GITNUXREPORT 2025

Networking Industry Statistics

Networking market surges with AI, security, 5G, and cloud-driven expansion.

Jannik Linder

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: April 29, 2025

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Statistic 1

90% of devices in enterprise networks are now managed remotely

Statistic 2

The number of IoT devices connected to networks worldwide exceeded 16.5 billion in 2022

Statistic 3

The global networking market size was valued at approximately $74 billion in 2022

Statistic 4

The enterprise networking market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.3% from 2023 to 2030

Statistic 5

Over 70% of organizations have adopted SD-WAN solutions

Statistic 6

The number of connected devices worldwide is projected to reach 29.3 billion by 2027

Statistic 7

The average enterprise spends over $350,000 annually on network infrastructure

Statistic 8

The global SDN market is projected to reach $55 billion by 2027

Statistic 9

Cloud-based networking solutions grew by 25% in 2022

Statistic 10

The amount of data transmitted over corporate networks increased by 36% in 2022

Statistic 11

The global network security market size was valued at $32 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $66 billion by 2028

Statistic 12

Cisco holds nearly 50% of the enterprise networking equipment market share in 2023

Statistic 13

The adoption of AI in network management is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 20% between 2023 and 2028

Statistic 14

The number of VPN users worldwide reached 370 million in 2023, an increase of 19% over 2022

Statistic 15

The global 5G infrastructure market is expected to grow from $9.4 billion in 2022 to over $52 billion by 2029

Statistic 16

Ethernet switches dominate the enterprise LAN market with a market share of over 70% in 2023

Statistic 17

The average enterprise Wi-Fi network has over 150 access points

Statistic 18

The global network function virtualization (NFV) market is projected to reach $74 billion by 2026

Statistic 19

The number of network devices shipped globally reached 2.1 billion in 2022

Statistic 20

Network virtualization allows up to 60% reduction in hardware costs for large enterprises

Statistic 21

The total amount of data generated globally is expected to reach 175 zettabytes by 2025, much of which is transmitted over networks

Statistic 22

67% of companies worldwide see network agility as a top priority for digital transformation

Statistic 23

The average bandwidth per user in broadband networks increased by 45% from 2020 to 2022

Statistic 24

More than 75% of enterprise networks are now implementing zero-trust security models

Statistic 25

Wireless access points are expected to grow at a CAGR of 8% between 2023 and 2028

Statistic 26

The total number of routers deployed globally reached approximately 2.3 billion in 2023

Statistic 27

The enterprise VPN market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.4% from 2023 to 2030

Statistic 28

Fiber optic cables are used in over 50% of new network installations globally

Statistic 29

The average lifespan of enterprise network hardware is approximately 5 years

Statistic 30

The global network traffic is expected to reach 4.8 zettabytes per year by 2025

Statistic 31

The deployment of 10G Ethernet is increasing at a rate of 15% annually

Statistic 32

In 2022, approximately 65% of enterprises used cloud-managed networks

Statistic 33

The global wireless sensor network market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 21.4% between 2023 and 2030

Statistic 34

The global MPLS VPN market is forecasted to reach $13.5 billion by 2026

Statistic 35

The use of quantum networking is expected to increase significantly by 2030, with an estimated CAGR of 24%

Statistic 36

By 2024, the total number of enterprise wireless access points is projected to reach over 10 million worldwide

Statistic 37

Network traffic in mobile networks is expected to grow at a CAGR of 30% through 2027

Statistic 38

The average cost of deploying a new enterprise network has increased by 15% over the past five years, due to increased security and high-speed requirements

Statistic 39

Over 65% of enterprise networks are planned to transition to cloud-managed services within the next three years

Statistic 40

The global Ethernet switch market is projected to reach $30 billion by 2025, with a CAGR of 8-10%

Statistic 41

The use of mesh Wi-Fi networks in homes increased by 37% in 2022, driven by increased demand for reliable connectivity

Statistic 42

By 2025, approximately 50% of enterprise networks will incorporate edge computing to support IoT and real-time data processing

Statistic 43

The demand for network engineers is projected to grow by 5% annually through 2028, reflecting the increasing complexity of networks

Statistic 44

80% of network downtime is caused by configuration errors

Statistic 45

30% of businesses experienced a cybersecurity breach caused by network vulnerabilities in 2022

Statistic 46

The average cost of a data breach in the networking sector is estimated to be $4.4 million in 2023

Statistic 47

40% of network outages are due to firmware updates gone wrong

Statistic 48

55% of organizations report ongoing challenges with network security due to increasingly sophisticated cyber threats

Statistic 49

The largest share of network investments (approximately 35%) is allocated to security infrastructure

Statistic 50

The number of network breaches reported worldwide increased by 20% in 2022, reaching over 11,000 incidents

Statistic 51

Wi-Fi 6 adoption is expected to surpass 60% of enterprise networks by 2025

Statistic 52

55% of organizations plan to migrate to 5G networks within the next two years

Statistic 53

85% of enterprises use some form of network monitoring

Statistic 54

Network automation can reduce network provisioning time from days to minutes

Statistic 55

The adoption rate of IPv6 in global networks reached approximately 38% in 2023

Statistic 56

Nearly 90% of enterprise data centers now use some form of network automation

Statistic 57

IPv4 addresses comprise only 27% of active internet addresses in 2023, with IPv6 steadily increasing adoption

Statistic 58

The average latency in 5G networks has decreased to less than 10 milliseconds, greatly improving real-time applications

Statistic 59

75% of network traffic is expected to be encrypted by 2024 to improve security

Statistic 60

40% of companies expect their network infrastructure to be fully automated within the next five years

Statistic 61

65% of network professionals believe that automation is critical for future network management

Statistic 62

The number of Cisco-certified networking professionals worldwide exceeded 600,000 in 2023

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Sources

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Key Highlights

The global networking market size was valued at approximately $74 billion in 2022
The enterprise networking market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.3% from 2023 to 2030
Over 70% of organizations have adopted SD-WAN solutions
The number of connected devices worldwide is projected to reach 29.3 billion by 2027
Wi-Fi 6 adoption is expected to surpass 60% of enterprise networks by 2025
The average enterprise spends over $350,000 annually on network infrastructure
80% of network downtime is caused by configuration errors
The global SDN market is projected to reach $55 billion by 2027
Cloud-based networking solutions grew by 25% in 2022
55% of organizations plan to migrate to 5G networks within the next two years
The amount of data transmitted over corporate networks increased by 36% in 2022
The global network security market size was valued at $32 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $66 billion by 2028
65% of network professionals believe that automation is critical for future network management

The networking industry is experiencing explosive growth and rapid innovation, driven by surging data transmission, seismic shifts toward cloud and 5G, and a relentless quest for security and automation—making it an arena of transformative change shaping the digital world of tomorrow.

Device Connectivity and Usage Patterns

90% of devices in enterprise networks are now managed remotely
The number of IoT devices connected to networks worldwide exceeded 16.5 billion in 2022

Device Connectivity and Usage Patterns Interpretation

With 90% of enterprise devices managed remotely and over 16.5 billion IoT gadgets connected worldwide in 2022, it's clear that network security and management have become the digital equivalent of handling a bustling, invisible city that never sleeps.

Market Size and Growth Trends

The global networking market size was valued at approximately $74 billion in 2022
The enterprise networking market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.3% from 2023 to 2030
Over 70% of organizations have adopted SD-WAN solutions
The number of connected devices worldwide is projected to reach 29.3 billion by 2027
The average enterprise spends over $350,000 annually on network infrastructure
The global SDN market is projected to reach $55 billion by 2027
Cloud-based networking solutions grew by 25% in 2022
The amount of data transmitted over corporate networks increased by 36% in 2022
The global network security market size was valued at $32 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $66 billion by 2028
Cisco holds nearly 50% of the enterprise networking equipment market share in 2023
The adoption of AI in network management is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 20% between 2023 and 2028
The number of VPN users worldwide reached 370 million in 2023, an increase of 19% over 2022
The global 5G infrastructure market is expected to grow from $9.4 billion in 2022 to over $52 billion by 2029
Ethernet switches dominate the enterprise LAN market with a market share of over 70% in 2023
The average enterprise Wi-Fi network has over 150 access points
The global network function virtualization (NFV) market is projected to reach $74 billion by 2026
The number of network devices shipped globally reached 2.1 billion in 2022
Network virtualization allows up to 60% reduction in hardware costs for large enterprises
The total amount of data generated globally is expected to reach 175 zettabytes by 2025, much of which is transmitted over networks
67% of companies worldwide see network agility as a top priority for digital transformation
The average bandwidth per user in broadband networks increased by 45% from 2020 to 2022
More than 75% of enterprise networks are now implementing zero-trust security models
Wireless access points are expected to grow at a CAGR of 8% between 2023 and 2028
The total number of routers deployed globally reached approximately 2.3 billion in 2023
The enterprise VPN market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.4% from 2023 to 2030
Fiber optic cables are used in over 50% of new network installations globally
The average lifespan of enterprise network hardware is approximately 5 years
The global network traffic is expected to reach 4.8 zettabytes per year by 2025
The deployment of 10G Ethernet is increasing at a rate of 15% annually
In 2022, approximately 65% of enterprises used cloud-managed networks
The global wireless sensor network market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 21.4% between 2023 and 2030
The global MPLS VPN market is forecasted to reach $13.5 billion by 2026
The use of quantum networking is expected to increase significantly by 2030, with an estimated CAGR of 24%
By 2024, the total number of enterprise wireless access points is projected to reach over 10 million worldwide
Network traffic in mobile networks is expected to grow at a CAGR of 30% through 2027
The average cost of deploying a new enterprise network has increased by 15% over the past five years, due to increased security and high-speed requirements
Over 65% of enterprise networks are planned to transition to cloud-managed services within the next three years
The global Ethernet switch market is projected to reach $30 billion by 2025, with a CAGR of 8-10%
The use of mesh Wi-Fi networks in homes increased by 37% in 2022, driven by increased demand for reliable connectivity
By 2025, approximately 50% of enterprise networks will incorporate edge computing to support IoT and real-time data processing
The demand for network engineers is projected to grow by 5% annually through 2028, reflecting the increasing complexity of networks

Market Size and Growth Trends Interpretation

As the global networking industry balloons to a projected $74 billion in 2022, with over 70% of organizations embracing SD-WAN and a burgeoning sea of connected devices—totaling nearly 30 billion by 2027—it's clear that as our data grows exponentially and network sophistication escalates, the only thing more vital than connectivity is the savvy engineers and security solutions needed to keep it all from crashing down.

Security Incidents and Threats

80% of network downtime is caused by configuration errors
30% of businesses experienced a cybersecurity breach caused by network vulnerabilities in 2022
The average cost of a data breach in the networking sector is estimated to be $4.4 million in 2023
40% of network outages are due to firmware updates gone wrong
55% of organizations report ongoing challenges with network security due to increasingly sophisticated cyber threats
The largest share of network investments (approximately 35%) is allocated to security infrastructure
The number of network breaches reported worldwide increased by 20% in 2022, reaching over 11,000 incidents

Security Incidents and Threats Interpretation

With 80% of downtime stemming from configuration errors and over 11,000 breaches worldwide—marking a 20% increase in 2022—it's clear that despite allocating 35% of network investments to security infrastructure, organizations must prioritize not just investment but meticulous management to prevent costly, breach-fueled disruptions and avoid turning firmware updates into costly pitfalls.

Technological Adoption and Standards

Wi-Fi 6 adoption is expected to surpass 60% of enterprise networks by 2025
55% of organizations plan to migrate to 5G networks within the next two years
85% of enterprises use some form of network monitoring
Network automation can reduce network provisioning time from days to minutes
The adoption rate of IPv6 in global networks reached approximately 38% in 2023
Nearly 90% of enterprise data centers now use some form of network automation
IPv4 addresses comprise only 27% of active internet addresses in 2023, with IPv6 steadily increasing adoption
The average latency in 5G networks has decreased to less than 10 milliseconds, greatly improving real-time applications
75% of network traffic is expected to be encrypted by 2024 to improve security
40% of companies expect their network infrastructure to be fully automated within the next five years

Technological Adoption and Standards Interpretation

As enterprise networks rapidly embrace Wi-Fi 6, 5G, and automation—reducing latency, boosting security, and phasing out legacy IPv4—it's clear that the industry is racing toward a smarter, faster, and more encrypted digital future where agility and security are no longer optional but essential.

Workforce and Infrastructure Developments

65% of network professionals believe that automation is critical for future network management
The number of Cisco-certified networking professionals worldwide exceeded 600,000 in 2023

Workforce and Infrastructure Developments Interpretation

With over 600,000 Cisco-certified experts and 65% recognizing automation as vital, the networking industry is clearly steering toward a smarter, more automated future—because, after all, even networks need a little AI to keep up.