Quick Answer
How many people use VPNs in 2025?
142 million Americans use VPNs.
If you spend any amount of time online, you’ve hopefully caught onto the fact that you need to use a VPN when on most websites.
VPNs can be pretty specific to usage, inferring that should you need a VPN for LinkedIn or Safari, specific ones can be found for that. Further, VPNs are specific to geographical areas, such as China, Thailand, etc.
These days there are so many issues around security when it comes to the Internet that you need to make the most of a VPN.
This ensures that you can not only hide your IP address but can keep your personal information safe when you are sharing it with a web server.
One of the most challenging things about finding a VPN is knowing which ones are safe and which ones want to take advantage of you, but it’s also worth knowing as much about the VPN industry as a whole as well.
That way, you can enter it without feeling like you’re completely brand new and out of your league.
Let’s take a look at what we believe to be exciting VPN statistics for 2025 to enable you to make a wise purchase when it comes to your next VPN server and to ultimately determine how many people use VPNs.
Key VPN Statistics 2025
- 142 million Americans use VPNs.
- VPN usage increased by 27.1% in 2020.
- The VPN industry is predicted to be worth $107.5 billion in 2027.
- 88% of companies asked employees to work from home in 2020, increasing demand for VPNs.
- 25% of internet users made the most of a VPN in 2018.
- The top country for VPN usage in 2021 was Indonesia, at 44%.
How Many People Use VPNs & VPN Usage Statistics 2025
1. 68% of American Adults Use a VPN for Personal or Work Use
This, of course, is an interesting statistic, and it shows how prevalent VPNs are.
Regarding statistics, it showed that 60% of American Internet users are either using a free or a paid VPN service, and they are doing this for business and personal use.
This means that roughly 142 million American adults use a VPN.
96% of these VPN users said their service was somewhat or highly effective.
2. Most VPN Users Are Male
The following statistic might surprise you, or it might not.
Either way, the majority of the people that use VPNs are males. 60% of VPN users were male in 2018, while 38% were female.
3. VPN Use Increased 27.1% During COVID
Naturally, COVID was a precursor to a lot more people using VPNs, as more and more businesses encourage their employees to work remotely from home.
This notably created an increase demand, and influenced the number of VPN users. As a result, VPN network users around the globe increased by 27.1% during 2020.
It is predicted that this will fall slightly in the future, meaning that yearly growth for VPNs will average 17.2%.
It was determined by using statistics that 88% of IT businesses around the world said that they moved their employees to a work-from-home environment in 2020.
4. People’s Interest in VPNs Is Increasing
More and more people are becoming interested in the idea of a VPN in general.
People searching for the term ‘VPN’ through Google increased dramatically during 2020, and it was considered the highest among people in America and people in China.
5. More than 39% of People that Use a VPN Are Between the Ages of 16 and 22
This statistic points to the fact that the majority of the people that use VPNs these days for being on the Internet are part of Generation Z.
According to statistics, 75% of all VPN users are under the age of 37, which indicates that many older Internet users aren’t that familiar with the idea of using a VPN for online activity.
6. 36% of American Customers Use a VPN, Compared to 1.5% 10 Years Ago
You can see that VPN usage has increased exponentially over the last decade, with 36% of American customers now using a VPN, compared to just 1.5% ten years ago.
Research suggests that out of the percentage of people who don’t use a VPN, 58% know what one is.
7. Italy’s VPN Use Increased by 175% in March 2020
It is evident from all these statistics that the pandemic was a turning point when it came to VPN usage for many people worldwide.
At the height of COVID, many countries turned to more VPN technology, but some more than others.
For example, Italy had 175% increased VPN usage, followed by countries like America, at 132.5%, Spain at 62.1%, and Germany at 48.4%.
8. Slovakia Has the Quickest Growing VPN Market
It seems that as far as countries that have the fastest-growing market for VPNs go, Slovakia is at the top of the list.
Their interest in VPNs increases by 300% year on year, followed by Spain, with Iceland, South Africa, and Japan near the top of the list.
9. 62% of People Use a VPN on Their Mobile
Statistics demonstrated that 62% of individuals who use a VPN daily use it on their mobile phones.
This potentially means that interest in mobile versions of popular VPN servers is increasing, especially over the last year.
Of course, while people are still using VPNs on their desktops, VPNs for smartphones are becoming more and more prevalent, as people take their smartphones with them everywhere and even work on them.
10. The Asia-Pacific Region Has the Most VPN Users
When looking at regions around the world where there is a high level of VPN use, the Asia-Pacific region is the region that has the most VPN users.
When considering VPN user demographics, it is important to consider area-specific use as it intersects with overall use.
30% of Asia-Pacific customers are VPN users, compared to 17% in Europe.
11. VPN Use Is Illegal in Some Countries
It would appear that most people around the world seem to be enjoying the added security that VPNs offer them when online, but not all countries let their citizens make the most of this.
Some countries worldwide where using a VPN is illegal, include Iraq, North Korea, and Belarus.
What’s fascinating is that there are countries where VPN use is highly restricted, including Iran, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates.
Even China doesn’t like the idea of its citizens using VPNs.
12. 47% of VPN Users User Technology when Travelling Overseas
Technology can be helpful and practical when you’re traveling. It can help you stay connected to people back home, and it can help you travel more accessible, particularly in countries where you don’t speak the native language.
Whether traveling for personal reasons or business, people traveling overseas are more likely to use a VPN.
So, how many people use VPNs when traveling?
Statistics showed that a surprising 47% of people say that they use a VPN when they travel overseas, and this statistic relates to personal use.
A lot of the time, this is to access an otherwise local TV channel. While 36% of people say that they use a VPN when traveling overseas for business.
13. Most People Use a VPN to Get Better Entertainment
We talked briefly at the beginning of this article about key VPN statistics and how essential VPNs are for your online security, but this isn’t the most significant reason people use a virtual private network these days.
Most people using VPNs use them to unlock services for better entertainment. This is 57% of people on mobile and 54% on the computer.
Other reasons people have given for using a VPN include accessing a social network that has otherwise been restricted or staying anonymous when browsing online.
Some people had even admitted that they had used a VPN to access a particular site when they were at work.
14. In North America, Maintaining Privacy Is Important
If you’re based in North America, you’re likely to use a VPN for privacy reasons.
Interestingly, while the rest of the world wants to use a VPN to access better entertainment, most individuals in North America want to use a VPN to stay anonymous when they are browsing online.
15. 33% of People Use a VPN for Music Downloads
Among individuals who use a VPN service and pay for it, 33% say they make the most VPNs for music downloads, while 27% say they use it for music services.
Unsurprisingly 27% say that they use a VPN for streaming entertainment on TV, and 29% of VPN users say they use it to access Netflix frequently.
16. 12% of Internet Users Say They Use a VPN to Be on The Dark Web
The following statistic is probably comforting, considering that the dark web is not generally where you want to be.
Data recorded that only 12% of people who use a VPN admitted using it to access the dark web.
This is just the percentage of people that admitted to it, so there definitely could be more. Out of the 12% of people who have admitted to using a VPN to access the dark web, 39% said they did so to stay anonymous, while 26% said they used it to bypass restrictions on specific content in their location.
17. VPN Usage Has Increased Markedly Since COVID
We have touched on this topic already a little bit, and it probably comes as no surprise that the number of people using VPNs has increased exponentially since the pandemic.
Again, this is highly likely to result from more people working from home.
18. 20% of Users Use a VPN to Hide Their Online Activity from The Government
Considering we live in the age of technology, there is an awareness of Big Brother among most internet users, which is why it’s understandable that 20% of users that access a VPN do so to hide what they’re doing online from the government.
Yes, most people use a VPN to access entertainment sites that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to access. Still, some people use a VPN to stay anonymous online and feel confident that the government isn’t watching their every move.
19. 74% of Americans Say that They Have Limited Internet Usage as A Result of Privacy Concerns
There’s absolutely no doubt that Americans worry about the security of their personal information when they are on the Internet.
This is evident in the following statistic, where 70% of Americans say that they have limited their time on the Internet due to being concerned about whether their personal information is safe or not.
56% of people say that they trust companies with their personal information when they share it online, but this doesn’t hide the fact that most people are wary of security issues when it comes to being on the Internet in general.
20. Americans Believe that Identity Theft Is the Biggest Cybersecurity Issue
Identity theft is a valid concern in America and other countries worldwide.
As a result, 63% of Americans who use the Internet believe that identity theft’s the biggest threat to security.
45% of respondents said they were worried about banking fraud and credit card fraud, while 23% said they were concerned about data collection by online services.
21. 92% of Americans Think that Online Privacy Is Important
Fitting right in with the power of the constitution, the vast majority of Americans that use the Internet, in general, believe that online privacy is paramount.
Interestingly, this statistic is that they still aren’t taking enough action to stay safe overall despite this.
This is because the most significant reason customers fail to protect themselves online is that they believe that it is the responsibility of the network provider to keep their information safe.
22. 60% of Americans Believe that They Can’t Go Through Life without Their Data Being Collected
Six out of every ten Americans believe that they can’t go through life without their personal information being collected for one reason or another.
Many of them believe that the government is collecting this information, and 81% of Americans say that they have no control over the data collected about them by companies, and 84% feel similarly about the government collecting information about them.
23. 62% of Individuals Are Worried About the Internet Compromising Their Personal Privacy
Many people out there are worried about the potential for the Internet to eradicate their privacy.
62% of people that use VPNs believe that the Internet is making it more and more difficult for them to control their privacy, compared to 60% of people who don’t use VPNs.
64% of people who use VPNs also say that they are concerned about how their data is being used by businesses, compared to 63% of people who don’t use VPNs.
68% of people who use VPNs also admit to being constantly connected to the Internet, while 58% of people who don’t use VPNs say they are regularly online.
24. Americans Believe They Can’t Control Who Accesses Their Personal Information
Interestingly, 18% of Americans believe that they don’t control who is accessing their personal information, including where they are physically located.
54% believe that they have little control over who can learn where they are located, which could be why VPNs have exploded in popularity over the last few years.
VPNs are an effective solution for hiding your physical location.
25. Why People Aren’t Using VPNs
Even though VPNs have exploded in popularity over the last decade or so, many people out there still don’t believe that VPNs are necessarily essential for their online activity.
At least 17% of those who refuse to use a VPN say that they don’t need a VPN for personal use, while 22% say they don’t require one for work.
A further record in statistics pointed out that 22% of these individuals say they are too expensive.
26. How Often Do People Use VPNs?
According to research done in America and the UK, 41% of people say they use a VPN once a week, while 36% say they use a VPN every day or almost every day.
However, another report says that 35% of VPN users say they use one every day on their desktop computer, but just 10% of people say they use a VPN once a week.
Of course, the difference will be based on where you are located worldwide.
27. Who Pays for VPNs?
Interestingly, the following statistic is that organizations and businesses pay for 24% of all VPNs used globally.
When it comes to using a free VPN, 29% of all VPNs are used, although most free VPNs aren’t used for business reasons.
We also don’t recommend using a free VPN for business reasons.
Data found an astonishing 26% of users pay for their VPN, while 12% pay for a personal VPN, but they use a business VPN when they are at work.
28. Some Companies Still Don’t Want to Use VPNs
Despite the evidence that points to VPNs being a helpful and practical resource for companies worldwide, some businesses are still reluctant to use VPNs, whether it is for the security of the business itself or their employees.
Records hold that 21% of companies say that they have never used VPN software, and while some of these companies did do a 180 when the COVID pandemic hit, 71% remain hesitant, despite a lot of their work moving online.
29. How Much Is the VPN Market Worth?
We have talked a bit about what the VPN market is predicted to be worth in 2027, but let’s talk about what it’s worth now.
The VPN market was estimated to be worth around $30 billion in 2020.
This value is primarily found in business VPNs because the consumer VPN market size is smaller, with approximately $550 million.
30. 90% of VPNs Are Offered by Companies Developed After 2005
The following statistic falls in line with the growth of technology over the last couple of decades.
Back in the early 2000s, there wasn’t too much going on on the Internet, save for Microsoft and a burgeoning Facebook.
This is why it makes sense that 90% of all VPN services are offered by businesses that were founded after 2005.
This also indicates a shift in how people perceived the Internet back then and how more and more people understood it to be a place where privacy was potentially a mammoth issue.
You’ll be pleased to know that some of the VPN services founded back in 2005 are still going strong.
31. Over Half of VPN Users Use a VPN to Protect Their Privacy on Public Networks
If you have been out and about and connected to a public Wi-Fi network before, then you have probably wondered about the security of your personal information.
While many people use VPNs for entertainment purposes, many use VPNs to protect their privacy when making the most of a free Wi-Fi service.
54% of VPN users use VPN on the desktop, and 57% of mobile VPN users make the most of a VPN to protect their devices when using public Wi-Fi.
This ultimately makes sense because the risk of your personal information being compromised when using public Wi-Fi is pretty high.
32. Over 77% of VPN Users Purchase Digital Content Every Month
You might be interested in knowing that over 77% of people who use VPNs use them to pay for digital content every month, while 33% do so to download music.
A total of 27% purchase TV streaming services, music streaming services, or mobile apps.
33. Desktop Is Still King
Despite what you might think, people are still using their computers when subscribed to a VPN.
Desktop computers account for 17% of all users of VPNs.
This shows that people are still determined to access the Internet through conventional ways like computers. Still, we believe that mobile phone Internet access is increasing and will continue to increase as time goes on.
34. 56% of VPN Users Access Netflix Every Month
The following statistic falls in line with entertainment content, but it will come as no surprise that 36% of people who use a VPN every month use it to access Netflix.
The thing about Netflix is that the best TV shows are on the American version a lot of the time.
However, many people who live outside of America want to access these TV shows. One of the best ways to get around this is to use a VPN.
35. The Cost of Cybersecurity Has Increased in America by 25%
Going back to cyber security concerning America for a second, the following statistic indicates that the cost of cyber security increased 25% in 2020.
This means that companies fighting cybercrime have spent 25% more money doing so in just one year.
This shows that cyber security is still a genuine threat, and as more companies shift their business to being online, this problem continues to increase.
36. 2020 Saw 4.9 Billion Fraud Attacks
Many different issues fall under the umbrella of cyber security, and one of these is fraud. In 2020, there were a concerning 4.9 billion fraud attacks.
Interestingly, this statistic shows that 11% of all cyberattacks in 2020 were conducted directly by human beings. The rest were found to be bots.
As recorded in statistics for 2020, mobile attacks accounted for 16.2% of cyber-attacks, compared to 83.8% on desktops.
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it, the comprehensive list of what we believe to be the most exciting VPN statistics about the industry and the market right now including information concerning VPN usage.
As you can see, more and more people are using VPNs as more people realize the importance of keeping their personal information safe online.
Another reason for increased demand for VPNs has been that more people are now working from home thanks to the COVID pandemic, so while we expect to see an increase in VPN use over the next few years, it will average out and plateau at some point.
We hope you have enjoyed this article on how many people use VPNs in 2025 and the interesting VPN users statistics around those numbers, and we hope that they help you make the right decision when it comes to which VPN you choose to use.
