---
title: "Internet Statistics 2026: Latest Numbers Inside"
date: 2026-01-24
author: "Supriya Gharat"
featured_image: "https://xtendedview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/internet-statistics-image.jpg"
categories:
  - name: "Internet"
    url: "/category/internet.md"
tags:
  - name: "Statistics"
    url: "/tag/statistics.md"
---

# Internet Statistics 2026: Latest Numbers Inside

The internet continues to shape how people work, shop, learn, communicate, and access essential services. Businesses rely on it to power e-commerce, cloud applications, digital advertising, and AI-driven [customer experiences](https://xtendedview.com/customer-experience-statistics/), while governments and healthcare providers use connected services to deliver public resources and telemedicine. As internet adoption reaches new milestones, understanding the latest statistics helps businesses, marketers, researchers, and policymakers make better decisions. Explore the data below to see how the global internet landscape continues to evolve.

## Editor’s Choice

- **More than 6.12 billion** people worldwide use the internet in 2026, representing **73.8%** of the global population.

![Global Internet Users 2026](https://xtendedview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/global-internet-users-2026.jpg)

- Around **2.2 billion people** remain offline despite continued expansion in global connectivity.
- Global internet users increased by approximately **59 million year over year** by April 2026.
- The United States recorded **324 million internet users** by the end of 2025, with internet penetration reaching **93.1%**.
- Worldwide [social media](https://xtendedview.com/social-media-user-statistics/) identities reached **5.79 billion** in 2026, equal to **69.9%** of the global population.
- Active users of generative AI services climbed to **2.42 billion** globally in 2026 after growing **141%** over the previous year.
- Global internet traffic expanded by **19% during 2025**, reflecting increasing reliance on cloud platforms, streaming, AI, and connected services.
- Mobile broadband now reaches **over 96%** of the world’s population through at least 3G coverage, while **5G coverage exceeds 55%** globally.

## Recent Developments

- Internet penetration increased to **73.8%** of the world’s population in April 2026, continuing the steady expansion of global connectivity.
- The number of active generative AI users more than doubled between April 2025 and April 2026, reaching **2.42 billion users**.
- Global social media identities grew by **294 million** over the past year, marking annual growth of **5.4%**.
- Internet traffic increased **19% year over year** during 2025 as AI applications and digital services expanded worldwide.
- Governments accounted for nearly **half of major internet disruptions** observed globally during 2025.
- Post-quantum encryption now protects **52% of human internet traffic**, reflecting growing adoption of next-generation security technologies.
- More than **25 record-breaking DDoS attacks** were recorded during 2025, highlighting rising cybersecurity threats.
- Google remained the world’s most popular internet service, while ChatGPT continued to lead the generative AI category during 2025.

## Global Internet Overview

- Approximately **6.12 billion** people are connected to the internet globally in 2026.
- Global internet penetration reached **73.8%**, meaning nearly three out of every four people now use the internet.
- Internet adoption stood at **73.2%** in late 2025 before increasing further in 2026.
- Around **2.2 billion people** still lack internet access worldwide.
- India now has **more than 1 billion internet users**, making it one of the world’s largest online populations.
- China has nearly **1.3 billion internet users**, accounting for more than **one-fifth** of all global internet users.
- Internet users have doubled globally in roughly **11 years**, growing from 3 billion in 2014 to over 6 billion today.
- Urban internet usage reached **85.4%**, compared with **58.2%** in rural areas worldwide during 2025.
- Active mobile broadband subscriptions average **99.4 per 100 people** globally.

## Internet User Demographics

- **70.5% of women** worldwide use the internet, compared with **76.6% of men**, showing the digital gender gap continues to narrow.
- Women account for nearly **240 million fewer internet users** than men globally.
- Men remain roughly **7% more likely** than women to use the internet worldwide.
- Internet adoption among urban residents reaches **85.4%**, significantly exceeding rural adoption levels.
- Rural internet adoption stands at **58.2%**, highlighting ongoing infrastructure challenges.
- The United States has an internet penetration rate of **93.1%**, among the highest globally.
- China reports internet adoption above **91%**, reflecting continued digital expansion across the country.
- Approximately **70% of India’s population** now uses the internet, surpassing one billion connected users.

![Internet Usage By Gender Worldwide](https://xtendedview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/internet-usage-by-gender-worldwide.jpg)

## Average Time Spent Online Statistics

- Global internet users spend an average of **6 hours and 38 minutes** online **per day**.
- Roughly **73.8%** of the **global population**, or **6.12 billion people**, are currently online.
- Users spend an average of **33 hours and 13 minutes** **per week** consuming **online media**.
- **Mobile devices** account for approximately **58%** of total **daily internet usage** time.
- An average of **2 hours and 21 minutes** is spent daily on **social media platforms**.
- The average internet user engages with **6.8 different platforms** every single **month**.
- **Video streaming** content accounts for roughly **65%** of all downstream **internet traffic**.
- **[Generative AI](https://xtendedview.com/generative-ai-statistics/)** platforms now attract approximately **2.42 billion** active users **monthly**.
- People aged **16 to 24** spend the most time online, averaging over **9 hours** **daily**.

## Internet Access Trends by Connection Type

- **Mobile internet (4G/5G)** leads overall access at **94%**, making it the most widely available connection type.
- **Fixed broadband** reaches **91%**, showing that fiber, cable, and DSL remain essential for household connectivity.
- **Geographic 5G coverage** stands at **89%**, indicating broad network availability across most locations.
- **Fiber-to-the-home (FTTH)** access is significantly lower at **62%**, highlighting a gap in direct fiber infrastructure.
- The difference between **mobile internet and FTTH access is 32 percentage points**, showing that mobile networks are expanding faster than full-fiber connections.

![Internet Access By Connection Type](https://xtendedview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/internet-access-by-connection-type.jpg)Reference: Searchlab

## Mobile Internet Statistics

- **83.7%** of all cellular mobile connections worldwide now come from smartphones.
- Smartphones represent approximately **86.9%** of all mobile handsets in active use globally.
- Mobile broadband coverage reaches **96.3%** of the world’s population through at least 3G networks.
- LTE coverage extends to **92.7%** of the global population.
- **5G networks** now cover **55.1%** of the world’s population.
- Global mobile broadband subscriptions average **99.4 per 100 people**.
- The United States recorded **417 million mobile connections**, equal to **120%** of its population.
- Median mobile internet download speeds in the United States reached **154.48 Mbps**, increasing nearly **49% year over year**.
- Global mobile data traffic per subscription reached **184 GB annually** during 2025.

## Broadband and Internet Speed Statistics

- The world recorded **20.1 fixed-broadband subscriptions per 100 people** in 2025, up from fewer than 8 subscriptions per 100 people in 2015.
- Active mobile-broadband penetration reached **99 subscriptions per 100 people** in 2025. Mobile broadband represented 89% of all mobile subscriptions, compared with less than half in 2015.
- At least 3G mobile broadband covered **96.3% of the global population** in 2025.
- LTE or WiMAX networks reached **92.7% of people worldwide**, creating a broad base for video calls, streaming, mobile banking and cloud applications.
- Global 5G coverage increased to **55.1% of the population** in 2025, although availability remained concentrated in wealthier economies.
- The median price of an entry-level fixed-broadband package equaled **2.5% of monthly gross national income per person** in 2025.
- Only **88 of 195 economies** met the international affordability target for fixed broadband in 2025, although the total increased by 10 economies from 2024.
- A fixed-broadband subscription cost more than **25% of average monthly income** in a typical low-income economy, putting home connections beyond the reach of many households.
- Fiber reached about **60% of US households** by late 2025, but only around 20% subscribed to a fiber service, leaving significant room for adoption growth.

## Internet Penetration by Age Group

- Internet penetration is **universal among younger users**, reaching **100%** for both the **12–17** and **18–24** age groups.
- Adults aged **25–44** also show near-total adoption, with an internet penetration rate of **99.4%**.
- Among people aged **45–64**, internet usage remains exceptionally high at **98.2%**, showing broad adoption across working-age adults.
- Internet penetration declines slightly among adults aged **65–74**, but still stands at a strong **93.6%**.
- The **75+ age group** records the lowest internet penetration rate at **72.4%**, indicating a notable digital divide among the oldest users.
- The gap between the youngest and oldest age groups is **27.6 percentage points**, highlighting age as a key factor in internet access.
- Overall, the data shows that internet usage is nearly universal for people under **65**, while adoption drops more significantly among adults aged **75 and older**.

![Internet Penetration By Age Group](https://xtendedview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/internet-penetration-by-age-group.jpg)

## Digital Divide and Internet Accessibility Statistics

- Around **2.2 billion people** remained offline in 2025, even as the global online population reached 6 billion.
- Global internet adoption rose from **71% in 2024 to 74% in 2025**, adding roughly 200 million users in one year.
- Internet use reached **85% among urban residents**, compared with only 58% among rural residents in 2025.
- The global urban-to-rural internet-use ratio narrowed from 1.6 to **1.5** over four years, but progress remained modest.
- In Africa, urban residents were **2.6 times more likely** to use the internet than rural residents. Europe’s corresponding ratio stood at just 1.1.
- Only **14% of rural residents in low-income countries** used the internet in 2025, equal to slightly more than one-third of the urban adoption rate in those economies.
- Globally, **77% of men and 71% of women** used the internet in 2025, leaving around 280 million more men than women online.
- Internet services remained unaffordable in about **60% of low- and middle-income economies** in 2025.
- The median mobile-broadband basket cost **1.4% of monthly income per person** globally, but consumers in low-income economies spent about 22 times the income share paid in high-income economies.
- For the bottom 40% of earners in low-income and least-developed economies, mobile connectivity costs consumed about **20% of income per person**.

## Internet Freedom and Censorship Statistics

- Global internet freedom declined for the **15th consecutive year** from **June 2024** to **May 2025**.
- Internet conditions worsened in **28 out of 72 assessed countries**, while only **17 countries** saw improvements.
- The evaluated nations represent approximately **89% of the world’s total internet users**.
- Individuals faced arrest for their online expression in a record-breaking **57 different countries**.
- **Half of the 18 countries** classified as **Free** recorded lower internet-freedom scores, with only **three** improving.
- **China** and **Myanmar** ranked as the **two worst** online environments, while **Iceland** remained the **highest**.
- **Kenya** suffered the steepest decline following a **seven-hour internet shutdown** during nationwide protests.
- **Bangladesh** achieved the greatest improvement despite a previous **11-day mobile internet restriction** in **July 2024**.
- The assessment utilizes **21 specific indicators** covering access barriers, content restrictions, and user rights violations.

## Countries With the Largest Internet User Bases

- **China** leads the ranking with approximately **1 billion internet users**, making it the world’s largest online population.
- **India** ranks second with **644 million users**, representing one of the biggest digital markets globally.
- The **United States** has around **312.8 million internet users**, less than half of India’s total.
- **Brazil** records **170.1 million users**, giving it the largest internet audience in Latin America among the listed countries.
- **Indonesia** follows closely with **167.4 million users**, only **2.7 million fewer** than Brazil.
- **Russia** has approximately **132 million internet users**, the lowest figure among the six countries shown.
- Together, these six countries account for more than **2.42 billion internet users**, highlighting their major influence on the global digital economy.

![Internet Users By Country](https://xtendedview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/internet-users-by-country.jpg)Reference: World Population Review

## Online Activities and User Behavior Statistics

- Online adults used an average of **6.75 social and communication platforms per month** in the second quarter of 2025.
- The average declined slightly from 6.86 platforms in late 2024, suggesting that people continued to use several services but consolidated some activity.
- Connected adults used social media on an average of **4.21 days per week** in 2025.
- Adults aged 16 to 24 used social media on **4.6 days per week**, making them the most frequent age group.
- Men aged 65 and older used social media on an average of **2.81 days per week**, the lowest rate among the measured demographic groups.
- Internet users spent more than **one hour per day** browsing conventional social networks. Including video platforms raised consumption to more than 2½ hours daily.
- Combined social and online-video activity averaged **18 hours and 36 minutes per week** for each connected adult.
- Women aged 16 to 24 spent **25 hours and 45 minutes per week** viewing social and video feeds, or more than 3 hours and 40 minutes per day.
- More than **1 billion people** used large language models and generative AI services each month in 2025, adding AI assistants to common online activities such as search, research and writing.
- Social media users reported an average of **4.69 different reasons** for using social platforms, showing that activity extends beyond communication to news, entertainment, shopping and brand research.

## Website and Domain Statistics

- The internet contained **386.9 million registered domain names** across all top-level domains at the end of 2025.
- Total registrations increased by **22.7 million, or 6.2%**, between the fourth quarters of 2024 and 2025.
- Registrations grew by 8.4 million in the fourth quarter alone, representing a **2.2% quarterly increase**.
- The .com domain base totaled **161 million registrations**, while .net accounted for another 12.5 million.
- New .com and .net registrations reached **10.7 million** in the fourth quarter of 2025, up from 9.5 million in the corresponding 2024 quarter.
- The combined .com and .net renewal rate stood at approximately **75%** during the final quarter of 2025.
- Country-code domains reached **145.6 million registrations**, increasing 3.4% from the previous year.
- New generic domains increased **29.9% year over year** to 47.8 million registrations. They represented 12.4% of all registered domains.
- The 10 largest country-code extensions accounted for **57.4% of all country-code registrations** at the end of 2025.
- The 10 largest generic extensions represented **88.9% of generic-domain registrations** and 55.4% of all registered domains.

## Web Browser and Search Engine Statistics

- Chrome held approximately **69.5% of the worldwide browser market** in mid-2025, giving it more than four times the share of its nearest competitor.
- Safari accounted for about **15.3% of browser use**, supported by its default position across iPhones, iPads and Mac computers.
- Edge captured approximately **5.2% of the global browser market** in mid-2025.
- Chrome for Android alone represented **41.49% of worldwide browser-version activity** in June 2026.
- Safari on iPhone generated **12.39% of worldwide browser-version activity** in June 2026.
- Google handled **91.27% of worldwide search-engine activity** in June 2026.
- Bing held **4.68% of global search activity**, making it the second-largest traditional search engine.
- Yahoo accounted for **1.28% of global searches**, while Yandex held 0.79%.
- DuckDuckGo captured **0.67% of worldwide search activity** in June 2026.
- Search engines remained central to online discovery in 2025 despite the rapid rise of AI assistants, which had already attracted more than 1 billion monthly users.

![Global Search Engine Market Share June 2026 1](https://xtendedview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/global-search-engine-market-share-june-2026-1.jpg)

## Internet Traffic Statistics

- **Global internet traffic** grew by **19%** in **2025**, driven by cloud and AI expansion.
- **Fixed-broadband subscribers** averaged **4.43 TB** of data usage per subscription in **2025**.
- **Mobile-broadband subscriptions** generated an average of **184 GB** of traffic during **2025**.
- **Satellite internet traffic** doubled in **2025** as networks expanded into **20 additional countries**.
- **Automated web requests** from the top search crawler made up over **25%** of verified **bot traffic**.
- Over **99%** of international data traveled via **submarine cable networks** rather than satellites.
- **Post-quantum encryption** protected **52%** of human-generated web traffic by the end of **2025**.
- **Enterprise AI adoption** drove significantly accelerated **traffic growth** in the second half of **2025**.

## Digital Economy, E-commerce, and Online Advertising Statistics

- **Global retail e-commerce sales** are projected to hit **$6.86 trillion** in **2025**, accounting for **21%** of worldwide retail sales.
- **Global advertising spend** is forecast to reach a record **$1.04 trillion** in **2026**, with digital channels capturing **68.7%** of the total investment.
- **Algorithm-driven advertising** is projected to represent **71.6%** of all advertising spend globally by **2026**.
- **Mobile devices** currently drive **77%** of all **global e-commerce traffic**, but account for only **55% to 58%** of total sales revenue.
- The **global mobile commerce market** is anticipated to reach **$2.51 trillion** in **2025**, representing roughly **60%** of all e-commerce transactions.
- **Digital wallets** are expected to make up **53%** of **online transactions worldwide** in **2025** as traditional card usage declines.
- The **global cross-border e-commerce market** is valued at an estimated **$1.74 trillion** in **2026**, fueled by rising international online shopping.
- By **2030**, **artificial intelligence** is expected to manage **80%** of all **customer interactions** within the e-commerce sector.

## Social Media Usage Trends in the Netherlands

- **YouTube** leads the Dutch social media market with **13.9 million users**, making it the country’s most widely used platform.
- **WhatsApp** follows closely with **13.5 million users**, highlighting its strong role in everyday communication.
- **Facebook** remains a major platform in the Netherlands, reaching approximately **10.4 million users**.
- **Instagram** has around **9.8 million users**, confirming its strong popularity for visual and lifestyle content.
- **LinkedIn** reaches **6.8 million users**, reflecting substantial professional and business networking activity.
- **TikTok** records **5.2 million users**, showing its growing influence among younger and entertainment-focused audiences.
- **Snapchat** has approximately **4.1 million users**, maintaining a notable presence in the Dutch social media landscape.
- **Pinterest** ranks lowest among the listed platforms with **3.6 million users**, but still attracts a sizable interest-based audience.

![Social Media Users In The Netherlands](https://xtendedview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/social-media-users-in-the-netherlands.jpg)

## Internet Security and Cybersecurity Statistics

- **More than 25 record-breaking DDoS attacks** were successfully executed and observed globally during **2025**.
- **Civil society and nonprofits** ranked as the **\#1 most frequently attacked sector** online throughout **2025**.
- Governments were directly responsible for **nearly 50%** of all major **internet disruptions** globally in **2025**.
- The share of human web traffic shielded by **post-quantum encryption** reached exactly **52%** in **2025**.
- Internet disruptions caused by **physical cable cuts** saw a significant decline of **nearly 50%** during **2025**.
- Malicious and automated **bot activity** accounted for a massive **51% of all internet web traffic** in **2025**.
- **AI-assisted cyberattacks** were heavily utilized and involved in **16% of all recorded security breaches**.
- The transition to **zero-trust security models** and resilience investments helped reduce breach lifecycles to **241 days**.

## AI and Internet Statistics

- Generative **AI** reached approximately **2.42 billion active users** worldwide in **2026**.
- The global generative **AI user base** expanded by **141%** year-over-year in **2026**.
- Global **AI spending** crossed **$581.7 billion** during **2025**.
- Roughly **88% of organizations** now use **AI** in at least one business function.
- **Cloud infrastructure** accounted for **71.8%** of the generative **AI market** in **2025**.
- Private **investment** in generative **AI** reached **$33.9 billion** globally in **2024**.
- Over **92%** of **Fortune 500 companies** currently utilize **OpenAI’s** generative technologies.
- **AI workflows** are projected to consume **1,500 TWh of electricity** annually by **2030**.
- The worldwide generative **AI market size** reached **$53.7 billion** in **2025**.

## Future Internet Growth Forecasts

- **Global fixed broadband subscribers** are projected to exceed **1.6 billion connections** worldwide by the end of **2030**.
- **Global 5G subscriptions** will grow to **6.4 billion by 2031**, comprising **two-thirds** of all mobile network connections.
- **Total mobile network data traffic** is anticipated to reach **515 exabytes per month** globally by **2031**.
- **AI-optimized workloads** are expected to consume over **50% of active data center capacity** globally by **2031**.
- **Global satellite broadband subscriptions** are forecast to increase from **10 million in 2025** to roughly **33 million by 2031**.
- Investments in **global AI-ready data centers** will demand **$5.2 trillion** across the compute power value chain by **2030**.
- The **global [6G](https://xtendedview.com/6g-statistics/) technology market** is projected to grow from **$11.4 billion in 2030** to over **$110 billion by 2036**.
- **Global active data center IT capacity** is forecast to grow **sixfold by 2035**, jumping from **24.4 GW to 147.1 GW**.
- **Global Internet of Things (IoT) connections** are forecast to reach more than **38 billion connected devices** by **2030**.

## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

**How many people use the internet worldwide in 2026?**Approximately **6.12 billion people** used the internet in April 2026, equal to nearly **74% of the global population**.

 

**How many people remain offline worldwide?**About **2.2 billion people** remained offline in 2025, down from roughly 2.3 billion in 2024.

 

**What percentage of the global population has 5G coverage?**Around **55.1% of the world’s population** had access to a 5G network in 2025, compared with 51% in 2024.

 

**How much internet data does the average broadband subscription use?**Fixed-broadband subscriptions generated an average of **4.43 TB per year**, while mobile-broadband subscriptions generated **184 GB per year** in 2025.

 

**How many social media users are there worldwide in 2026?**The global total reached approximately **5.79 billion social media user identities** in April 2026.

 

 

## Conclusion

The internet continues to evolve into the foundation of the global digital economy, connecting billions of people, businesses, and devices. Statistics show strong growth in internet adoption, AI usage, mobile connectivity, and digital commerce, while also highlighting persistent challenges such as cybersecurity threats, affordability, and digital inequality. As broadband infrastructure expands, AI reshapes online experiences, and new technologies improve connectivity, organizations that monitor these trends will be better positioned to adapt to changing user behavior and emerging opportunities.