The total amount of data created, captured, copied, and consumed globally is forecast to increase rapidly, reaching 149 zettabytes in 2024. Over the next five years up to 2028, global data creation is projected to grow to more than 394 zettabytes. In 2020, the amount of data created and replicated reached a new high. The growth was higher than previously expected, caused by the increased demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as more people worked and learned from home and used home entertainment options more often. Storage capacity also growing Only a small percentage of this newly created data is kept though, as just two percent of the data produced and consumed in 2020 was saved and retained into 2021. In line with the strong growth of the data volume, the installed base of storage capacity is forecast to increase, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 19.2 percent over the forecast period from 2020 to 2025. In 2020, the installed base of storage capacity reached 6.7 zettabytes.

As of March 2024, there were a reported 5,381 data centers in the United States, the most of any country worldwide. A further 521 were located in Germany, while 514 were located in the United Kingdom. What is a data center? A data center is a network of computing and storage resources that enables the delivery of shared software applications and data. These centers can house large amounts of critical and important data, and therefore are vital to the daily functions of companies and consumers alike. As a result, whether it is a cloud, colocation, or managed service, data center real estate will have increasing importance worldwide. Hyperscale data centers In the past, data centers were highly controlled physical infrastructures, but the cloud has since changed that model. A cloud data service is a remote version of a data center – located somewhere away from a company's physical premises. Cloud IT infrastructure spending has grown and is forecast to rise further in the coming years. The evolution of technology, along with the rapid growth in demand for data across the globe, is largely driven by the leading hyperscale data center providers.

In the digital age, every minute counts as billions of users engage with online platforms worldwide. The year 2024 saw an astounding 251.1 million emails sent, 138.9 million Reels played on Facebook and Instagram, and 5.9 million Google searches conducted every 60 seconds. Social media's continued dominance Social media platforms remain at the forefront of online interactions, with Facebook leading the pack at over three billion monthly active users. The broader Meta ecosystem, including Instagram and WhatsApp, further solidifies its position in the digital landscape. TikTok, a relative newcomer, has rapidly gained traction, generating 186 million downloads in the fourth quarter of 2024 alone. Evolving digital consumption patterns While traditional streaming services like Netflix continue to dominate, with 362,962 hours streamed every minute, the digital media landscape is experiencing shifts in user preferences. Netflix recorded over 300 million paid subscribers worldwide as of the fourth quarter of 2024.

How much time do people spend on social media? As of 2024, the average daily social media usage of internet users worldwide amounted to 143 minutes per day, down from 151 minutes in the previous year. Currently, the country with the most time spent on social media per day is Brazil, with online users spending an average of three hours and 49 minutes on social media each day. In comparison, the daily time spent with social media in the U.S. was just two hours and 16 minutes. Global social media usageCurrently, the global social network penetration rate is 62.3 percent. Northern Europe had an 81.7 percent social media penetration rate, topping the ranking of global social media usage by region. Eastern and Middle Africa closed the ranking with 10.1 and 9.6 percent usage reach, respectively. People access social media for a variety of reasons. Users like to find funny or entertaining content and enjoy sharing photos and videos with friends, but mainly use social media to stay in touch with current events friends. Global impact of social mediaSocial media has a wide-reaching and significant impact on not only online activities but also offline behavior and life in general. During a global online user survey in February 2019, a significant share of respondents stated that social media had increased their access to information, ease of communication, and freedom of expression. On the flip side, respondents also felt that social media had worsened their personal privacy, increased a polarization in politics and heightened everyday distractions.

North America registered the highest mobile data consumption per connection in 2023, with the average connection consuming 29 gigabytes per month. This figure is set to triple by 2030, driven by the adoption of data intensive activities such as 4K streaming.

In 2022, the average data used per smartphone per month worldwide amounted to 15 gigabytes (GB). The source forecasts that this will increase almost four times reaching 46 GB per smartphone per month globally in 2028.

With the internet becoming increasingly accessible, the number of e-mails sent and received globally has increased each year since 2017. In 2022, there were an estimated 333 billion e-mails sent and received daily around the world. This figure is projected to increase to 392.5 billion daily e-mails by 2026.

E-Mail marketing Despite the increasing popularity of messengers, chat apps and social media, e-mail has managed to remain central to digital communication and continues to grow in uptake. By 2025, the number of global e-mail users is expected to reach a total of 4.6 billion - an approximate six hundred thousand increase in users, up from 4 billion in 2020. Not only that, when it comes to online advertising e-mail has seen higher click-through-rates than on social media. In Belgium and Germany, these were 5.5 and 4.3 percent respectively - compared to the 1.3 percent global average CTR for social media during the same time period.

Gmail Launched in April 2004, Google’s Gmail has earned its spot as one of the most popular freemail services in the world. According to a 2019 survey, its popularity worldwide was trumped only by Apple’s native iPhone Mail app with 26 percent of all e-mail opens worldwide taking place on the platform. Millennials surveyed in the United Kingdom listed Gmail among their top 5 most important mobile apps, while a similar survey carried out in Sweden saw Gmail tie with WhatsApp for a spot among the top mobile apps nationwide.

As of the third quarter of 2024, internet users in South Africa spent more than nine hours and 37 minutes online per day, ranking first among the regions worldwide. Brazil followed, with roughly nine hours of daily online usage. As of the examined period, Japan registered the lowest number of daily hours spent online, with users in the country spending an average of over four hours per day using the internet. The data includes the daily time spent online on any device. Social media usage In recent years, social media has become integral to internet users' daily lives, with users spending an average of 143 minutes daily on social media activities. In April 2024, global social network penetration reached 62.2 percent, highlighting its widespread adoption. Among the various platforms, YouTube stands out, with over 2.5 billion monthly active users, making it one of the most popular social media platforms. YouTube’s global popularity In 2023, the keyword "YouTube" ranked among the most popular search queries on Google, highlighting the platform's immense popularity. YouTube generated most of its traffic through mobile devices, with about 98 billion visits. This popularity was particularly evident in the United Arab Emirates, where YouTube penetration reached approximately 94.2 percent, the highest in the world.

The global number of internet users in was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 1.3 billion users (+23.66 percent). After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the number of users is estimated to reach 7 billion users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of internet users of was continuously increasing over the past years.Depicted is the estimated number of individuals in the country or region at hand, that use the internet. As the datasource clarifies, connection quality and usage frequency are distinct aspects, not taken into account here.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of internet users in countries like the Americas and Asia.

This statistic shows the daily digital data engagement interactions per person worldwide from 2010 to 2025. The average number of data interactions per connected person per day is expected to increase dramatically, from 298 interactions per day in 2010 to almost five thousand interactions per day by 2025.

This statistic presents the average daily time spent online by internet users in North America from 2011 to 2022. According to Zenith Optimedia, in 2018, the average daily minutes of North American internet consumption per capita amounted to 237 minutes. The majority of these daily online minutes were generated via mobile.

As of the third quarter of 2024, internet users spent six hours and 38 minutes online daily. This is a slight increase in comparison to the previous quarter. Overall, between the third quarter of 2015 and the third quarter of 2024, the average daily internet use has increased by 19 minutes. Most online countries Internet users between 16 and 64 years old in South Africa spent the longest time online daily, nine hours and 27 minutes, followed by Brazil and the Philippines. These figures include the time spent using the internet on any device. In Japan, internet users spent around three hours and 57 minutes online per day. Users in Denmark also spent relatively less time on the internet, reaching about five hours daily. Most common online activities According to a 2024 survey, more than six in 10 people worldwide used the internet to find information. Furthermore, the usage of communication platforms was also a common reason for going online, followed by online content consumption, such as watching videos, TV shows, or movies.

The population share with mobile internet access in North America was forecast to increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 2.9 percentage points. This overall increase does not happen continuously, notably not in 2028 and 2029. The mobile internet penetration is estimated to amount to 84.21 percent in 2029. Notably, the population share with mobile internet access of was continuously increasing over the past years.The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population having access to the internet via a mobile broadband connection.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the population share with mobile internet access in countries like Caribbean and Europe.

As of February 2025, there were 5.56 billion internet users worldwide, which amounted to 67.9 percent of the global population. Of this total, 5.24 billion, or 63.9 percent of the world's population, were social media users. Global internet usage Connecting billions of people worldwide, the internet is a core pillar of the modern information society. Northern Europe ranked first among worldwide regions by the share of the population using the internet in 2024. In The Netherlands, Norway and Saudi Arabia, 99 percent of the population used the internet as of April 2024. North Korea was at the opposite end of the spectrum, with virtually no internet usage penetration among the general population, ranking last worldwide. Asia was home to the largest number of online users worldwide – over 2.93 billion at the latest count. Europe ranked second, with around 750 million internet users. China, India, and the United States rank ahead of other countries worldwide by the number of internet users. Worldwide internet user demographics As of 2023, the share of female internet users worldwide was 65 percent, five percent less than that of men. Gender disparity in internet usage was bigger in the Arab States and Africa, with around a ten percent difference. Worldwide regions, like the Commonwealth of Independent States and Europe, showed a smaller gender gap. As of 2023, global internet usage was higher among individuals between 15 and 24 years across all regions, with young people in Europe representing the most significant usage penetration, 98 percent. In comparison, the worldwide average for the age group 15–24 years was 79 percent. The income level of the countries was also an essential factor for internet access, as 93 percent of the population of the countries with high income reportedly used the internet, as opposed to only 27 percent of the low-income markets.

As of the third quarter of 2024, Indonesians spent an average of around seven hours and 22 minutes on the internet. Meanwhile, they spent an average of three hours and eight minutes on social media every day. These figures show how the internet has been well incorporated into the daily activities of the population in the country. Internet accessibility in Indonesia  Indonesia has emerged as one of the largest online markets in Asia. The majority of the Indonesians were mobile internet users. This may be due to the affordability and user-friendliness of the mobile devices that are available in the Indonesian market. Embracing the online world The accessibility and affordability of internet data plans made it easier for Indonesians to be more active on social media. As of the third quarter of 2024, Whatsapp and Instagram were the leading social networks in terms of user penetration in Indonesia. In addition, streaming music and podcasts are among the most popular online activities in the country.

How many people use social media? Social media usage is one of the most popular online activities. In 2024, over five billion people were using social media worldwide, a number projected to increase to over six billion in 2028.

Who uses social media? Social networking is one of the most popular digital activities worldwide and it is no surprise that social networking penetration across all regions is constantly increasing. As of January 2023, the global social media usage rate stood at 59 percent. This figure is anticipated to grow as lesser developed digital markets catch up with other regions when it comes to infrastructure development and the availability of cheap mobile devices. In fact, most of social media’s global growth is driven by the increasing usage of mobile devices. Mobile-first market Eastern Asia topped the global ranking of mobile social networking penetration, followed by established digital powerhouses such as the Americas and Northern Europe.

How much time do people spend on social media? Social media is an integral part of daily internet usage. On average, internet users spend 151 minutes per day on social media and messaging apps, an increase of 40 minutes since 2015. On average, internet users in Latin America had the highest average time spent per day on social media.

What are the most popular social media platforms? Market leader Facebook was the first social network to surpass one billion registered accounts and currently boasts approximately 2.9 billion monthly active users, making it the most popular social network worldwide. In June 2023, the top social media apps in the Apple App Store included mobile messaging apps WhatsApp and Telegram Messenger, as well as the ever-popular app version of Facebook.

Switzerland is leading the ranking by population share with mobile internet access , recording 95.06 percent. Following closely behind is Ukraine with 95.06 percent, while Moldova is trailing the ranking with 46.83 percent, resulting in a difference of 48.23 percentage points to the ranking leader, Switzerland. The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population having access to the internet via a mobile broadband connection.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

By 2025, forecasts suggest that there will be more than 75 billion Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices in use. This would be a nearly threefold increase from the IoT installed base in 2019.

What is the Internet of Things?

The IoT refers to a network of devices that are connected to the internet and can “communicate” with each other. Such devices include daily tech gadgets such as the smartphones and the wearables, smart home devices such as smart meters, as well as industrial devices like smart machines. These smart connected devices are able to gather, share, and analyze information and create actions accordingly. By 2023, global spending on IoT will reach 1.1 trillion U.S. dollars.

How does Internet of Things work?

IoT devices make use of sensors and processors to collect and analyze data acquired from their environments. The data collected from the sensors will be shared by being sent to a gateway or to other IoT devices. It will then be either sent to and analyzed in the cloud or analyzed locally. By 2025, the data volume created by IoT connections is projected to reach a massive total of 79.4 zettabytes.

Privacy and security concerns 

Given the amount of data generated by IoT devices, it is no wonder that data privacy and security are among the major concerns with regard to IoT adoption. Once devices are connected to the Internet, they become vulnerable to possible security breaches in the form of hacking, phishing, etc. Frequent data leaks from social media raise earnest concerns about information security standards in today’s world; were the IoT to become the next new reality, serious efforts to create strict security stands need to be prioritized.

From 2020 to 2022, the total enterprise data volume will go from approximately one petabyte (PB) to 2.02 petabytes. This is a 42.2 percent average annual growth over these two years. It is worth noting that internally managed data centers will continue to be the locations in which most of the data will be stored.

Despite the growth and prominence of mobile messengers and chat apps, e-mail is an integral part of daily online life. In 2023, the number of global e-mail users amounted to 4.37 billion and is set to grow to 4.89 billion users in 2027. Global e-mail audiencesIn 2023, approximately 347 billion e-mails were sent and received every day worldwide. This figure is projected to increase to over 408 billion daily e-mails in 2027. As of July 2022, Apple Mail Privacy accounted for over half of the e-mail opens, while mobile use of e-mails saw a significant decrease in their market shares. Apple MPP e-mail app was the most popular e-mail client, accounting for 55 percent of e-mail opens. Gmail, the free e-mail service owned by Google, was ranked second with a 31 percent open share. Malicious mailMany online users use e-mails for website and newsletter signups and brace themselves for the inevitable flood of spam and marketing communications. Whereas most unwanted e-mails are annoying yet ultimately benign, consumers are right to be wary of malicious e-mail that can be used to compromise their digital accounts and devices. In 2023, 25 percent of fraud reports in the United States related to cases in which victims were contacted via e-mail.