GITNUXREPORT 2025

Qr Code Statistics

QR codes rapidly expand, revolutionizing contactless payments and marketing worldwide.

Jannik Linder

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

First published: April 29, 2025

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Statistic 1

The global QR code market size was valued at USD 1.378 billion in 2020

Statistic 2

QR codes have a read rate of nearly 100% when properly printed and scanned

Statistic 3

In 2023, the QR code market for retail was valued at approximately USD 340 million

Statistic 4

QR codes are used in over 50% of restaurant menus worldwide during the pandemic to facilitate hygiene and contactless service

Statistic 5

Over 3 million businesses worldwide use QR codes for marketing purposes

Statistic 6

QR code usage for advertising increased by over 25% in 2022

Statistic 7

QR codes are used in over 70% of mobile marketing campaigns in certain regions

Statistic 8

QR codes are used in over 37% of packaging in the consumer goods industry to share product info

Statistic 9

QR codes are used in more than 120 countries worldwide for various applications

Statistic 10

QR codes can be customized with brand logos and colors, which increase user engagement by up to 40%

Statistic 11

QR code usage in healthcare for patient identification and tracking increased by 70% during 2020

Statistic 12

In Japan, over 80% of retail stores utilize QR codes for payment and marketing

Statistic 13

The average lifespan of a QR code used in marketing campaigns is around 6 months before it requires updating or replacement

Statistic 14

QR code usage in transportation systems, such as ticketing and access control, increased by 150% during the pandemic

Statistic 15

QR codes are used in over 10 million products globally for supply chain management

Statistic 16

QR code-based loyalty programs have increased customer retention rates by over 20% in various industries

Statistic 17

The cost to generate a single QR code is less than USD 0.01, making it highly cost-effective for businesses

Statistic 18

QR codes are used in over 60% of mobile marketing campaigns in Asia-Pacific countries

Statistic 19

The use of augmented reality (AR) combined with QR codes for interactive marketing increased by 40% in 2022

Statistic 20

Over 11 million QR codes are generated daily worldwide

Statistic 21

QR code scanning accounts for over 26% of mobile commerce transactions

Statistic 22

44% of consumers have scanned a QR code at least once

Statistic 23

The use of QR codes increased by over 300% during the COVID-19 pandemic for contactless payments

Statistic 24

80% of consumers prefer contactless payment options, often via QR codes

Statistic 25

58% of smartphone users have scanned a QR code in a store or restaurant

Statistic 26

93% of consumers find QR codes convenient in purchasing, according to recent surveys

Statistic 27

The number of smartphone QR code scans worldwide exceeded 3 billion in 2022

Statistic 28

49% of Americans had used a QR code for payments by 2023

Statistic 29

In China, over 90% of digital payments are made via QR codes

Statistic 30

QR code scanning increased by 250% in retail environments during 2020

Statistic 31

The average time to scan a QR code is less than 2 seconds

Statistic 32

QR code usage in airports for boarding passes increased by over 200% during the pandemic

Statistic 33

60% of consumers associate QR codes with easy access to coupons and discounts

Statistic 34

QR code scanning is integrated into over 85% of new smartphones by 2023

Statistic 35

Digital wallets using QR codes saw a 250% increase in transactions during 2020

Statistic 36

65% of millennials are familiar with QR codes and use them regularly for payments or information retrieval

Statistic 37

In the food industry, QR codes are used on packaging in 45% of cases to provide recipes and product info

Statistic 38

In Europe, over 55% of mobile users have scanned a QR code during shopping or dining

Statistic 39

The global QR code market is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 6.8% from 2021 to 2028

Statistic 40

QR code payment transactions are expected to reach over USD 20 billion globally by 2026

Statistic 41

35% of marketers plan to increase their QR code campaigns in the next year

Statistic 42

The revenue generated from QR code based advertising is projected to surpass USD 2 billion annually by 2025

Statistic 43

QR codes are expected to reach a total market value of USD 3.49 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 16.2%

Statistic 44

QR code technology has potential applications in IoT (Internet of Things), with projections estimating the market for this integration to grow by 18% annually

Statistic 45

QR codes can encode up to 4,296 alphanumeric characters

Statistic 46

The first QR code patent was filed in Japan in 1994 by Denso Wave

Statistic 47

The world's largest QR code is over 2,600 square meters, created for a Chinese tech company's advertising campaign

Statistic 48

The accuracy rate of QR code scanning under optimal conditions is approximately 99.9%

Statistic 49

The largest collection of publicly available free QR code generators exceeds 50 websites

Statistic 50

QR code scanning can be integrated with voice assistants, enabling voice-activated scanning on compatible devices

Slide 1 of 50

Sources

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Key Highlights

Over 11 million QR codes are generated daily worldwide
The global QR code market size was valued at USD 1.378 billion in 2020
QR code scanning accounts for over 26% of mobile commerce transactions
44% of consumers have scanned a QR code at least once
The use of QR codes increased by over 300% during the COVID-19 pandemic for contactless payments
QR codes have a read rate of nearly 100% when properly printed and scanned
In 2023, the QR code market for retail was valued at approximately USD 340 million
80% of consumers prefer contactless payment options, often via QR codes
QR codes are used in over 50% of restaurant menus worldwide during the pandemic to facilitate hygiene and contactless service
The global QR code market is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 6.8% from 2021 to 2028
Over 3 million businesses worldwide use QR codes for marketing purposes
58% of smartphone users have scanned a QR code in a store or restaurant
QR code usage for advertising increased by over 25% in 2022

From contactless payments to interactive marketing, QR codes have surged in popularity, with over 11 million generated daily worldwide and a market projected to reach USD 3.49 billion by 2027, driven by their convenience, versatility, and rapid adoption across industries globally.

Business and Industry Adoption

The global QR code market size was valued at USD 1.378 billion in 2020
QR codes have a read rate of nearly 100% when properly printed and scanned
In 2023, the QR code market for retail was valued at approximately USD 340 million
QR codes are used in over 50% of restaurant menus worldwide during the pandemic to facilitate hygiene and contactless service
Over 3 million businesses worldwide use QR codes for marketing purposes
QR code usage for advertising increased by over 25% in 2022
QR codes are used in over 70% of mobile marketing campaigns in certain regions
QR codes are used in over 37% of packaging in the consumer goods industry to share product info
QR codes are used in more than 120 countries worldwide for various applications
QR codes can be customized with brand logos and colors, which increase user engagement by up to 40%
QR code usage in healthcare for patient identification and tracking increased by 70% during 2020
In Japan, over 80% of retail stores utilize QR codes for payment and marketing
The average lifespan of a QR code used in marketing campaigns is around 6 months before it requires updating or replacement
QR code usage in transportation systems, such as ticketing and access control, increased by 150% during the pandemic
QR codes are used in over 10 million products globally for supply chain management
QR code-based loyalty programs have increased customer retention rates by over 20% in various industries
The cost to generate a single QR code is less than USD 0.01, making it highly cost-effective for businesses
QR codes are used in over 60% of mobile marketing campaigns in Asia-Pacific countries
The use of augmented reality (AR) combined with QR codes for interactive marketing increased by 40% in 2022

Business and Industry Adoption Interpretation

From a booming $1.378 billion global market to over 120 countries leveraging their versatility—from contactless menus and healthcare to AR integrations—QR codes have evolved from mere scannable squares into a cost-effective, customizable, and indispensable tool that enhances user engagement and operational efficiency worldwide.

Consumer Adoption and Usage Trends

Over 11 million QR codes are generated daily worldwide
QR code scanning accounts for over 26% of mobile commerce transactions
44% of consumers have scanned a QR code at least once
The use of QR codes increased by over 300% during the COVID-19 pandemic for contactless payments
80% of consumers prefer contactless payment options, often via QR codes
58% of smartphone users have scanned a QR code in a store or restaurant
93% of consumers find QR codes convenient in purchasing, according to recent surveys
The number of smartphone QR code scans worldwide exceeded 3 billion in 2022
49% of Americans had used a QR code for payments by 2023
In China, over 90% of digital payments are made via QR codes
QR code scanning increased by 250% in retail environments during 2020
The average time to scan a QR code is less than 2 seconds
QR code usage in airports for boarding passes increased by over 200% during the pandemic
60% of consumers associate QR codes with easy access to coupons and discounts
QR code scanning is integrated into over 85% of new smartphones by 2023
Digital wallets using QR codes saw a 250% increase in transactions during 2020
65% of millennials are familiar with QR codes and use them regularly for payments or information retrieval
In the food industry, QR codes are used on packaging in 45% of cases to provide recipes and product info
In Europe, over 55% of mobile users have scanned a QR code during shopping or dining

Consumer Adoption and Usage Trends Interpretation

With over 11 million QR codes generated daily and 93% of consumers finding them convenient, it's clear that QR codes have transitioned from novelty to necessity, transforming mobile commerce into a contactless, lightning-fast, global phenomenon relied upon by nearly half the population—proof that in a digital world, a simple scan speaks volumes.

Market Growth and Projections

The global QR code market is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 6.8% from 2021 to 2028
QR code payment transactions are expected to reach over USD 20 billion globally by 2026
35% of marketers plan to increase their QR code campaigns in the next year
The revenue generated from QR code based advertising is projected to surpass USD 2 billion annually by 2025
QR codes are expected to reach a total market value of USD 3.49 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 16.2%
QR code technology has potential applications in IoT (Internet of Things), with projections estimating the market for this integration to grow by 18% annually

Market Growth and Projections Interpretation

As QR codes seamlessly transition from novelty to necessity, their rapid ascent—fueling billion-dollar ad revenues, expanding into IoT realms, and prompting marketers to double down—underscores that in the digital age, a simple scan is the new handshake of commerce.

Technological Innovations and Applications

QR codes can encode up to 4,296 alphanumeric characters
The first QR code patent was filed in Japan in 1994 by Denso Wave
The world's largest QR code is over 2,600 square meters, created for a Chinese tech company's advertising campaign
The accuracy rate of QR code scanning under optimal conditions is approximately 99.9%
The largest collection of publicly available free QR code generators exceeds 50 websites
QR code scanning can be integrated with voice assistants, enabling voice-activated scanning on compatible devices

Technological Innovations and Applications Interpretation

From their humble Japanese patent debut in 1994 to sprawling 2,600-square-meter advertising behemoths, QR codes have evolved into highly accurate, versatile data carriers—now seamlessly integrated with voice assistants—proving that in the digital age, even a simple square can contain the universe.