Did you know that, since 2013, almost 25% of global internet users have accessed the web through a VPN each month?
In other words, a quarter of all the people browsing the web around the world find that their ISPs simply don’t (or can’t) offer the best internet experience.
Instead, for one reason or another, users turn to virtual private networks in order to get the most out of what the internet is supposed to be in the first place – a world wide web promoting democracy, equality, and freedom of choice.
Why do people actually use VPNs around the world? How is this market growing? What is the typical profile of the people who use VPNs and what devices do they use?
Below, you will find the most up-to-date statistics for VPN usage around the world.
The number of VPN users has considerably grown over the past decade. This figure increased by 185% in 2017 compared to 2016. Moreover, from 2017 to 2018, the number of users increased by an additional 165%.
This data is only supported by the fact that the VPN global market value only seems to increase as time goes by:
And based on some estimations, this trend will only continue in the future:
When it comes to the percentage of VPN users in different regions across the world, Asia Pacific is an undisputed champion, where 30% of all internet users are using services from VPN providers.
Below listed is the data for different world regions:
Logically, this is supported by the fact that as many as 38% of internet users in Indonesia and India access the web through virtual private networks, closely followed by other Asian countries.
These are the top markets for VPN usage:
On the other hand, these are the countries where VPNs are used least:
Almost 70% of people who use VPNs are 34 years old or younger, which is hardly a surprise, as the younger generations heavily rely on the internet for information and entertainment.
If you think that men use VPN more than women, you are right. The difference in VPN usage between the two genders is not to be underestimated, since 62% of users are male and 38% are female.
Many people who use virtual private networks do so at least once a day. In the table below, you can see how frequently people across the globe use desktop and mobile devices to access the internet through virtual private networks.
You probably know the most common reasons why internet users access the web through virtual private networks. However, the data below will give you a perfectly clear picture of the top reasons for VPN usage:
As you may have supposed, one of the main drivers for using a virtual private network is access to better streaming content. Not surprisingly, as many as 29% of VPN users need this type of connection to access Netflix.
While the stats showing the reasons for global VPN usage may be somewhat expected, the data below shows the reasons by region that you may find rather interesting.
In addition, here are the leading reasons for using VPNs in major countries:
Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Vietnam
Canada, France, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the United States
Russia
Is using a VPN legal in my country? This is a very common and legitimate question. While virtual private networks are legal in most countries, some governments have decided to declare them illegal.
However, even if using a VPN is legal in your country, by no circumstances does this mean that you can use it for illegal activities. If you do engage in such activities, you are bound to be prosecuted under the laws of your country of residence.
But I am sure that you already know this, so let’s get straight to the list of countries where using a VPN means breaking the law:
To conclude, it seems that the VPN market will only grow in the forthcoming period, with $23.60 billion estimated value for this year and as much as $35.73 billion estimated worth for 2022.
The emerging markets, most of which are located in Asia, are headed by Indonesia and India. In both of these countries, a whopping 38% of people access the internet through a virtual private network. By contrast, in both the US and the UK, only 5% of people use this type of network, while in Australia this figure is even lower – only 4%.
When it comes to users’ age and gender, most of them are male (62%) and younger than 34 (68%). Furthermore, the more often people access a VPN, the more likely they are to do it from a mobile device, while the drop in the access frequency goes in favor of desktop devices.
As you may have supposed, the top reasons for VPN usage are accessing restricted entertainment content (50% of users), accessing social networks or news services (34%), and keeping anonymity while browsing (31%).
Finally, almost all countries where VPNs are illegal to use are located in Asia, which is a further confirmation of the infamous internet censorship in this region.
Sources:
