55 VPN Statistics & Industry Trends (2023 - 2025)

VPN Usage Statistics

1. Global VPN Users : There are approximately 1.5 billion VPN users worldwide as of 2023, representing about 31% of all internet users​. This reflects the mainstream growth of VPNs from a niche tool to a common privacy and access solution.

2. Global vs. U.S. VPN Adoption Rates: Around 22.9% of internet users worldwide use VPN services, but adoption is much higher in some countries. For example, about 42% of Americans (nearly 105 million people) use a VPN – almost double the global average​. VPN usage in the U.S. rose sharply from ~39% in 2022 to 46% in 2023​, parallel to growing public awareness (95% of American adults were familiar with VPNs by 2023, up from 72% in 2020​).

3. User Demographics: VPN usage skews toward younger and male users. An estimated 62% of VPN users are male​. Additionally, about 39% of global VPN users are aged 16–24 (Gen Z), indicating that young digital natives are a large segment of the VPN-using population​.

4. Usage Frequency: VPNs are not just installed but are actively used regularly. 36% of VPN users use a VPN every day, and another 41% use one at least once a week​. This means over three-quarters of users turn on their VPN weekly or more, underscoring how routine VPN use has become for many.

5. Platforms for VPN Use: VPN usage spans multiple device types. Around 72% of VPN users use VPNs on desktop or laptop computers, while 69% use VPNs on mobile devices​. Many users utilize VPNs across both platforms. (Mobile VPN use is popular for on-the-go privacy on public Wi-Fi, whereas desktops at home may be used without VPN for non-sensitive tasks.)

6. Global Download Trends: There were about 328 million VPN app downloads in 2023 across the world​. This was 15 million fewer downloads than in 2022, and less than half the downloads seen at the pandemic peak in 2021 (when ~785 million VPN apps were downloaded)​. The 2020–2021 period saw an unprecedented surge due to remote work and security needs, which has since normalized.

7. Market Size and Growth: The global VPN market has grown rapidly alongside usage. It was valued around $44–50 billion in 2022–2023​ and is projected to continue rising. Estimates put the market at $75–88 billion by 2027 and $137 billion by 2030​ – roughly 15–17% annual growth (CAGR). This growth is driven by increasing cybersecurity awareness, privacy concerns, and remote work adoption.

8. Projected New Users: VPN adoption is still growing in 2024, with one analysis suggesting 10 million additional people may start using VPNs in 2024 alone​. This continued rise reflects the ongoing emphasis on online privacy and security globally.

9. Adoption Barriers: Among internet users who don’t use VPNs, the main reasons are a lack of perceived need (59% of non-users), followed by cost concerns (22% say VPNs are too expensive) and lack of understanding of benefits (20%)​. This indicates that while VPN awareness is high, converting non-users requires demonstrating clear value and affordability.

10. Free vs. Paid Usage: A significant portion of VPN users opt for free services despite limitations. About 2 in 5 personal VPN users use a free VPN service​. However, free VPNs often come with performance and security issues – over 60% of free VPN users report problems like slow speeds (39%), excessive ads (13%), or inability to stream content (12%)​. (These issues drive many users to eventually consider paid VPN options for better quality.)

11. Popular VPN Services: The VPN market is fragmented with dozens of providers, but a few brands lead in popularity. ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Windscribe, and Surfshark are consistently ranked among the most popular consumer VPNs worldwide​. In the U.S., recent surveys found NordVPN, Proton VPN, and Google’s VPN (via Google One/Pixel devices) to be the most commonly used services​.

VPN Security Concerns

12. Organizations Attacked via VPNs: More than half (56%) of organizations have been targets of cyberattacks that exploited VPN vulnerabilities in the past year​. These incidents include attackers leveraging flaws in VPN servers or clients to breach corporate networks, highlighting VPNs as a potential weak link in enterprise security.

13. Security Fears Among Professionals: 91% of cybersecurity professionals express concern that VPNs, if compromised, could lead to a serious security breach in their IT infrastructure​. In other words, virtually all security teams recognize that VPN connections can be a “weak entry point” if not properly secured​. This has prompted many firms to re-evaluate traditional VPNs in favor of more zero-trust approaches.

14. Common VPN Exploits: The most common attacks abusing VPN weaknesses are ransomware (cited by 42% of organizations), other malware infections (35%), and DDoS attacks (30%) delivered through VPN pathways​. Once inside via a VPN vulnerability, attackers often attempt lateral movement; this risk is a top concern for most enterprises that experience VPN-related breaches​.

15. Rising VPN Vulnerabilities: VPN software vulnerabilities are on the rise. In 2023, there were 133 VPN vulnerabilities disclosed, a 43% increase compared to 2022​. Over the 2021–2023 period, VPN flaws surged significantly, with many rated high or critical severity (11% critical, 57% high)​. Notably, at least 7 of the VPN bugs discovered in 2023 were actively exploited by attackers in the wild (per CISA reports)​, underscoring the real-world danger of unpatched VPN systems.

16. Notorious VPN Breaches: VPN-related breaches have exposed sensitive data of millions. In May 2023, a breach of a free VPN service left an unsecured database of 360 million records publicly exposed​. The 133 GB of data included user email addresses, original IP addresses, VPN servers used, app usage logs, and even websites visited​ – a startling privacy failure. Incidents like this fuel worries that some VPNs (especially free ones) may actually increase security risks if they are not properly managed.

17. Free VPN Malware Trap: Cybercriminals have exploited the popularity of free VPNs by distributing malicious fake VPN apps. In 2024, detections of malware-laden fake VPN apps jumped 2.5× in Q3 compared to the previous quarter​. In fact, in May 2024 U.S. authorities dismantled a large botnet that was built from networks of computers infected via at least 18 bogus free VPN apps​. This illustrates how downloading unverified VPN software can directly lead to device compromise.

18. VPNs as Attack Targets: Around 3 in 4 cybersecurity leaders are specifically worried about the security risks surrounding VPNs​. 94% of organizations acknowledge that their VPNs could be targeted by cyberattacks, and 19% are “very concerned” about VPN-related breaches​.

19. Enterprise Challenges with VPNs: From a corporate IT perspective, the biggest challenge in using VPNs is lack of visibility into user activity (reported by 24% of IT professionals)​. The second-biggest headache is the high cost of maintaining VPN security and infrastructure (23% of respondents)​. These challenges indicate that while VPNs provide secure access, they can hinder monitoring and incur significant upkeep costs for businesses.

20. Shifting to Zero Trust: In response to these concerns, organizations are rapidly adopting alternative security models. 78% of organizations plan to implement a Zero Trust strategy in the next 12 months as a way to reduce reliance on vulnerable VPNs​.
    
    Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solutions can let companies authenticate users and devices without granting full network access as VPNs do, thereby mitigating the risk from VPN exploits. Recent high-profile VPN vulnerabilities (such as critical flaws in Ivanti and Palo Alto Networks VPN products) even prompted U.S. CISA to issue emergency directives​, accelerating this shift away from traditional VPNs.

Privacy Benefits and User Motivation

21. Privacy as a Primary Motivator: Online privacy is a major driver for VPN adoption. In a 2023 U.S. survey, 63% of VPN users said they use VPNs for general online privacy – up from 50% the year before​. Hiding one’s internet activity from prying eyes (whether governments, ISPs, or hackers) is a core appeal. Likewise, nearly 1 in 3 users (31%) globally use VPNs specifically for anonymous browsing with no digital trail​.

22. Preventing Tracking: VPNs are commonly used to thwart tracking and surveillance. Nearly 40% of VPN users report that a key reason for using a VPN is to prevent tracking by search engines and social media platforms​. By masking IP addresses and encrypting traffic, VPNs help disrupt the profiling and data collection by big tech and advertisers. Similarly, 35% use VPNs to hide their browsing activity from their Internet Service Provider (ISP)​, adding another layer of privacy from entities that can monitor internet usage.

23. Protecting Personal Data: VPNs significantly enhance personal data protection. In one global survey, 66% of VPN users said they use VPNs to protect personal information (such as passwords or private communications) from hackers or data collectors​. A VPN’s encryption prevents eavesdropping, which is especially important when using unsecured networks. It essentially creates a private tunnel for one’s data.

24. Security on Public Wi-Fi: Half of VPN users cite safer use of public Wi‑Fi as a top reason. 50% of users use VPNs on public Wi‑Fi networks (e.g. cafes, airports) to secure their connection​. Public hotspots are notorious for snooping and attacks; a VPN shields data in these environments. This is a practical privacy benefit – the user’s traffic becomes unreadable to any would-be sniffer on the same network.

25. Bypassing Censorship & Content Blocks: Access to restricted content is a huge incentive for VPN use. Half of all VPN users globally (50%) say they use VPNs to get better access to entertainment content​. Streaming services and websites often geo-block content, and a VPN allows users to circumvent regional restrictions by tunneling through servers in other countries. In fact, this is the #1 non-work reason people use VPNs. Other common purposes include accessing blocked social media or websites – 34% use VPNs to access social networks where they might be censored​.

26. VPNs for Streaming: Drilling down specifically on entertainment, 46% of VPN users (who use VPNs for personal reasons) use them to access streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, or Disney+​. Additionally, 26% use VPNs to reach region-locked content (for example, accessing another country’s Netflix library or a blocked website), and 16% use VPNs for safer torrenting of media. This underscores that content access is a key benefit alongside privacy. Many consumers see VPNs as a tool to enjoy the open internet without borders.

27. VPN Use Among Netflix Subscribers: Illustrating the above point, approximately 2 out of every 5 Netflix subscribers worldwide use a VPN to watch Netflix​. Many Netflix customers turn to VPNs to bypass geo-restrictions on content, since Netflix offers different libraries in different countries. This statistic shows how common VPNs have become even for everyday streaming entertainment.

28. Dark Web Access: VPNs are also used for more clandestine browsing. Over 1 in 10 internet users (roughly 11%) have used a VPN to access the dark web​ at least once. The dark web, being reachable only through specialized browsers (like Tor) and often associated with anonymity, attracts users who also layer a VPN on top for added privacy and to hide such activity from their ISP or authorities.

29. User Trust in VPN Privacy: VPNs are highly trusted by their users to safeguard privacy. Only 16% of VPN users doubt their anonymity when using a VPN​, meaning 84% feel confident that their VPN keeps them anonymous. This high confidence level indicates that, despite some risks, most users believe a reputable VPN effectively shields their identity and data online.

30. Primary Reasons for Using VPNs: Surveys on VPN user motivations show that while privacy is important, security and content access often rank even higher as immediate reasons. For example, in one post-purchase survey of VPN users, the most common primary reason was improving security (43% of respondents), followed by accessing streaming or entertainment content (26%), and then general privacy/secrecy (12%)​. Other reasons included accessing content while traveling (9%), avoiding surveillance while gaming (3%), and work purposes (3%). (Notably, many users differentiate security – protecting data from hackers – from privacy – hiding activities from monitoring. VPNs tend to satisfy both.)
    
    
31. Summary of Common VPN Uses: The table below summarizes the top reasons people report for As shown, personal security and privacy (safety from hackers, protecting data) together drive the majority of VPN use, while content access (streaming and bypassing censorship) is another major factor. Work requirements and other niche uses comprise a smaller share of motivations.

Regional VPN Adoption

32. Highest-Use Countries: VPN usage rates vary greatly by country. The countries with the highest VPN penetration (per % of population) tend to be those with restrictive internet environments. Indonesia has the world’s highest VPN usage rate at about 55% of internet users​. Other nations with very high VPN usage include India (43%) and several Middle Eastern & Asian countries around 38% usage – for example, the United Arab Emirates (36–38%), Thailand (~38%), and Malaysia (~38%) of their populations use VPNs​.

33. Global Download Leaders (2023): Looking at recent data, Singapore led the world in VPN adoption in early 2023. In just the first half of 2023, Singapore (population ~5.85 million) saw over 1.1 million VPN downloads, giving it an adoption index of 19.3% (downloads per population) – the highest in any country for that period​. Other high-download regions were the Middle East: the UAE had a 16.9% adoption index in H1 2023, and Qatar 15.3%​, indicating very strong demand for VPNs.
    
    
34. Global VPN Penetration Leaders: Countries with extensive content filtering or censorship (Indonesia, UAE, etc.) tend to have the most VPN usage, as citizens turn to VPNs to circumvent internet censorship and access blocked content. The table below shows the top five countries by VPN usage rate among internet users:

35. Middle East Usage: Saudi Arabia is also among the top VPN markets, with an 11.0% VPN adoption rate in H1 2023​. The consistently high VPN penetration in Gulf countries (UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia) is largely driven by strict internet censorship and content restrictions in those nations​. Citizens rely on VPNs to reach social media, VoIP services, and websites that are otherwise blocked.

36. VPN Growth in Europe: In Europe, VPN usage is climbing year over year. For example, the Netherlands reached a 10.4% VPN adoption rate in early 2023​ – indicating a well-informed public that values online security. The UK saw about 7.2% of its population using VPNs in H1 2023​, and Luxembourg (7.1%) and France (6.9%) had similar adoption levels with continued growth​. European usage, while lower than Asia, is steadily rising as privacy awareness grows.

37. North America and Latin America: North America has a moderate VPN user penetration (around 25% of internet users by some estimates), while Latin America is slightly higher (~31%)​. For instance, in 2023 about one-third of internet users in countries like Brazil or Mexico use VPNs regularly (Latin America has seen VPN growth for accessing content and privacy). The United States’ ~42% usage rate for VPNs is among the highest in the West​, likely boosted by both privacy concerns and a large remote workforce.

38. Regional Revenue Leaders: North America leads in VPN revenue share globally​, even if raw user numbers are higher in Asia. The U.S. market alone was estimated at $19.2 billion in 2023​, reflecting strong enterprise spending on VPN solutions. India, despite its large user base, also represents a huge market by value – at roughly $11.6 billion, it’s the single largest country market for VPNs by revenue​. China’s VPN market is around $9.9B (though VPN use there is officially restricted)​.

39. Fastest Growing Markets: The Asia-Pacific region is the fastest-growing VPN market, projected to expand ~16% annually through 2027​. For example, China’s VPN market is expected to grow ~17.7% CAGR, reaching about $21.5B by 2030 despite regulatory challenges​. Emerging markets with rising internet penetration – like India, Indonesia, and countries in the Middle East & Africa – are seeing the steepest growth in VPN adoption​.
    
    
40. Impact of Geopolitical Events: Political events and conflicts can spark sudden spikes in VPN usage. During the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, VPN demand in Russia surged by 1,906% in a single week​ as Russians rushed to access uncensored news and blocked services. In 2022, Russians downloaded 33.5 million VPN apps (almost 10% of all global VPN downloads that year). Similarly, events like the 2022 anti-censorship protests in Iran also led to huge increases in VPN use in those regions​.

41. Restrictions on VPN Use: Not all regions welcome VPNs. Approximately 45% of internet users worldwide – about 2.4 billion people – live in countries where VPN usage is restricted by the government in some manner​. VPNs are outright illegal in at least 5 countries (including North Korea, Turkmenistan, Iraq, Belarus, and Oman) and heavily restricted in ~8–10 others (e.g. China, Russia, UAE, Iran, Turkey)​. Users in these countries risk penalties for using non-approved VPNs, yet many still do so clandestinely to obtain free access to information.

Corporate vs. Personal VPN Use

42. Business Adoption: VPNs are now standard infrastructure in companies. 93% of organizations use VPNs for work to secure connections for employees and offices​. This could include corporate VPNs for remote worker access or site-to-site VPNs linking office networks. VPNs have been a cornerstone of enterprise network security for decades, and virtually every large company has some VPN solution in place.

43. Multiple VPN Gateways: Many enterprises deploy VPN at scale. 41% of companies have 3 or more VPN gateways globally (multiple VPN servers or endpoints) to support their distributed workforce and branch offices​. This indicates organizations often manage multiple VPN entry points for redundancy and to handle traffic load, especially those operating internationally.

44. Remote Work Driving VPN Use: The COVID-19 pandemic forced a massive shift to remote work, boosting business VPN usage to new heights. 71% of companies had to scale up VPN capacity during 2020 to accommodate the surge in remote employees​. Over two-thirds of firms upgraded their VPN hardware, added licenses, or increased bandwidth. Notably, 20% of companies increased their VPN capacity by at least 76% (nearly doubling it) during the pandemic to meet demand​.

45. Long-Term Remote Work Trends: Even post-pandemic, remote work remains prevalent. 88% of companies worldwide encouraged or required remote work at the start of the pandemic​, and many have kept those policies. As of 2023, 72% of organizations plan to make remote/hybrid work permanent for at least part of their staff​. This suggests that elevated VPN usage for business is here to stay, as employees continue to need secure access from home.

46. VPN Use by Remote Employees: Among individual employees, roughly 43% of remote workers use a VPN for work purposes (when working from home)​. Interestingly, 38% of remote workers said they do not use a VPN, and another 19% were “not sure” if they use one or not​. (This could imply some employees may be using corporate VPNs without realizing it, or that their companies have moved to alternate solutions.)

47. Personal vs. Work Use: VPNs are used both for personal browsing and business connectivity, sometimes by the same people. Overall, 77% of VPN users use VPNs for personal/private purposes, whereas 50% use them for business/work purposes​. (These figures sum to over 100% because many individuals use VPNs in both contexts.) 
    
    A survey further found 43.6% of people use VPNs exclusively for personal reasons, 33.3% use them only for business, and 23.1% use VPNs for both work and personal needs​. In other words, about one-quarter of VPN users straddle both worlds, using VPNs to protect personal privacy and to access work networks.
    
48. Work Requirements: Despite the prevalence of corporate VPNs, relatively few people use a VPN only because their employer mandates it. Only 16% of users said they use a VPN because it’s required by their employer, and an even smaller 6% use one primarily to protect employer data​. This suggests that most employees who use a work VPN likely also see personal value in VPN use, or conversely, many employees aren’t using a VPN unless they choose to for their own reasons.
    
49. VPN Usage by Purpose (Personal vs Work): The following table breaks down VPN usage by purpose, based on a global survey:

Nearly two-thirds of VPN users use VPNs for at least some personal purposes, while roughly half use them for work (with overlap between those groups).

50. Corporate VPN vs. Emerging Solutions: With the rise of Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), some companies are looking beyond traditional VPNs. However, as of 2023, VPNs remain entrenched in business.
    
    Many companies now supplement VPNs with additional security (like identity-based access and multifactor authentication) to mitigate VPN risks rather than eliminate VPNs entirely. Still, the trend is clear: the heavy corporate reliance on VPNs (93% adoption) may decline in coming years if zero-trust architectures prove more secure and flexible​.

51. Popular Enterprise VPN Solutions: In the enterprise space, a few VPN solutions dominate. For instance, Cisco’s AnyConnect VPN holds about 28.6% of the market share among enterprise VPN technologies – the single largest share for any one VPN platform​. Other major players include Palo Alto Networks’ GlobalProtect and Fortinet’s VPN. Many businesses stick with these well-known solutions for their perceived reliability and vendor support, though this can create attractive common targets for attackers when vulnerabilities are found (as happened with the 2023 Cisco/Fortinet VPN vulnerabilities​).

52. Post-2020 Security Posture: The experience of the pandemic has changed how companies handle remote access. VPN user counts skyrocketed (one report suggested 68% of U.S. adults were using VPNs in 2020, equivalent to ~142 million users, when remote work was at its peak)​.
    
    While that statistic may include personal use, it highlights how VPN usage became nearly ubiquitous for a time. Moving forward, companies are auditing which employees truly need full network VPN access and which can use cloud apps through secure web gateways, etc., to reduce unnecessary VPN exposure.

53. Growth in Work and Home VPN Usage: Between 2019 and 2022, there was a massive uptick in both work and personal VPN use in the U.S. VPN use “at work” grew 47.7% and VPN use “at home” grew 56.1% over those three years​. This reflects both the shift to remote work (work VPN usage nearly doubled) and greater consumer awareness (more people using VPNs at home for personal privacy). Similarly, the share of people using VPNs in both contexts (home & work) grew 45% in that period​, showing that many who started using VPN for work also adopted it for personal use (or vice versa).

54. Security for Remote Work: VPNs remain a critical security layer for remote and hybrid work. They encrypt sensitive business data as it travels over home networks and public internet.
    
    However, companies are increasingly pairing VPNs with other measures (like endpoint security, cloud authentication, and device management) to bolster overall security for remote users. The goal is to prevent scenarios where a compromised home device or leaked VPN credential could lead to a major breach – a concern clearly on the minds of CISOs, given the statistics above.
    
    
55. Continued Importance of VPNs: In summary, VPN usage – whether for individual privacy, content access, or corporate connectivity – has become an integral part of the modern internet landscape. The statistics from 2023 onward show robust growth in adoption globally, tempered by new security challenges.
    
    Users and organizations alike see substantial benefits in using VPNs (from protecting personal data to enabling remote work), even as they remain aware of the risks and limitations. With nearly one-third of all internet users now using VPNs​, VPN technology will likely continue evolving (e.g. more secure protocols, zero-knowledge architectures) to address the twin demands of privacy and security in an increasingly connected world.