Google controls 91.38 percent of global search traffic. Messaging apps reach 4.33 billion users. These figures align with adoption levels, rising data volumes, and security incidents including phishing reports.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, 4.33 billion people used messaging apps (DataReportal, Digital 2022 Global Overview)
- In 2024, 2.55 billion people were using online shopping (DataReportal, Digital 2024 Global Overview)
- As of Q1 2024, Google had a 91.38% share of global search engine traffic
- 2.98 billion people used online banking services in 2023
- 92% of Americans used the internet in 2021 (including 81% who used broadband or cell data at home)
- 95% of UK adults used the internet in 2022
- Global mobile data traffic reached 9.6 exabytes per month in 2019
- In the US, average monthly data usage per smartphone line was 5.5 GB in 2017, 17.6 GB in 2020, and 27 GB in 2023
- In the UK, average monthly data use per mobile connection was 23.4 GB in 2023
- In Q1 2024, average global fixed broadband latency was 17 ms (Ookla Speedtest Global Index)
- In 2023, 99.5% of sampled broadband performance measurements met the required QoS threshold for many services in the UK (Ofcom broad measurement summary)
- In the EU, 87% of households had access to at least 100 Mbps in 2023
- In 2024, the global cybersecurity market was forecast at $232.1 billion (Fortune Business Insights)
- In 2023, the global public cloud end-user spending totaled $563.2 billion (Gartner)
- In 2024, global OTT video revenues were forecast at $162.5 billion (Omdia)
Internet and mobile usage keeps surging, while online services, security, and speed demands rise.
Related reading
01 · Category
Application And Behavior5 stats
01
In 2022, 4.33 billion people used messaging apps (DataReportal, Digital 2022 Global Overview)
02
In 2024, 2.55 billion people were using online shopping (DataReportal, Digital 2024 Global Overview)
03
As of Q1 2024, Google had a 91.38% share of global search engine traffic
04
In 2023, US adults who use social media were 72%
05
In 2024, 79% of UK adults used online services at least once a week (Ofcom, Internet use and attitudes)
Interpretation
Application And Behavior Interpretation
Under the Application And Behavior angle, messaging and online services remain dominant, with 4.33 billion people using messaging apps in 2022, online shopping reaching 2.55 billion users in 2024, and search being even more concentrated as Google accounted for 91.38% of global search traffic by Q1 2024.
02 · Category
Global Adoption3 stats
01
2.98 billion people used online banking services in 2023
02
92% of Americans used the internet in 2021 (including 81% who used broadband or cell data at home)
03
95% of UK adults used the internet in 2022
Interpretation
Global Adoption Interpretation
Global adoption of the internet is clearly widespread as 92% of Americans and 95% of UK adults use it, alongside 2.98 billion people using online banking in 2023, showing that connectivity is extending beyond basic access into everyday financial services.
03 · Category
Network Usage3 stats
01
Global mobile data traffic reached 9.6 exabytes per month in 2019
02
In the US, average monthly data usage per smartphone line was 5.5 GB in 2017, 17.6 GB in 2020, and 27 GB in 2023
03
In the UK, average monthly data use per mobile connection was 23.4 GB in 2023
Interpretation
Network Usage Interpretation
Network usage is steadily rising across regions, with global mobile data traffic reaching 9.6 exabytes per month in 2019 and US average smartphone usage climbing from 5.5 GB in 2017 to 27 GB in 2023, while the UK already averaged 23.4 GB per mobile connection in 2023.
More related reading
04 · Category
Speed And Quality7 stats
01
In Q1 2024, average global fixed broadband latency was 17 ms (Ookla Speedtest Global Index)
02
In 2023, 99.5% of sampled broadband performance measurements met the required QoS threshold for many services in the UK (Ofcom broad measurement summary)
03
In the EU, 87% of households had access to at least 100 Mbps in 2023
04
In the EU, 50% of households subscribed to gigabit-capable connections in 2023
05
In 2023, 5G coverage reached about 75% of the population in the EU (Digital Economy and Society factsheet)
06
In 2023, the average mobile download speed in the US was 65.7 Mbps (Ookla Speedtest Global Index, country view)
07
In 2023, the average fixed download speed in Japan was 265.2 Mbps (Ookla Speedtest Global Index, country view)
Interpretation
Speed And Quality Interpretation
For the Speed And Quality angle, the data suggests that broadband performance is generally strong and improving, with UK QoS compliance reaching 99.5% in 2023 and EU 100 Mbps access covering 87% of households in 2023 even as gigabit-capable subscriptions remain at 50%.
05 · Category
Economics And Markets7 stats
01
In 2024, the global cybersecurity market was forecast at $232.1 billion (Fortune Business Insights)
02
In 2023, the global public cloud end-user spending totaled $563.2 billion (Gartner)
03
In 2024, global OTT video revenues were forecast at $162.5 billion (Omdia)
04
In 2023, global e-commerce grew 7% year-over-year to $5.8 trillion (UNCTAD)
05
In 2022, global data center market revenue was $197.6 billion (Statista data; derived from DC Byte/CBRE estimates)
06
In 2023, the global CDN market was $13.7 billion (MarketsandMarkets)
07
In 2023, the global VPN services market reached $5.1 billion (Fortune Business Insights)
Interpretation
Economics And Markets Interpretation
Across the Economics And Markets landscape of internet services, spending continues to scale rapidly as public cloud end-user spend reached $563.2 billion in 2023 and global e-commerce grew 7% year over year to $5.8 trillion in 2023, with rising adjacent markets like cybersecurity projected at $232.1 billion in 2024.
06 · Category
Security And Risks2 stats
01
In 2023, the average time to contain a security breach was 75 days (IBM Cost of a Data Breach report)
02
In 2023, 880,418 phishing victims were reported in the US (FBI IC3 2023 report)
Interpretation
Security And Risks Interpretation
In the Security and Risks landscape, data breaches took an average of 75 days to contain in 2023, while the US saw 880,418 reported phishing victims the same year, showing both slow response and persistent threat exposure.
report visual · Key figures
Rising adoption of key internet services
Messaging app and online shopping usage has expanded over time, alongside broad internet access across regions.
2022
In 2022, 4.33 billion people used messaging apps (DataReportal, Digital 2022 Global Overview)
2024
In 2024, 2.55 billion people were using online shopping (DataReportal, Digital 2024 Global Overview)
92%
92% of Americans used the internet in 2021 (including 81% who used broadband or cell data at home)
95%
95% of UK adults used the internet in 2022
source-verifieddatareportal.com · pewresearch.org · ofcom.org.uk2024
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
Julian Richter. (2026, February 13). Internet Usage Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/internet-usage-statistics
MLA
Julian Richter. "Internet Usage Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/internet-usage-statistics.
Chicago
Julian Richter. 2026. "Internet Usage Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/internet-usage-statistics.
Sources & references
27 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+11 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)