From the trillions powering global IT spending and telecommunications to the billions fueling the streaming shows on your screen and the data centers in the cloud, the information industry is not just our digital backdrop—it's the colossal, dynamic engine reshaping our economy, jobs, and daily lives.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, the global information technology spending reached $4.7 trillion, marking a 8.1% increase from 2022.
- U.S. information sector GDP contribution was $1.5 trillion in 2022, representing 7.2% of total GDP.
- Revenue of the global telecom services market hit $1.6 trillion in 2023.
- The U.S. information sector employed 3.1 million workers in 2022.
- Telecom industry in the U.S. had 1.2 million employees in 2023.
- Global IT workforce numbered 28 million professionals in 2023.
- 85% of global organizations adopted cloud computing by end of 2023.
- Worldwide 5G connections reached 1.5 billion in 2023.
- AI adoption in info industry enterprises 55% in 2023.
- 60% of U.S. adults used streaming services daily in 2023.
- Global internet users reached 5.4 billion, 67% penetration in 2023.
- Average daily social media usage 2.5 hours worldwide 2023.
- Global R&D spending in information sector $250 billion in 2023.
- VC funding for AI startups in info industry $50 billion 2023.
- Global IT spending forecast to grow 9% to $5.1 trillion in 2024.
The information industry is a multi-trillion dollar global powerhouse defined by strong growth and rapid technological change.
Consumer Usage & Trends
- 60% of U.S. adults used streaming services daily in 2023.
- Global internet users reached 5.4 billion, 67% penetration in 2023.
- Average daily social media usage 2.5 hours worldwide 2023.
- 80% of U.S. households subscribed to OTT video in 2023.
- Podcast listeners worldwide 500 million monthly in 2023.
- News consumption via mobile apps 55% of total U.S. 2023.
- Global video streaming hours 3 trillion annually 2023.
- 45% of consumers paid for digital news subscriptions 2023.
- Average email opens per user 120 monthly worldwide 2023.
- Gaming app usage 1.5 hours daily average globally 2023.
- 70% of internet traffic from video content in 2023.
- Social video views 50 billion daily on TikTok 2023.
- E-book reading 30% of U.S. adults annually 2023.
- Voice search queries 50% of all searches 2023.
- Online news avoiders 36% of U.S. adults in 2023.
- Average streaming subscriptions per household 5 in U.S. 2023.
- Mobile data consumption 20 GB monthly average 2023.
- 65% prefer short-form video content under 60s 2023.
- Digital audio reach 75% U.S. adults weekly 2023.
- Cloud storage usage 1 TB average per user 2023.
- Personalized content drives 75% engagement 2023.
- Live streaming viewers 1.1 billion monthly globally 2023.
- Ad-blocker usage 42% of internet users 2023.
- Multi-device streaming 60% households U.S. 2023.
- Dark social shares 70% of content sharing 2023.
- Global VPN users 30 million daily active 2023.
- Audiobook consumption up 20% to 25% U.S. adults 2023.
- Social commerce purchases 10% of e-commerce 2023.
- Average app installs per smartphone 80 globally 2023.
Consumer Usage & Trends Interpretation
We are a species willingly seduced by screens, where the average household juggles five streaming subscriptions, consumes 20 GB of data monthly, and spends more time watching short videos than reading books, all while nearly half of us block ads and a third actively avoid the news, proving our global digital diet is one of curated escapism and fragmented attention.
Employment & Labor
- The U.S. information sector employed 3.1 million workers in 2022.
- Telecom industry in the U.S. had 1.2 million employees in 2023.
- Global IT workforce numbered 28 million professionals in 2023.
- Publishing industries employed 750,000 in the U.S. in 2022.
- Data processing and hosting sector had 450,000 U.S. jobs in 2023.
- Broadcasting sector employment worldwide was 2.5 million in 2022.
- U.S. software publishers employed 600,000 in 2023.
- Motion picture industry jobs totaled 2.6 million in U.S. 2022.
- Internet publishing U.S. employment 250,000 in 2023.
- Global call center workforce in info services 15 million in 2023.
- U.S. telecommunications technicians numbered 180,000 in 2022.
- Media and entertainment sector employed 2.1 million in Europe 2023.
- Average salary in U.S. info sector $95,000 annually in 2023.
- Women comprised 45% of U.S. information sector workforce in 2022.
- Freelance journalists numbered 50,000 in U.S. publishing 2023.
- IT project managers in telecom: 120,000 U.S. jobs 2022.
- Global cybersecurity workforce shortage 3.5 million in 2023.
- U.S. newsroom employment declined 26% since 2008 to 31,000 in 2023.
- Data scientists in info industry: 150,000 U.S. 2023.
- Broadcast technicians employment 110,000 worldwide 2022.
- U.S. library and information science professionals 200,000 in 2023.
- Turnover rate in telecom sales 25% annually in U.S. 2022.
- Remote workers in IT services 40% of total U.S. workforce 2023.
- Age 25-34 group 35% of info sector employees U.S. 2022.
- Union membership in U.S. broadcasting 10% in 2023.
- Software developers in info industry 1.5 million U.S. 2023.
- Part-time employment 15% in publishing U.S. 2022.
- Global BPO employees in info services 10 million 2023.
- U.S. database administrators 80,000 jobs 2023.
- Hispanic workers 18% of U.S. info sector 2022.
- Network architects employment 120,000 U.S. 2023.
- Global 5G rollout created 2 million jobs by 2023.
Employment & Labor Interpretation
It seems that while we're busy churning out terabytes of data and rolling out 5G to the world, we're simultaneously struggling to find enough cybersecurity guards for the digital fortress and watching our physical newsrooms quietly empty out.
Investments & Projections
- Global R&D spending in information sector $250 billion in 2023.
- VC funding for AI startups in info industry $50 billion 2023.
- Global IT spending forecast to grow 9% to $5.1 trillion in 2024.
- Telecom capex projected at $300 billion annually through 2027.
- Cloud infrastructure investments to hit $1 trillion by 2025.
- M&A deals in media sector 450 valued at $150 billion in 2023.
- 5G infrastructure spend $500 billion cumulative by 2025.
- SaaS market projected to reach $300 billion by 2025.
- Edge computing investments $250 billion forecast 2023-2028.
- Cybersecurity venture capital $20 billion in 2023.
- OTT video revenue forecast $200 billion by 2027.
- Data center construction $100 billion globally 2024 projection.
- Metaverse investments $15 billion in 2023.
- Quantum tech funding projected $5 billion annually by 2027.
- Streaming mergers expected 20% increase in value 2024.
- Global broadband capex $200 billion yearly to 2030.
- AI hardware investments $100 billion forecast 2024.
- Private equity in telecom $80 billion 2023.
- Digital transformation spend $2.5 trillion cumulative 2023-2027.
- Satellite broadband investments $20 billion by 2027.
- Content localization market $15 billion projection 2025.
- RPA market growth to $25 billion by 2027.
- 6G R&D funding $30 billion projected 2024-2030.
- Green IT investments $50 billion globally 2023.
- Ad tech funding $10 billion in 2023 startups.
- E-sports broadcasting rights $2 billion annually by 2025.
- Big data analytics market $650 billion by 2029.
Investments & Projections Interpretation
The colossal, multi-trillion-dollar machinery of the information industry is frantically bolting on new wings—AI, cloud, quantum, and 6G—while desperately trying to patch the holes, secure the hull, and keep the whole bewildering, cash-incinerating vessel from flying apart at the seams.
Market Size & Revenue
- In 2023, the global information technology spending reached $4.7 trillion, marking a 8.1% increase from 2022.
- U.S. information sector GDP contribution was $1.5 trillion in 2022, representing 7.2% of total GDP.
- Revenue of the global telecom services market hit $1.6 trillion in 2023.
- Publishing industry global revenue stood at $120 billion in 2022, with digital publishing growing 12% YoY.
- Internet publishing and broadcasting revenue in the U.S. reached $78.2 billion in 2022.
- Global data processing and hosting services market was valued at $150 billion in 2023.
- Broadcasting industry worldwide revenue totaled $250 billion in 2022.
- U.S. software publishing revenue grew to $500 billion in 2023.
- Motion picture and video industries generated $42 billion in U.S. revenue in 2022.
- Global web search portals revenue was $200 billion in 2023, led by Google.
- Information services market in Europe reached €800 billion in 2022.
- U.S. telecommunications carriers revenue was $1.2 trillion in 2023.
- Digital media revenue globally surpassed $300 billion in 2023.
- Newspaper publishing revenue declined to $25 billion in the U.S. in 2022.
- Cloud computing segment within info industry hit $500 billion globally in 2023.
- Global IT services market revenue was $1.2 trillion in 2023.
- U.S. data processing revenue grew 15% to $90 billion in 2022.
- Streaming media services revenue reached $100 billion worldwide in 2023.
- Book publishing global market size was $143 billion in 2022.
- Satellite telecommunications revenue was $120 billion globally in 2023.
- U.S. wired telecom revenue totaled $350 billion in 2022.
- Global news media revenue stood at $180 billion in 2023.
- Internet access services market in Asia-Pacific hit $400 billion in 2023.
- U.S. sound recording industry revenue was $15 billion in 2022.
- Global directory and mailing list publishers revenue $5 billion in 2023.
- Cable and other subscription programming revenue $150 billion U.S. 2022.
- Worldwide software as a service (SaaS) revenue $195 billion in 2023.
- U.S. internet publishing revenue per employee averaged $450,000 in 2022.
- Global broadcasting equipment market size $45 billion in 2023.
- Information sector venture funding $50 billion in U.S. 2023.
Market Size & Revenue Interpretation
We're spending astronomical sums to be informed, entertained, and connected, yet still can't seem to find a decent Wi-Fi signal or a newspaper that hasn't been crushed by the very digital avalanche we're funding.
Technology & Innovation
- 85% of global organizations adopted cloud computing by end of 2023.
- Worldwide 5G connections reached 1.5 billion in 2023.
- AI adoption in info industry enterprises 55% in 2023.
- Global data creation volume hit 120 zettabytes in 2023.
- IPv6 adoption rate reached 40% globally by 2023.
- Edge computing market penetration 25% in telecom by 2023.
- Blockchain implementations in media supply chain 15% in 2023.
- Quantum computing investments $2.3 billion globally 2023.
- IoT devices connected worldwide 15 billion in 2023.
- VR/AR market in broadcasting grew 30% YoY to $12 billion 2023.
- Cybersecurity incidents in info sector up 20% to 2,200 daily in 2023.
- Private 5G networks deployed 2,500 globally by 2023.
- Generative AI usage in content creation 25% of enterprises 2023.
- Global fiber optic cable deployment 1.5 million km in 2023.
- Machine learning models trained in cloud 70% of total 2023.
- Digital twins adoption in telecom networks 40% by 2023.
- Satellite internet subscribers 5 million worldwide 2023.
- RPA bots deployed in data processing 4 million globally 2023.
- 6G research investments $10 billion cumulative by 2023.
- Zero-trust architecture implemented by 60% of large firms 2023.
- Streaming latency reduced to under 5 seconds average 2023.
- NFT transactions in media peaked at 2.5 million daily 2023.
- Hyperscale data centers numbered 1,000 globally 2023.
- API economy value in info services $2 trillion by 2023.
- Global average broadband speed 100 Mbps in 2023.
- Metaverse active users 300 million worldwide 2023.
Technology & Innovation Interpretation
The digital world now sprawls like a hyper-connected, AI-assisted metropolis where nearly everyone has moved to the cloud, 5G and fiber are its bustling freeways, but this glittering skyline of 15 billion IoT devices and 120 zettabytes of data is under constant siege, prompting 60% of its largest towers to fortify behind zero-trust walls.
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