Firefox Statistics 2026: Hard Truths & Highlights

In the fast‑moving world of web browsers, Mozilla Firefox still plays an important role despite facing stiff competition. In both enterprise roll‑outs and consumer privacy‑centric use cases, Firefox’s presence influences UX decisions and security postures. For example, a university might choose Firefox for its built‑in tracking protection, while a web developer team may include Firefox in their compatibility testing. Read on to explore detailed statistics that shed light on Firefox’s current position and trajectory.

Editor’s Choice

Here are the key statistics selected for immediate insight:

•  2.45% global browser market share for Firefox in July 2025.
•  4.23% market share in the U.S. as of June 2025.
• 305 million estimated Firefox users worldwide in 2025.
• Mobile usage share for Firefox is seen as low as  0.5% in certain vendor reports.
• Desktop usage share claim of  4.78% in 2024 for Firefox across all platforms.
• Peak historical market share of  31.8% in November 2009 for Firefox.
• For Android alone, Firefox has passed 100 million downloads on Google Play.

Recent Developments

The following recent developments mark shifts in Firefox’s ecosystem:

• In early 2025, Firefox’s global share was reported to drift around 2–3% of all browser traffic.
• The user‑agent data from Statcounter shows Firefox at  2.17% global share in September 2025.
• In the United States, Firefox held about 4.07% of browser share in August 2025.
• Firefox remains the fourth‑most used browser worldwide behind Chrome, Safari, and Edge.
• Firefox is no longer bundled as the default on major operating systems in the same way it once was, making its position more reliant on user choice.
• Some reports highlight a continued decline in mobile usage, with Firefox’s mobile share dropping to below 1% in global mobile browser statistics.
• The question of whether Firefox will maintain multi‑platform relevance is being discussed among web‑strategists and industry analysts.

Firefox Market Share Overview

Here are statistics that illustrate Firefox’s current market share context:

• Worldwide browser share for Firefox:  2.45% in July 2025.
• Global 2025 estimate is around 2.25% for Firefox across all platforms.
• In the United States, Firefox got approximately. 4.23% in June 2025.
• For desktop‑only worldwide, some sources claim Firefox had as much as  4.78% in 2024.
• In mobile browser market share reports, Firefox registered only  0.5% globally.
• Comparatively, its peak share in 2009 was 31.8%.
• The decline from double‑digit percentages to low single digits has been consistent over the past decade.
• Some region‑specific data: Africa reported 3.82% market share for Firefox in one source.
• Markets with strong mobile default browsers have further pressured Firefox’s share.
• The gap between Firefox and the dominant Google Chrome is dramatic: Chrome 66–68% global share, many times Firefox’s 2‑3%.

Number of Firefox Users Worldwide

This section captures estimated user counts rather than just market share percentages:

• An estimated 305 million people use Firefox worldwide as of 2025.
• One report places Firefox’s user base at “more than 362 million users” globally.
• Some figures from older sources suggest “over 250 million monthly users” for Firefox.
• According to the Firefox Public Data Dashboard, the number of desktop clients active in the past 28 days is publicly tracked.
• A Reddit thread claims weekly active users of Firefox have fallen below 150 million for the first time, according to Mozilla’s public data.
• The global user count contrasts with the market share percentage of 2–3%, indicating a large base but comparatively slow growth relative to other browsers.
• Growth estimates show a 12‑month decline from 2.72% to 2.25% in share, despite user counts remaining in the hundreds of millions.
• For Android, Firefox has been downloaded over 100 million times, indicating a wide installation base, though not equal to active users.
• The gap between installations and active user count suggests retention and usage depth may be weaker than top competitors.

Firefox Desktop vs Mobile Usage

A breakdown of how Firefox usage differs across device categories:

• Mobile browser market share for Firefox is very low: estimates around  0.5% globally.
• Desktop usage share (for Firefox) is significantly higher than mobile share, though still modest: some sources 4.78% in 2024.
• The gap suggests Firefox’s stronghold is more likely on desktops or power users rather than general mobile users.
• Desktop browsers like Chrome dominate 65‑66% share, placing Firefox far behind.
• On tablets, the share for Firefox is also minimal due to default browser limitations and device OS constraints.
• The mobile‑first web growth thus presents a structural challenge for Firefox to expand its share.
• Some regions still report desktop‑Firefox usage at higher single‑digit percentages, reflecting legacy user bases.
• The difference in usage by device type means strategies for Firefox differ, fewer mobile gains but retention and niche strength on desktop.

Firefox Monthly Active / Weekly Active Users

• According to the Mozilla Firefox Public Data Dashboard, Monthly Active Users (MAU) on desktop (clients active in the past 28 days) numbered about 163 million in February 2025.
• The same dashboard notes that this MAU figure has been on a gradual decline from earlier years.
• Industry commentary reports that Firefox has lost over 50 million MAUs since March 2020.
• One estimate places Firefox MAU at approximately 155 million by July 2024.
• Weekly Active Users (WAU) data are less frequently published, but telemetry indicates a substantial drop in weekly engagement compared to historic peaks.
• The ratio of WAU to MAU suggests a significant portion of the user base logs in monthly rather than weekly, indicating intermittent usage.
• The gap between installs/downloads (hundreds of millions) and active usage underscores retention, or lack thereof, as a core challenge.
• For Firefox mobile clients, MAU is far lower and seldom broken out publicly, reinforcing the dominance of desktop users in its active base.
• The trend of declining MAU/WAU reflects broader market share contraction and competitive pressure from other browsers.
• Internal data collection explained by Mozilla shows “daily usage ping” metrics underpin active‑user figures across Android, iOS, and Desktop.

Growth Trends Over the Years

• In 2009, Mozilla Firefox achieved a peak market share of roughly 32% worldwide.
• By 2024, Firefox’s global browser share had declined to approximately 2.91%.
• In February 2025, Firefox held about 2.57% of the global web browser market.
• Mobile share for Firefox in that same February 2025 window was about 0.53%.
• From 2022 to 2025, Firefox’s market share slid from roughly 3.04% to 2.37%.
• Desktop browser share for Firefox was estimated at around 5.88% globally in May 2025.
• Region‑wise, Firefox held about 4.6% share in Europe in early 2025, versus 1.2% in Asia.
• The downward trend in share reflects strong competition from Google Chrome (> 65%) and Apple Safari (17%) globally.
• Despite the decline, the number of users reportedly remained in the hundreds of millions, suggesting a slower decline in raw users relative to share.
• Analysts note that while Firefox’s share has shrunk, its positioning on privacy and as an alternative keeps it relevant in niche segments.

Firefox Downloads and Installs

• On Google Play (Android), Firefox had surpassed 100 million downloads as of 2025.
• One source reported Firefox had been downloaded more than 2 billion times cumulatively across platforms.
• The installation base far exceeds the active user count, signalling a gap between installs and ongoing usage.
• Firefox’s prominence on mobile installs has not translated into high mobile market share.
• Some “install” data are older or aggregated and lack recent breakdowns by platform.
• The growth in downloads in emerging markets remains modest relative to competitors.
• Firefox’s non‑profit status and global availability support its installation numbers.
• While download milestones are notable, active install base and retention are more critical for market share.
• Third‑party sources suggest download growth has slowed in recent years.
• The difference between “downloads” and “active installs” means caution in interpreting high download numbers as growth in usage.

Firefox Performance Statistics

• In 2025 testing, Firefox scored near the bottom in speed benchmarks (130–160 runs per minute).
• Memory usage was about 847 MB for Firefox with five tabs, higher than some competitors.
• Firefox operates on the Gecko engine and aims for cross‑platform performance.
• Users reportedly open an average of 6.1 tabs per session.
• Performance improvements in recent versions target faster startup times and smoother scrolling.
• Users continue to report occasional rendering or compatibility glitches.
• Speed benchmarks favor Chrome and Safari in many independent tests.
• On desktop, Firefox’s relative performance remains acceptable for typical browsing tasks.
• Performance on mobile remains a challenge due to lower market share and less dev focus.
• Mozilla’s public dashboard provides version‑adoption data.

Privacy Features Usage

• Firefox’s “Enhanced Tracking Protection” is enabled by default.
• More than 20% of Firefox users reportedly have enhanced tracking protection enabled.
• Firefox’s privacy notice offers users control over data collection and interaction with data.
• Firefox allows users to upgrade insecure HTTP connections via HTTPS automatically.
• The browser offers multi‑account containers and profile separation features.
• Privacy remains a key differentiator for Firefox.
• Some users cite Firefox as a “political” or ideological choice in favor of openness and user control.
• Mozilla faces regulatory scrutiny over attribution and telemetry features.
• Adoption of advanced privacy tools remains a smaller subset of the total user base.
• Firefox’s positioning around privacy helps retain niche loyalty.

Firefox vs Competitor Browsers (Market Share)

• As of April 2025, Chrome held approximately. 66% global browser market share, Safari 17%, Edge 5%, and Firefox 3%.
• In July 2025, Firefox’s global share was around 2.45% across all platforms.
• Desktop share for Firefox in May 2025 was 5.88%, while mobile share was around 0.5%.
• In North America, Firefox’s market share was about 4.73%.
• Chrome’s dominance constrains Firefox’s potential growth.
• Firefox’s relative ranking remains fourth in many markets.
• The “2% rule” in U.S. government websites raises compatibility questions.
• Mobile browser competition is especially difficult for Firefox.
• Firefox’s strategy of privacy and open‑source differentiates it.
• In niche segments, Firefox maintains a stronger position.

Geographic Distribution of Firefox Users

• In July 2025, Firefox’s market share in Europe was about 4.56%, compared to 1.32% in Asia.
• In Oceania, Firefox held a roughly 2.67% share.
• The United States showed Firefox at around 4.18% share.
• Germany reported a near 9.88% market share.
• India recorded a relatively low share at about 0.79%.
• Africa and Asia both show particularly low Firefox adoption, less than 1.5% in many cases.
• Regional variance reflects mobile‑default browser dynamics.
• Markets with stronger open‑source sentiments show higher Firefox shares.
• Localization and language support help Firefox in non‑English markets.
• Firefox’s user base is concentrated in certain regions.

Firefox User Demographics

• More than 50% of Firefox users use a non‑English version of the browser.
• Firefox has a user base of roughly 305 million globally.
• Firefox’s active‑user retention rate fell to  32% in 2025.
• The average Firefox user visits 139 searches per month.
• Users of Firefox are 1.9 times more likely to use ad‑blockers.
• The Firefox Sync feature had around 22 million active users.
• 77% of Firefox users say they are concerned about their online privacy.
• Reliable demographic breakdowns by age or gender are limited.

Firefox Browser Features Adoption Rates

• More than 70% of Firefox’s active users have at least one extension installed.
• Reading mode was used by over 10 million monthly active users.
• Multi‑device sync capability is used by about 30% of active users.
• The “Send tab” feature has seen growth.
• Enhanced Tracking Protection is enabled by default; advanced features remain niche.
• 36,000+ Firefox add‑ons and 495,000+ themes are available.
• Recent releases include on‑device translation and profile separation.
• Firefox’s feature set is broader than general adoption would suggest.

Security Statistics

• In 2025 alone, there have been dozens of security vulnerabilities fixed in Firefox.
• Firefox ranked last in speed/JS performance in one 2025 analysis.
• Firefox’s open‑source codebase allows for community audits.
• Security features include HTTPS‑Only mode, Enhanced Tracking Protection, and sandboxing.
• Firefox accounts for 0.53 of % mobile market share, a small attack surface.
• Firefox was found to suffer from a higher number of defect‑prone components.
• A complaint alleged that Firefox included “privacy‑preserving attribution” by default.
• Firefox tracks fewer users than larger browsers.

History and Major Updates

• The first version of Firefox (then Phoenix 0.1) was released in 2002.
• Firefox 1.0 launched in 2004.
• Firefox 57 “Quantum” was released in 2017.
• Mozilla marked “20 years of Firefox” in November 2024.
• Firefox introduced profile separation in October 2025.
• Security patches in 2025 include MFSA 2025‑19 through MFSA 2025‑55.
• Firefox updates follow a 4–6 week cadence.
• Earlier releases added multi‑account containers, sync improvements, and tracking protection.

Extension/Add‑On Ecosystem Statistics

• Over 36,000 add‑ons and 495,000 themes listed.
• Around 70% of Firefox users have at least one extension installed.
• uBlock Origin has over 9 million active Firefox users.
• The Mozilla add‑on site has passed 3 billion downloads.
• WebExtensions API enabled more compatibility post‑2017.
• Extension usage growth ties to Firefox’s user base.
• Themes remain a personalization feature.
• Enterprise‑oriented add‑on deployment continues with less public data.

Enterprise / Organizational Usage Statistics

• 34% of regulated industries choose Firefox for Enterprise.
• Firefox’s enterprise viability is challenged by a shrinking share.
• Mozilla provides a user‑activity dashboard for monitoring.
• Open‑source model appeals to sectors like finance and healthcare.
• Firefox remains installed in many enterprise endpoints.
• The “2% rule” raises concerns about web support.
• Firefox supports enterprise policies (e.g., Group Policy on Windows).
• Privacy, compliance, and auditability remain key enterprise drivers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Conclusion

In summary, the browser landscape places Firefox firmly in a niche role, with a global share of 2–3%. It operates beneath dominant competitors yet maintains relevance in segments valuing privacy, customization, and open‑source principles. Its user base remains substantial in raw numbers, though many indicators show slowed growth, modest retention, and a gap between feature availability and broad adoption. On the enterprise front, Firefox retains appeal in regulated sectors, but its declining consumer foothold raises long‑term questions about ecosystem vitality.

For organizations and individuals weighing browser choice, Firefox still offers unique advantages, especially around control and trust, but must contend with headwinds of scale, inertia, and shifting mobile/device dynamics.