VPN Usage Statistics By Regions, Device, Demographic and Facts (2025)

Introduction

VPN Usage Statistics: Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have transitioned from niche tools for tech-savvy individuals to widely adopted solutions for enhancing online privacy and security. As of 2024, approximately 22.9% of global internet users utilize VPNs for various online activities. In the United States, 46% of adults report using VPNs, equating to around 105 million users. Notably, 95% of American adults are now familiar with VPN technology.

The primary motivations for VPN usage include safeguarding personal data, accessing geo-restricted content, and maintaining anonymity online. Demographically, VPN usage is higher among younger individuals, with 33.1% of males aged 16 to 24 reporting usage. Despite the availability of premium services, 43% of users opt for free VPNs, which may pose security risks. Furthermore, VPN usage is restricted or illegal in several countries, including Belarus, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, and Turkmenistan. These statistics underscore the growing reliance on VPNs as essential tools for digital privacy and security in an increasingly connected world.

Editor’s Choice

• VPN Usage Statistics state that roughly 1.5 billion people worldwide use VPNs.
• As cybercrimes continue to grow, the manufacturing sector is one of the main targets, with 75 cases of cyber spying.
• The global VPN industry is currently worth about US$44.6 billion.
• By 2027, it’s expected to grow and reach US$87.1 billion.
• Around 37% of users use VPNs to stream videos, sports, or shows unavailable in their country.
• The VPN industry is projected to hit US$75.59 billion by the end of 2027.
• Younger generations, especially Gen Z, are more likely to use VPNs than older people.
• VPN Usage Statistics stated that around 93% of companies now rely on VPNs.
• In the U.S., 39% of people use a VPN for job-related or personal use.
• Nearly half of users use VPNs to unlock more entertainment options.
• In 2024, the VPN and network protection category will lead the worldwide cybersecurity market, bringing in US$23 billion.
• Some users also said they use VPNs to circumvent internet blocks at school or work, likely to watch fun content instead of focusing on tasks.
• Next in line are weakness detection and security analysis, which cost US$16.9 billion, and identity and access control, which cost US$16.3 billion.
• In 2023, people used VPNs to stay private online, browse without being tracked, and keep their online chats and data safe.
• Upload delay tests in 2024 showed that hide.me had the fastest time at 5.4 milliseconds. TunnelBear followed with 67.55 milliseconds, and TorGuard had the slowest, at 112.4 milliseconds.
• In 2023, 36% of people in the U.S. using free VPNs said they experienced slower internet connections.
• Speed checks in 2024 showed NordVPN hitting 350 megabytes per second for downloads, while hide.me reached 365.5 megabytes per second for uploads.
• The age group 16–24 makes up 35% of all users, while those between 25 and 34 make up 33%.

General VPN Usage Statistics

• VPNs are widely used worldwide. Over 1.6 billion people—about 31% of all internet users—use a VPN.
• In 2022, around 1.2 billion people used VPNs. That number grew to 1.6 billion in 2023, and it’s expected to keep increasing.
• Asian countries like India and Indonesia have the highest number of VPN users. In India, 42% of people online use a VPN.
• VPN Usage Statistics stated that about 49% of users use a VPN to hide their identity and protect personal info online.
• Around 37% of users use VPNs to stream videos, sports or shows unavailable in their country.
• Many employees use VPNs to reach company systems, especially when working remotely safely.
• Most VPN users are between 25 and 34 years old. This group cares most about privacy and accessing content.
• VPN Usage Statistics stated that about 40% of people use free VPN services, even though paid ones are usually more secure and faster.

(Reference: explodingtopics.com)

• The global VPN market was worth around $45 billion in 2022. It’s expected to reach $77 billion by 2026, growing more than 12% yearly.
• VPN apps for mobile devices are becoming more popular. From 2022 to 2023, phone-based VPN use went up by 9%.
• People in places like China, Russia, and Iran often use VPNs to access blocked websites and avoid government controls.
• During protests or elections, VPN downloads rise as people try to read news without limits.
• VPN Usage Statistics stated that about 23% of users don’t completely know how VPNs work but still use them anyway.
• When news about hacks or data leaks comes out, more people install VPNs to protect their information.
• As more employees work from home, companies invest more money in VPN tools to keep their data safe.
• The United States ranks fourth on the list of top VPN markets globally, with a market size of about $2.7 billion.

Top Reasons People Use a VPN

(Reference: cloudwards.net)

• VPN Usage Statistics state that people in the U.S. use VPNs mainly to keep their data safe and protect their privacy.
• Around 49% of users said they use a VPN mainly for online security, and 40% said it’s to maintain their privacy.
• Another common reason—chosen by 31%—was safety when using public WiFi in cafes, airports, or hotels.
• Some users also said they use VPNs to circumvent internet blocks at school or work, likely to watch fun content instead of focusing on tasks.
• Meanwhile, about 29% said they use VPNs because their employer requires them to access work networks safely.
• There are about 38 million active VPN users in the U.S.
• VPN Usage Statistics stated that nearly 90% of Americans who go online have used a VPN at least once, which equals around 142 million people across the country. If that sounds like a lot, the next stats help explain it.
• The top reason for those who don’t use VPNs is that 57% think they don’t need one for personal use.
• Meanwhile, 22% say they don’t need it for their job, and another 22% feel VPNs cost too much.

VPN Regional Usage Statistics

• VPN Usage Statistics stated that only 26% of people used a VPN in past years, but that number has increased significantly. These days, free VPNs are more popular than paid ones.
• In the U.S. and the U.K., about 72% of people use free VPN services, while only 36% pay for a subscription.
• When asked how often they use a VPN, 41% said they connect at least once a week. Most people also said they plan to keep using VPNs for a long time.
• VPN Usage Statistics stated that around 44% of users rely on VPNs for normal web surfing, not just to reach blocked websites.
• Regarding countries most interested in VPNs, Turkmenistan is at the top with 100 points, mostly because the government has strong control over the internet.
• In March 2021, there were reports that VPNs weren’t working well, likely because of government blocking.

Other countries with a high interest in VPN services include:

1. Côte d’Ivoire – 72 points
2. China – 46 points
3. Myanmar – 28 points
4. Uganda – 27 points

• Between March 8 and March 22, 2020, the U.S. saw a rise in VPN use, which matched the increase in COVID-19 cases.
• Since many people started working from home and streaming online, more users turned to VPNs. People often use VPNs in other countries to get around restrictions and view news or social media sites.

(Reference: coolest gadgets.com)

• VPN Usage Statistics state that men use VPNs more often than women.
• Only 26% of women said they use a VPN, showing a clear difference between genders in how often privacy tools are used. The same kind of gap appears with other online privacy tools, too.
• Around 35% of Asia-Pacific and Middle East & Africa (MEA) internet users use VPNs.

The countries with the most users include:

• Indonesia – 61%
• India – 45%
• Saudi Arabia – 44%
• Malaysia – 43%
• United Arab Emirates – 42%

In richer countries, VPN usage is usually lower:

• Latin America – 31%
• Europe – 24%
• United States – 25%

Even though VPNs are more popular in the Asia-Pacific and MEA regions, the fastest growth in VPN usage is happening in wealthier countries.

(Reference: coolest gadgets.com)

• In addition to the Netherlands, other countries with fast-growing VPN use include Australia (69%), Japan (62%), Russia (61%), and South Korea (60%).

VPN Usage Statistics By Device Usage

• VPN Usage Statistics state that online threats like hacking and data leaks are common, so staying safe online is more important than ever for individuals and companies.
• Because of this, many more people now use VPNs to protect their data and privacy.
• VPN Usage Statistics stated that 72% of laptop or desktop computer users use a VPN.
• This number has increased significantly in the last few years, showing that more people now take Internet security seriously.

(Reference: vpnmentor.com)

• New studies reveal that 69% of people using mobile phones or tablets use a VPN to keep their online actions private.
• This makes sense since mobile devices often connect to public WiFi, which can be unsafe.
• VPN Usage Statistics stated that 52% of iPhone and iPad users use a VPN, compared to only 37% of Android users.
• There’s a big gap between the two top mobile operating systems.
• One reason more iOS users might use VPNs is Apple’s stronger privacy features and the popularity of VPN apps in the App Store.

VPN User Demographic Statistics

(Source: 99firms.com)

• There used to be a noticeable difference between the frequency with which men and women used VPNs. In earlier reports from the Global Web Index, 62% of VPN users were male.
• That number has now dropped to 54%, meaning more women are starting to use VPNs than before.
• VPN Usage Statistics stated that about 66% of VPN users are between 16 and 34.
• Younger generations, especially Gen Z, are more likely to use VPNs than older people.
• The age group 16–24 makes up 35% of all users, while those between 25 and 34 make up 33%.
• In comparison, people aged 55 and older—also known as Baby Boomers—make up only 4% of VPN users.

Cybersecurity and VPN Breach Statistics

(Source: vpnranks.com)

• Many people see cybersecurity issues as one of the top threats today and shortly. It was ranked 4th as a short-term concern by 39% of people and 8th as a longer-term danger by 49%.
• Other serious risks included disease outbreaks, job insecurity, and severe weather.
• In 2020, cybersecurity researchers discovered an unsecured server that exposed data from over 1 billion records, totaling 1.2TB.

(Reference: cybersecurity.com)

• Seven free VPN apps used the server: UFO, FAST, Free, Super, Flash, Secure, and Rabbit.
• This kind of data leak goes against the whole point of using a VPN to stay private and safe online.
• VPN Usage Statistics stated that experts believed all these VPNs were built by the same company and sold under different names.
• The leak could have led to hacking, identity theft, blackmail, etc. The good news is that ethical hackers found the problem while working on a web safety project.
• As cybercrimes continue to grow, the manufacturing sector is one of the main targets, with 75 cases of cyber spying.
• Other heavily attacked sectors include professional services (with 40 attacks) and government agencies (with 26).
• This shows why VPNs and other security tools are becoming more important to protect sensitive business data.
• Across all industries, a typical data breach costs around $4 million. Some sectors, like healthcare, have much higher costs — over $7 billion in some cases.
• Industries such as finance and energy also have high expenses, often around $6 million per incident.
• This is why hiring cybersecurity professionals and using tools like VPNs is important to avoid big losses.

VPN Market Statistics

• The VPN industry is projected to hit $75.59 billion by the end of 2027.
• This shows a growth of more than $30 billion in value from 2023 to 2027.

(Reference: demandsage.com)

• Cisco AnyConnect is the leading name in the global VPN market, with a 6% share.
• Right behind it is Cisco VPN, which also controls 6% of the market.
• Juniper VPN and Citrix Gateway hold the third and fourth-largest shares in the industry.
• The following table gives further details about the VPN market share:

• VPN Usage Statistics stated that India’s VPN market has grown to over $11.6 billion, putting it at the top among the three biggest VPN markets in the world, along with China and Indonesia.

(Reference: cybersecurity.com)

• Even though VPN use is restricted in China, many companies still need it for business, so the market remains large.
• The United States ranks fourth on the list of top VPN markets globally, with a market size of about $2.7 billion.

Conclusion

The use of VPNs has grown a lot across the globe as more people worry about online safety, privacy, and reaching blocked content. Today, millions of users rely on VPNs on their computers and smartphones to browse safely, stream videos, and work from home.

Countries with developing internet access have the highest usage, but developed nations are also catching up quickly. With online threats rising and more people doing things digitally, VPNs will likely stay an important tool for keeping personal info private and browsing the internet securely. We have shed enough light on VPN Usage Statistics through this article.