About 1.75 billion people used a VPN as of May 2025 - roughly one-third of the world’s internet users and one-fifth of the global population (Surfshark). Yet adoption has plateaued rather than exploded: GWI survey data puts global penetration at a stable 23% of internet users aged 16 and older, and in the United States, Security.org found just 32% of adults currently run a VPN, down from 46% a year earlier. The growth story has moved elsewhere - to censorship-hit regions where a single government blackout can send VPN signups up tens of thousands of percent within hours, and to enterprises racing to swap aging VPN infrastructure for zero-trust access. This analysis consolidates data from Surfshark, Security.org, GWI/DataReportal, Top10VPN, Proton VPN, Zscaler ThreatLabz, and 10 other primary sources into one reference set for 2026.
TL;DR
- About 1.75 billion people used a VPN as of May 2025 - roughly one-third of all internet users (Surfshark, 2026).
- 23% of global internet users aged 16+ reported using a VPN in Q2 2025 (GWI, via DataReportal Digital 2026).
- 32% of Americans currently use a VPN, down from 46% in 2024 (Security.org, 2025 VPN Consumer Report).
- 60% of Americans used a VPN in the past year, but 40% remain unprotected (AllAboutCookies, 2026 VPN Survey).
- General privacy (60%) and general security (57%) are the top reasons Americans use a VPN (Security.org, 2025).
- The UAE averaged 71% VPN adoption from 2020 to 2025, peaking at 84% in 2024 (Cybernews, 2025).
- Internet censorship affected 4.6 billion people in 2025 - more than half the world’s population (Comparitech, 2025).
- Proton VPN signups spiked +35,000% during Afghanistan’s September 2025 internet blackout (Proton VPN, End of Year Report 2025).
- Over 80% of 281 free Android VPN apps studied contacted advertising or tracking servers (MVPNalyzer / NDSS, 2026).
- 65% of organizations plan to replace their VPN within a year (Zscaler, ThreatLabz 2025 VPN Risk Report).
- Government internet shutdowns cost $19.7 billion in 2025, up 156% year over year (Top10VPN, Cost of Internet Shutdowns 2025).
- The global VPN market is forecast at $83-86 billion in 2026 (Fortune Business Insights; The Business Research Company).
1. Global Adoption and the VPN User Base
VPNs have become a mainstream utility, not a fast-growing novelty. Global penetration has held in a narrow 22.7% to 24.7% band from late 2022 through mid-2025, according to GWI data compiled by DataReportal and We Are Social. The absolute user base is still enormous - roughly 1.75 billion people, per Surfshark - but the curve has flattened after the pandemic-era surge, and the demographic skews young.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| VPN users worldwide (May 2025) | ~1.75 billion | Surfshark, 2026 |
| Share of global internet users | ~33% (of 5.64B) | Surfshark, 2026 |
| Global VPN penetration, 16+ (Q2 2025) | 23% | GWI / DataReportal Digital 2026 |
| Penetration range, late 2022-mid 2025 | 22.7%-24.7% (stable) | GWI, 2026 |
| Users aged 16-24 (Gen Z) | 39% of all VPN users | GWI, 2026 |
| Largest markets by raw user count | India, China, Indonesia | Surfshark, 2026 |
| Devices used: smartphones / PC / tablets | 64% / 62% / ~20% | Surfshark, 2026 |
| Users reporting daily or near-daily use | ~40% | Surfshark, 2026 |
Note: Surfshark counts only markets where VPN penetration exceeds 10%, so the true global total is “likely higher.”
2. VPN Usage in the United States
The two most-cited US consumer surveys disagree sharply, and the gap is instructive. Security.org’s June 2025 poll of 1,009 adults found VPN usage falling to 32%, down from 46% the year before, while an April 2026 survey of 1,000 adults by AllAboutCookies reported 60% used a VPN in the past year. The difference is question wording - “currently use” versus “used at any point in the last 12 months” - a reminder to read the fine print before quoting a single headline number.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Americans currently using a VPN | 32% (down from 46% in 2024) | Security.org, 2025 VPN Consumer Report |
| Americans who used a VPN in past year | 60% | AllAboutCookies, 2026 VPN Survey |
| Americans who have never used a VPN | 31% | AllAboutCookies, 2026 |
| Personal use only / work use only | 17% / 8% (work down from 13% in 2023) | Security.org, 2025 |
| Adults 18-29 using a VPN regularly | ~40% (vs under 30% of those 60+) | ElectroIQ / TheBestVPN, 2025 |
| Male vs female share of personal users | 57% vs 43% | Security.org, 2026 research |
Divergence flag: treat the 32% and 60% figures as measuring different things, not a contradiction.
3. Why People Use a VPN
Privacy and security have overtaken entertainment as the headline motivations, but streaming remains a major secondary driver. In Security.org’s survey, general privacy (60%) and general security (57%) topped the list, while AllAboutCookies found 54% of users reach for a VPN to access streaming content. The overlap with piracy and geo-unblocking behavior is well documented in our digital piracy statistics roundup.
| Reason for using a VPN | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| General privacy | 60% | Security.org, 2025 |
| General security (e.g. identity theft) | 57% | Security.org, 2025 |
| General internet safety | 75% | AllAboutCookies, 2026 |
| Public Wi-Fi protection | 67% (AllAboutCookies) / 37% (Security.org) | AllAboutCookies / Security.org |
| Change or hide IP address | 62% | AllAboutCookies, 2026 |
| Access streaming / geo-blocked media | 54% | AllAboutCookies, 2026 |
| Primary use is work / business | 30% | Surfshark, 2026 |
| Gaming (global search-interest share) | 15% | Surfshark, 2026 |
Context: the public Wi-Fi figure ranges from 37% to 67% across the two surveys, reflecting different phrasing and samples.
4. VPN Usage by Country and Censorship-Driven Demand
Per-capita adoption is highest where the internet is least free. Cybernews data shows the UAE averaged 71% VPN adoption from 2020 to 2025, peaking at 84% in 2024 - a direct response to Gulf-state blocks on VoIP and social platforms. The starkest signal, though, is the spike pattern: when a government cuts access, paid VPN signups jump by an order of magnitude within hours. Proton VPN logged a +35,000% signup surge during Afghanistan’s September 2025 blackout, the largest single-country jump it recorded all year.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Indonesia VPN usage rate | ~55% (highest by rate) | Cybernews, 2025 |
| UAE VPN adoption | 71% avg (2020-2025), 84% peak 2024 | Cybernews, 2025 |
| Qatar VPN adoption | 55% avg, 63% peak 2024 | Cybernews, 2025 |
| India VPN usage rate | ~43% | Surfshark / Cybernews, 2025 |
| People affected by internet censorship, 2025 | 4.6 billion (over half the world) | Comparitech, 2025 |
| New internet restrictions, 2025 | 81 across 21 countries (up from 17 in 2024) | Comparitech, 2025 |
| People living where VPN use is restricted | 2.6 billion (~50% of internet users) | Surfshark, 2026 |
| Documented internet shutdowns, 2025 | 313 across 52 countries (record high) | Access Now / KeepItOn, 2025 |
Outlier: government internet shutdowns cost an estimated $19.7 billion in 2025, up 156% year over year, spanning 120,095 disruption hours (Top10VPN, Cost of Internet Shutdowns 2025). Proton also logged a +1,200% UK spike tied to the Online Safety Act and a +520% US spike during the January 2025 TikTok outage.
5. Free vs Paid VPNs and the Free-App Risk
Roughly half the world’s VPN users run free apps, and the security research on those apps is grim. A 2026 academic study of 281 free Android VPN apps found over 80% contacted advertising or tracking servers, with apps flagged for at least one problem installed more than 2.4 billion times combined. Anyone weighing a free VPN for privacy should read the numbers below alongside our digital privacy statistics.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Global VPN users on free-only services | ~50% | Surfshark, 2026 |
| US VPN users relying on free options | 28% | Security.org, 2025 |
| Free Android apps contacting ad/tracking servers | 246 of 281 (over 80%) | MVPNalyzer / NDSS, 2026 |
| Free apps leaking traffic outside the tunnel | 29 of 281 (24 leaked DNS) | MVPNalyzer / NDSS, 2026 |
| Free apps sending data in plaintext | 61 of 281 | MVPNalyzer / NDSS, 2026 |
| Combined installs of flagged apps | 2.4 billion+ | MVPNalyzer / NDSS, 2026 |
| Paid vs free VPN user satisfaction | 94% vs 83% | AllAboutCookies, 2026 |
| Top VPNs costing $4/month or less | 73% | AllAboutCookies, 2026 |
Context: the MVPNalyzer study was conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan, University of New Mexico, and IIT Delhi, and presented at NDSS in February 2026.
6. Enterprise VPNs, Remote Work, and the Zero-Trust Shift
Inside organizations, the VPN is being actively phased out. Zscaler’s ThreatLabz survey of 600+ IT professionals found 65% of organizations plan to replace their VPN within a year - a 23% jump from 2024 - and 81% are moving to zero-trust strategies. The driver is risk: more than half of surveyed organizations were attacked through a VPN vulnerability in the past year. These figures pair with our remote work statistics and cybersecurity statistics for the fuller enterprise picture.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Organizations attacked via VPN vulnerabilities (past year) | Over 50% | Zscaler, ThreatLabz 2025 VPN Risk Report |
| Worried VPN flaws lead to ransomware | 92% | Zscaler, 2025 |
| Plan to replace VPN within a year | 65% (+23% vs 2024) | Zscaler, 2025 |
| Adopting zero-trust-everywhere strategy | 81% | Zscaler, 2025 |
| VPN CVEs analyzed, 2020-2025 | 411 (up 82.5% over the period) | Zscaler / MITRE, 2025 |
| New remote-access deployments using ZTNA by 2025 | At least 70% (up from under 10% in 2021) | Gartner |
| Large enterprises using VPN / secure remote access | ~93% | ElectroIQ / PureVPN, 2025 |
Note: the 93% enterprise-usage figure is a Tier 3 aggregate; treat as directional pending a primary survey.
7. VPN Market Size and Growth Forecasts
Analyst estimates for the VPN market span a wide range, so triangulate rather than cite one. Firms cluster the 2026 market between $83 billion and $86 billion, but 2034 forecasts diverge from $336.67 billion to $534.22 billion depending on scope and methodology. The consistent thread is a high-teens-to-low-20s CAGR, powered by enterprise security spend, cloud adoption, and emerging-market demand.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| VPN market size, 2025 | $69.82B (FBI) / $71.25B (TBRC) / $88.96B (Precedence) | multiple, 2025-2026 |
| VPN market size, 2026 | $83.16 billion | Fortune Business Insights, 2026 |
| VPN market size, 2026 | $86.02 billion (20.7% CAGR) | The Business Research Company, 2026 |
| VPN market by 2027 | ~$76 billion | Surfshark, 2026 |
| VPN market by 2030 | $182.09 billion | The Business Research Company, 2026 |
| VPN market by 2034 | $336.67 billion | Fortune Business Insights, 2026 |
| VPN market by 2034 | $534.22 billion (22.04% CAGR) | Precedence Research, 2026 |
Divergence flag: the ~$150B spread in 2034 forecasts reflects differing definitions of what counts as the “VPN market” (consumer apps vs enterprise networking hardware and services).
Summary: VPN Usage by the Numbers
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| VPN users worldwide (May 2025) | ~1.75 billion | Surfshark, 2026 |
| Global VPN penetration, 16+ (Q2 2025) | 23% | GWI / DataReportal, 2026 |
| Americans currently using a VPN | 32% (down from 46% in 2024) | Security.org, 2025 |
| Americans who used a VPN in past year | 60% | AllAboutCookies, 2026 |
| Top reason: general privacy | 60% | Security.org, 2025 |
| Users accessing streaming via VPN | 54% | AllAboutCookies, 2026 |
| UAE VPN adoption (2024 peak) | 84% | Cybernews, 2025 |
| Indonesia VPN usage rate | ~55% | Cybernews, 2025 |
| People affected by internet censorship, 2025 | 4.6 billion | Comparitech, 2025 |
| Documented internet shutdowns, 2025 | 313 across 52 countries | Access Now / KeepItOn, 2025 |
| Proton signup spike, Afghanistan blackout | +35,000% | Proton VPN, 2025 |
| Cost of internet shutdowns, 2025 | $19.7 billion (+156%) | Top10VPN, 2025 |
| Free Android VPN apps contacting trackers | Over 80% of 281 studied | MVPNalyzer / NDSS, 2026 |
| Combined installs of flagged free apps | 2.4 billion+ | MVPNalyzer / NDSS, 2026 |
| Organizations planning to replace VPN in a year | 65% | Zscaler, 2025 |
| New remote-access using ZTNA by 2025 | At least 70% | Gartner |
| Organizations worried about VPN-led ransomware | 92% | Zscaler, 2025 |
| VPN market size, 2026 | $83-86 billion | Fortune Business Insights; TBRC, 2026 |
| VPN market by 2034 (range) | $336.67B-$534.22B | FBI; Precedence Research, 2026 |
Methodology and Sources
Data was gathered by aggregating figures directly from primary surveys, vendor research reports, academic studies, market-research firms, and NGO datasets published between 2024 and 2026, cross-referencing user and market figures across at least two sources where possible and flagging divergences inline.
Sources cited:
- Surfshark, VPN Usage Statistics (2026) - surfshark.com/blog/vpn-users
- GWI / DataReportal and We Are Social, Digital 2026 Global Overview Report (VPN penetration) - gwi.com
- Security.org, 2025 VPN Consumer Report (June 2025, n=1,009 US adults) - security.org
- Security.org, 2026 Research Into VPN Usage - security.org/vpn/statistics
- AllAboutCookies, 2026 VPN Usage Survey (April 2026, n=1,000 US adults) - allaboutcookies.org
- Cybernews, VPN Adoption Rates by Country (2025) - cybernews.com
- Comparitech, Internet Censorship Map / 2025 restrictions analysis - comparitech.com
- Proton VPN, End of Year Report 2025 - protonvpn.com
- Top10VPN, The Cost of Internet Shutdowns in 2025 (Jan 2026) - top10vpn.com
- Access Now / #KeepItOn, Internet Shutdowns in 2025 Annual Report - accessnow.org
- MVPNalyzer study of 281 free Android VPN apps (Univ. of Michigan, Univ. of New Mexico, IIT Delhi), NDSS 2026 - reported by The Hacker News, July 2026
- Zscaler ThreatLabz, 2025 VPN Risk Report (n=600+ IT professionals) - zscaler.com
- Gartner, ZTNA remote-access forecast - gartner.com
- Fortune Business Insights, Virtual Private Network Market (2026) - fortunebusinessinsights.com
- The Business Research Company, Virtual Private Network Global Market Report 2026 - thebusinessresearchcompany.com
- Precedence Research, Virtual Private Network Market (2026) - precedenceresearch.com
- ElectroIQ / PureVPN / TheBestVPN, VPN statistics aggregates (2025, cross-referenced Tier 2/3)
Data watch: Security.org and AllAboutCookies both run annual consumer VPN surveys (next editions expected mid-2026 and early 2027); Top10VPN and Access Now publish their internet-shutdown reports each January/March covering the prior year; Zscaler’s ThreatLabz VPN Risk Report is annual (next edition expected Q2 2026); GWI/DataReportal refresh VPN penetration quarterly in the Digital 20xx series; and Fortune Business Insights, The Business Research Company, and Precedence Research revise their market models annually.
Last updated: July 16, 2026. We review and update this page quarterly as new data is published.