&#8217;t survive scrutiny, the career impact data is genuinely well supported. Widely cited industry research puts the figure at 45 percent of people having either declined a promotion or avoided applying for a job specifically because of public speaking fear, a substantial share of the workforce self-selecting out of advancement opportunities based on anxiety rather than capability. Separate estimates suggest unaddressed public speaking fear can reduce wage potential by roughly 10 percent and reduce the likelihood of reaching management positions by around 15 percent, figures that compound significantly over a career. The National Association of Colleges and Employers has separately found the importance employers place on speaking skills has risen roughly 20 percent over five years, meaning the cost of avoiding the skill is rising at the same time as the skill itself becomes more central to hiring decisions.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bignum\">\n<div class=\"n\">#1<\/div>\n<div class=\"l\">Communication has ranked as LinkedIn&#8217;s single most in-demand skill for two consecutive years, according to LinkedIn data reported by Forbes in 2025, ahead of every technical skill category tracked, and LinkedIn&#8217;s 2026 Skills on the Rise report separately names public speaking as one of the fastest-growing skills within its Executive and Stakeholder Communication cluster.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"section-h\">The speaking economy: a genuinely large and growing market<\/h2>\n<p>The scale of demand for this skill shows up clearly in market data. The global public speaking training market was valued at 6.8 billion dollars in 2025 and is projected to reach 13.2 billion dollars by 2034, a compound annual growth rate of 7.6 percent, according to industry market research. North America holds the largest regional share at roughly 37.2 percent, about 2.9 billion dollars, reflecting deep organisational investment in communication training specifically, separate from the broader 427.3 billion dollar global corporate training market it sits inside.<\/p>\n<div class=\"market-grid\">\n<div class=\"market-card\">\n<div class=\"mn\">$6.8B<\/div>\n<div class=\"ml\">Public speaking training market, 2025<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"market-card\">\n<div class=\"mn\">$13.2B<\/div>\n<div class=\"ml\">Projected market size by 2034<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"market-card\">\n<div class=\"mn\">2,800+<\/div>\n<div class=\"ml\">Toastmasters collegiate chapters globally, 2026<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"market-card\">\n<div class=\"mn\">6x<\/div>\n<div class=\"ml\">More UK job listings mention &#8220;communication skills&#8221; than &#8220;graduate&#8221;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>That last figure is worth sitting with. Acuity Training&#8217;s analysis of UK Indeed listings found 197,325 live postings mentioning &#8220;communication skills&#8221; against just 32,214 mentioning &#8220;graduate,&#8221; a direct signal that employers value the specific skill of speaking and presenting clearly over the credential itself. Toastmasters International, the largest global public speaking organisation, reported over 2,800 active collegiate chapters worldwide as of early 2026, evidence that structured speaking practice is becoming institutionalised at the education level rather than something people only address once already in a career and already facing the wage and promotion costs documented above.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"section-h\">Who is affected, and how unevenly<\/h2>\n<p>The data shows real demographic variation rather than a uniform fear affecting everyone equally. Women experience specific phobias, a category that includes glossophobia, at roughly double the rate men do, 12.2 percent versus 5.8 percent in general phobia prevalence research. Fear also correlates with education and income: research cited across multiple sources finds public speaking fear more common among people with lower educational attainment and lower income, with one estimate putting intense fear at around 86 percent among people earning under 50,000 dollars annually, compared to roughly half that rate among people with more formal education. Confidence also builds meaningfully with age and experience: research finds people aged 45 and over report notably higher confidence than younger groups, as seasoned professionals develop coping strategies that younger speakers have not yet had the opportunity to build.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"section-h\">What actually reduces the fear<\/h2>\n<p>Research consistently points to one dominant factor: preparation. An estimated 90 percent of pre-presentation anxiety stems from inadequate preparation rather than an unchangeable personality trait, meaning structured practice is the most accessible and effective remedy available, not a rare natural talent some people simply have and others don&#8217;t. Despite this, only around 8 percent of people who experience public speaking fear seek any form of structured help or training to address it, leaving the substantial career cost documented above almost entirely unaddressed for the large majority of people affected by it. Exposure-based practice, gradually increasing speaking difficulty and audience size over time, is the most consistently supported intervention across the research base, which is precisely the structure that formal speaking programmes and organisations like Toastmasters are built around.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"section-h\">Summary table<\/h2>\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;margin:24px 0\">\n<tr style=\"background:#f4f7fa\">\n<th style=\"padding:10px 14px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Measure<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:10px 14px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Figure<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:10px 14px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Source<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Americans afraid of public speaking, 2025<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">33.7%, ranked 46th of 65+ fears<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/2025\/10\/15\/survey-of-american-fears-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chapman University Survey of American Fears<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background:#f4f7fa\">\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Students reporting communication apprehension<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">~70%<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Communication apprehension research<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">US adults with social anxiety disorder, annual<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">7.1%, 12.1% lifetime<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/health\/statistics\/social-anxiety-disorder\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NIMH<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background:#f4f7fa\">\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Declined promotion or job due to fear<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">45%<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Industry research<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Wage reduction from unaddressed fear<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">~10%<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Industry research<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background:#f4f7fa\">\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Reduced likelihood of reaching management<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">~15%<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Industry research<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Employer emphasis on speaking skills, 5-year rise<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">+20%<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">NACE Job Outlook<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background:#f4f7fa\">\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Communication, LinkedIn&#8217;s most in-demand skill<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">#1, 2 years running<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">LinkedIn, via Forbes 2025<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">L&#038;D executives saying soft skills matter more than ever<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">91%<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background:#f4f7fa\">\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Global public speaking training market, 2025<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">$6.8 billion<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Industry market research<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Projected market size, 2034<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">$13.2 billion<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Industry market research<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background:#f4f7fa\">\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">UK job listings mentioning communication skills vs &#8220;graduate&#8221;<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">197,325 vs 32,214<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Acuity Training, UK Indeed analysis<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Toastmasters collegiate chapters worldwide<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">2,800+<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Toastmasters International<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background:#f4f7fa\">\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Women vs men, specific phobia prevalence<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">12.2% vs 5.8%<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Phobia prevalence research<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Pre-presentation anxiety from inadequate preparation<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">~90%<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Communication research<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background:#f4f7fa\">\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">People with fear who seek structured help<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">~8%<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:10px 14px;border:1px solid #dde3ec\">Industry research<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<div class=\"related-wrap\">\n<h3>Further reading on communication and leadership skills<\/h3>\n<div class=\"related-grid\">\n<a class=\"related-card\" href=\"\/en\/course\/mastering-public-speaking-course\/\"><strong>Mastering Public Speaking<\/strong><span>Structured practice, the single most effective remedy this report identifies<\/span><\/a><br \/>\n<a class=\"related-card\" href=\"\/en\/how-to-develop-managerial-skills-for-new-managers\/\"><strong>How to Develop Managerial Skills for New Managers<\/strong><span>Communication sits at the centre of almost every management capability<\/span><\/a><br \/>\n<a class=\"related-card\" href=\"\/en\/learning-development-statistics-2026\/\"><strong>Learning and Development Statistics 2026<\/strong><span>How communication and soft skills fit into the wider skills-gap picture<\/span><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cta-wrap\">\n<h3>Turning preparation into confidence<\/h3>\n<p>With 90 percent of presentation anxiety traced to inadequate preparation, and only 8 percent of affected people seeking structured help, the gap between the problem and the fix is almost entirely a training gap, not a personality one.<\/p>\n<div class=\"cta-links\">\n<a href=\"\/en\/course\/mastering-public-speaking-course\/\">Mastering Public Speaking<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"section-h\">Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/2025\/10\/15\/survey-of-american-fears-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chapman University, Survey of American Fears 2025 and 2024 editions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/health\/statistics\/social-anxiety-disorder\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Institute of Mental Health, Social Anxiety Disorder statistics<\/a><\/li>\n<li>LinkedIn workforce skills data and Skills on the Rise report, via Forbes, 2025-2026<\/li>\n<li>National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), Job Outlook<\/li>\n<li>Toastmasters International, Statistics and Data Hub, 2025-2026<\/li>\n<li>Grand View Research and industry market research, Corporate and Public Speaking Training Market reports<\/li>\n<li>Acuity Training, analysis of UK Indeed job listings<\/li>\n<li>Peer-reviewed communication apprehension research<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-size:.85rem;color:#6b7a99\">This report will be updated as newer data becomes available. Last compiled August 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Public speaking doesn&#8217;t rank above death, despite what every other article claims. The real, Chapman University-sourced data on fear, career cost, and what actually helps.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9388,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/matsh.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/matsh.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/matsh.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matsh.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matsh.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9389"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/matsh.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9389\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9392,"href":"https:\/\/matsh.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9389\/revisions\/9392"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matsh.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9388"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/matsh.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matsh.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matsh.co\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}