Global domain registrations passed 362.3 million in Q2 2024, with legacy .com still pulling in 162.3 million names. But the mix is shifting fast, from .io crossing 2 million (+25% YoY) to gTLD deletion rates averaging 18.5% in 2023 and new gTLDs even higher. Between renewal strength and churn, the industry’s growth looks less like a straight line and more like competing forces.
Key Takeaways
- .com registrations: 162.3 million as of Q2 2024, +0.6% YoY
- Total new .com/.net registrations: 8.1 million in Q2 2024, up from 7.9 million prior year
- .net registrations declined to 13.4 million in Q2 2024, -0.8% YoY
- AI-generated domain registrations up 300% in 2024, with tools like DomainWheel
- DNSSEC adoption rate: 25% of domains secured by end-2024
- Web3 domains (.crypto, .nft) reached 3.1 million active wallets in 2024
- In Q2 2024, the global domain name registrations reached 362.3 million, marking a 0.8% year-over-year increase
- The domain industry generated $5.2 billion in wholesale revenue in 2023, up 4% from 2022, primarily driven by gTLD expansions
- Legacy gTLDs like .com and .net held 47.3% of all registered domains as of mid-2024, totaling 171 million names
- Average wholesale price for .com renewal: $9.59 in Q2 2024
- Retail price for .com registration averaged $12.50 across registrars in 2024
- Premium domain sales average $5,000 per transaction in 2023 aftermarket
- .com domains represent 44.8% of all gTLD registrations in 2024
- .xyz is the largest new gTLD with 4.6 million registrations as of Q3 2024
- .shop gTLD holds 3.2 million domains, popular for e-commerce in 2024
Global domain registrations reached 362.3 million in Q2 2024 as renewals and new gTLD growth boosted stability.
Related reading
01 · Category
Domain Registrations16 stats
01
.com registrations: 162.3 million as of Q2 2024, +0.6% YoY
02
Total new .com/.net registrations: 8.1 million in Q2 2024, up from 7.9 million prior year
03
.net registrations declined to 13.4 million in Q2 2024, -0.8% YoY
04
Country-code TLDs added 1.2 million net new registrations in Q1 2024
05
.xyz saw 120,000 new registrations weekly average in 2024
06
Deletion rate for gTLDs averaged 18.5% in 2023, highest for new gTLDs at 22%
07
.io registrations surpassed 2 million in 2024, +25% YoY growth
08
Renewal rate for .com domains: 74.2% in Q2 2024
09
.de (Germany) registrations: 17.3 million in 2023, stable YoY
10
.cn (China) hit 20.5 million registrations in 2024, +3% growth
11
Average domain registration lifespan: 2.8 years in 2023
12
.app gTLD registrations reached 1.2 million by mid-2024
13
Hand registration requests for premium domains: 45,000 daily global average
14
.uk registrations: 10.9 million in Q1 2024, +1.5% YoY
15
Bulk domain registrations by enterprises: 15% of total in 2023
16
.com and .net combined renewals: 70.5 million in Q2 2024
Interpretation
Domain Registrations Interpretation
The internet's real estate market shows the enduring .com empire, built on a bedrock of 74% renewals, is quietly expanding its suburbs while fending off flashy but fickle newcomers and weathering .net's slow leak, proving that in the domain game, longevity trumps novelty and stability beats a speculative frenzy.
02 · Category
Emerging Trends & Tech19 stats
01
AI-generated domain registrations up 300% in 2024, with tools like DomainWheel
02
DNSSEC adoption rate: 25% of domains secured by end-2024
03
Web3 domains (.crypto, .nft) reached 3.1 million active wallets in 2024
04
Passkey login via domains piloted by 10% registrars in 2024
05
Zero Trust DNS queries grew 150% to 40% of enterprise traffic
06
Domain privacy protection uptake: 55% of new registrations in 2024
07
Handwritten domain art NFTs sold 5,000 units at avg $200
08
IDN (Internationalized Domain Names) registrations: 8.5 million, +5% YoY
09
Edge DNS caching reduced latency by 40% for 20M domains in 2024
10
AI-powered domain valuation accuracy: 92% vs human appraisers
11
Sustainable green hosting tied to domains: 15% market shift by 2024
12
Multi-chain domain resolution: 500,000 domains supported across ETH/ Polygon
13
Voice search optimized domains: 12% registration premium pricing
14
Quantum-resistant DNS encryption trials on 1M domains
15
Programmatic domain buying via APIs: 30% of enterprise purchases
16
.ai TLD registrations exploded 500% to 350,000 in 2024
17
Decentralized domain governance via DAOs in 5 nTLDs
18
AR/VR metaverse land domains: 100,000 registered
19
Predictive domain drop-catching success rate: 85% with ML tools
Interpretation
Emerging Trends & Tech Interpretation
In 2024, the domain industry sprinted ahead with AI conjuring names and Web3 carving digital real estate, all while scrambling to lock the doors with better security and praying the quantum locks fit.
03 · Category
Market Size & Growth15 stats
01
In Q2 2024, the global domain name registrations reached 362.3 million, marking a 0.8% year-over-year increase
02
The domain industry generated $5.2 billion in wholesale revenue in 2023, up 4% from 2022, primarily driven by gTLD expansions
03
Legacy gTLDs like .com and .net held 47.3% of all registered domains as of mid-2024, totaling 171 million names
04
New gTLD registrations grew by 1.2% to 35.8 million in Q2 2024, with .xyz leading at 4.5 million
05
The Asia-Pacific region accounted for 52% of global domain registrations in 2023, surpassing 185 million domains
06
Projected CAGR for domain market from 2024-2030 is 3.5%, reaching $8.1 billion by 2030
07
Total ccTLD registrations stood at 140.2 million in Q1 2024, with a 0.5% quarterly growth
08
U.S.-based registrars managed 45% of global domains in 2023, equating to 162 million registrations
09
Domain aftermarket sales volume hit $120 million in 2023, a 15% rise YoY
10
IPv6 adoption in domains reached 42% in 2024, boosting market scalability
11
Global domain registrations: 361.1 million at end of 2023, up 1.1% from 2022
12
nTLDs comprised 11% of total base registrations in Q2 2024, totaling 40.1 million
13
Domain parking revenue contributed $450 million industry-wide in 2023
14
Europe held 28% market share with 101 million domains in 2023
15
Blockchain-based domains grew 250% to 2.5 million in 2024
Interpretation
Market Size & Growth Interpretation
While the old guard of .com and .net continues to command the digital landscape, the real story is a slow and steady global expansion, powered by Asia-Pacific growth and playful new endings like .xyz, quietly building a multi-billion dollar empire on the foundation of our online identities.
More related reading
04 · Category
Pricing and Revenue20 stats
01
Average wholesale price for .com renewal: $9.59in Q2 2024
02
Retail price for .com registration averaged $12.50across registrars in 2024
03
Premium domain sales average $5,000per transaction in 2023 aftermarket
04
GoDaddy's domain revenue: $3.3 billion in FY2023, +7% YoY
05
.xyz wholesale price: $1.00intro, $10 renewal annually
06
Namecheap revenue from domains: $250 million in 2023
07
Average ccTLD registration fee: $15.20globally in 2024
08
Dynadot's average domain sale price: $11.80in 2023
09
Handshake domain auction revenue: $50 million cumulative by 2024
10
.io retail price: $40-50/year, high margins for registrars
11
Total registrar revenue from renewals: 65% of industry total $3.4B in 2023
12
Porkbun undercuts with .com at $10.98first year
13
Epik's revenue doubled to $100M in 2023 from alt-TLDs
14
Average premium .com sale: $28,000in Q1 2024
15
.app Google TLD pricing: $15intro, $20 renewal
16
Hover registrar average revenue per domain: $18.50/year
17
Uniregistry wholesale revenue: $80M in 2023
18
Domain escrow transaction fees averaged 9% of sale price in 2024
19
.eth ENS domains traded at avg $50each in 2024 marketplaces
20
TLD approval fee to ICANN: $185,000initial + $25,000 annual
Interpretation
Pricing and Revenue Interpretation
The domain industry is a masterclass in scaling nickels into billions, where selling you a $10 web address funds a $185,000 cocktail party for ICANN, a $5,000 premium trade pays a $450 escrow fee, and the real profit isn't in the initial handshake but in the perpetual, quiet renewal that follows.
05 · Category
Top TLDs and Domains18 stats
01
.com domains represent 44.8% of all gTLD registrations in 2024
02
.xyz is the largest new gTLD with 4.6 million registrations as of Q3 2024
03
.shop gTLD holds 3.2 million domains, popular for e-commerce in 2024
04
.online second largest nTLD at 3.8 million registrations in mid-2024
05
.cn tops ccTLDs with 20.5 million, followed by .de at 17.3 million
06
.tk (Tokelau) has 25 million registrations, mostly free domains
07
.org registrations steady at 10.7 million in Q2 2024
08
.info gTLD: 3.1 million domains, low growth rate of 0.2%
09
.me (Montenegro) popular for personal branding at 1.8 million
10
.co (Colombia) at 2.4 million, favored by startups globally
11
.top gTLD: 3.5 million registrations, strong in Asia
12
.site: 2.9 million domains, versatile usage
13
.club: 1.5 million, community-focused TLD
14
.net: 13.4 million, declining but stable enterprise use
15
.ru (Russia): 6.8 million registrations in 2024
16
.br (Brazil): 5.4 million, rapid growth +12% YoY
17
.fr (France): 3.9 million, strict policies limit spam
18
.jp (Japan): 3.7 million, enterprise heavy
Interpretation
Top TLDs and Domains Interpretation
The .com empire still reigns supreme, but the domain kingdom is now a vibrant, chaotic bazaar where .xyz and .shop hustle for attention, ccTLDs like .cn and .de build powerful nation-states, and even free domains from a tiny Pacific atoll (.tk) have amassed a population larger than Australia.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
David Kowalski. (2026, February 13). Domain Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domain-industry-statistics
MLA
David Kowalski. "Domain Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/domain-industry-statistics.
Chicago
David Kowalski. 2026. "Domain Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domain-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
51 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
akamai.com