Internet usage in the United States - Statistics & Facts

The internet has become one of the most vital tools for communication, information, and entertainment in today’s globalized world. More than half of the global population is connected to the internet, and while some regions still lack the infrastructure that is needed to provide sufficient online coverage, others have internet penetration rates close to 100 percent. Among the largest online markets in the world, the United States ranks third with over 307 million internet users nationwide. As a global hub of technological innovation and home to some of the world’s leading internet companies, the United States has increased its digital population for over two decades. Today, over 90 percent of Americans have access to the internet, many of whom could no longer imagine a life without it.

Online behavior in the United States

From learning and working to shopping and dating – the internet has transformed and digitized many aspects of everyday personal and professional life. In the United States, some of the most popular digital activities include the use of e-mail, search engines, video streaming platforms, and social networks. Home to many social media giants, the country sees a particularly high demand for social networking platforms and apps. As of 2021, the number of social network users in the United States stood at 295.5 million, with Facebook remaining the leading social media website.

Cutting the chord: the rise of mobile internet

Seeing that most social media and instant messaging platforms are available via app, it comes as no surprise that internet usage is shifting towards mobile access. As of Q4 2021, almost 50 percent of web traffic in the United States originated from mobile devices, and according to the latest data, the number of mobile internet users in the United States is forecast to reach 300 million by 2026. Smartphone users not only use their mobile devices to browse through TikTok and Instagram but also to make purchases on the go. Mobile retail commerce or m-commerce sales are seeing constant growth in the United States, and so are the numbers of mobile digital buyers.

How COVID-19 impacted internet usage

With schools, offices, shops, restaurants, and nearly all public gatherings called off amidst the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Americans had to move many parts of their lives online. In early 2020, social media platforms, videoconferencing services, and other forms of digital communication saw a significant boost in downloads and engagement, as these platforms became substitutes for personal encounters, during a time of social distancing. COVID-19 not only re-shaped the nature and extent of online usage in the United States, but also highlighted the digital divide. While the offline population in the United States is continuously shrinking, millions of households still lack internet access. As a majority of school children depend on online material to learn, and many workers have to perform their duties remotely, this digital disparity is hitting several demographics particularly hard.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.

Number of internet users in the United States: 311.3m

Internet user penetration in the U.S.: 91.8%

Number of mobile internet users in the U.S.: 282.48m

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Countries with the largest digital populations in the world as of January 2023 (in millions)

Use

Countries with the highest number of internet users 2023

Number of internet users in the United States from 2019 to 2028 (in millions)

Demographics

Internet users in the United States 2019-2028

Internet usage penetration in the United States from 2019 to 2028

Demographics

Internet usage reach in the United States 2019-2028

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Online access and traffic

Basic Statistic Countries with the highest number of internet users 2023
Countries with the highest number of internet users 2023
Countries with the largest digital populations in the world as of January 2023 (in millions)
Basic Statistic Number of U.S. households with broadband internet access 2000-2021
Number of U.S. households with broadband internet access 2000-2021
Number of fixed broadband subscriptions in the United States from 2000 to 2021 (in millions)
Premium Statistic Broadband internet subscriber numbers in the U.S. Q1 2011-Q3 2021, by cable provider
Broadband internet subscriber numbers in the U.S. Q1 2011-Q3 2021, by cable provider
Number of broadband internet subscribers in the United States from 1st quarter 2011 to 3rd quarter 2021, by cable provider (in 1,000s)
Premium Statistic Most common internet accesses by type in the U.S. 2023
Most common internet accesses by type in the U.S. 2023
Most common internet accesses by type in the U.S. as of September 2023
Premium Statistic Most used internet providers / brands in the U.S. 2023
Most used internet providers / brands in the U.S. 2023
Most used internet providers / brands in the U.S. as of September 2023

Online user demographics

Basic Statistic United States: digital population January 2023
United States: digital population January 2023
Number of internet and social media users in the United States as of January 2023 (in millions)
Basic Statistic Internet users in the United States 2019-2028
Internet users in the United States 2019-2028
Number of internet users in the United States from 2019 to 2028 (in millions)
Premium Statistic Internet usage reach in the United States 2019-2028
Internet usage reach in the United States 2019-2028
Internet usage penetration in the United States from 2019 to 2028
Basic Statistic Internet access in the United States November 2021, by state
Internet access in the United States November 2021, by state
Internet usage penetration in the United States in November 2021, by state
Basic Statistic U.S. internet usage penetration 2021, by age group
U.S. internet usage penetration 2021, by age group
Share of adults in the United States who use the internet in 2021, by age group
Basic Statistic U.S. adult internet usage reach 2000-2021, by age group
U.S. adult internet usage reach 2000-2021, by age group
Adult internet usage penetration in the United States from 2000 to 2021, by age group
Basic Statistic U.S. internet usage penetration 2021, by gender
U.S. internet usage penetration 2021, by gender
Share of adults in the United States who use the internet in 2021, by gender
Basic Statistic U.S. adult internet usage reach 2000-2021, by gender
U.S. adult internet usage reach 2000-2021, by gender
Adult internet usage penetration in the United States from 2000 to 2021, by gender
Basic Statistic U.S. internet usage penetration 2021, by education
U.S. internet usage penetration 2021, by education
Share of adults in the United States who use the internet in 2021, by educational background
Basic Statistic U.S. internet usage penetration 2021, by household income
U.S. internet usage penetration 2021, by household income
Share of adults in the United States who use the internet in 2021, by annual household income
Basic Statistic U.S. internet usage penetration 2021, by ethnicity
U.S. internet usage penetration 2021, by ethnicity
Share of adults in the United States who use the internet in 2021, by ethnicity
Basic Statistic U.S. internet usage penetration 2021, by urbanity
U.S. internet usage penetration 2021, by urbanity
Share of adults in the United States who use the internet in 2021, by urbanity
Basic Statistic Offline population of the U.S. 2000-2021
Offline population of the U.S. 2000-2021
Share of the offline population of the United States from 2000 to 2021
Basic Statistic U.S. adults who do not use the internet 2021, by age
U.S. adults who do not use the internet 2021, by age
Share of adults in the United States who do not use the internet as of February 2021, by age group

Internet usage

Premium Statistic Attitudes towards the internet in the U.S. 2023
Attitudes towards the internet in the U.S. 2023
Attitudes towards the internet in the U.S. as of September 2023
Premium Statistic Most used websites and online services by type in the U.S. 2023
Most used websites and online services by type in the U.S. 2023
Most used websites and online services by type in the U.S. as of September 2023
Basic Statistic Most visited multi-platform U.S. web properties 2023
Most visited multi-platform U.S. web properties 2023
Most popular multi-platform web properties in the United States in June 2023, based on number of unique visitors (in millions)
Basic Statistic Leading websites in the U.S. 2023, based on visit share
Leading websites in the U.S. 2023, based on visit share
Most popular websites in the United States in April 2023, based on share of visits
Premium Statistic Leading U.S. video properties 2023, by reach
Leading U.S. video properties 2023, by reach
Most popular online video properties in the United States in May 2023, by audience reach (in millions)
Premium Statistic Most used devices for digital videos in the U.S. 2023
Most used devices for digital videos in the U.S. 2023
Most used devices for digital videos in the U.S. as of September 2023

Mobile internet and apps

Premium Statistic Mobile internet users in the United States 2019-2028
Mobile internet users in the United States 2019-2028
Number of mobile internet users in the United States from 2019 to 2028 (in millions)
Premium Statistic Mobile internet usage reach in the United States 2019-2028
Mobile internet usage reach in the United States 2019-2028
Mobile internet usage penetration in the United States from 2019 to 2028
Premium Statistic U.S. daily mobile online usage 2018-2022, by channel
U.S. daily mobile online usage 2018-2022, by channel
Time spent per day with mobile internet among adults in the United States from 2018 to 2022, by channel (in minutes)
Premium Statistic U.S. daily media usage time via mobile 2019-2023
U.S. daily media usage time via mobile 2019-2023
Time spent per day with mobile non-voice media in the United States from 2019 to 2023, by type (in hours.minutes)
Premium Statistic Reach of most popular U.S. smartphone apps 2023
Reach of most popular U.S. smartphone apps 2023
Mobile audience reach of leading smartphone apps in the United States in June 2023
Premium Statistic Leading iPhone apps in the U.S. 2022, by downloads
Leading iPhone apps in the U.S. 2022, by downloads
Leading iPhone apps in the Apple App Store in the United States in September, by number of downloads
Premium Statistic Leading Android apps in the U.S. 2023, by downloads
Leading Android apps in the U.S. 2023, by downloads
Leading Android apps in the Google Play Store in the United States as of June 2023, by number of downloads (in millions)

Social media

Basic Statistic Social media users in the United States 2019-2028
Social media users in the United States 2019-2028
Number of social media users in the United States from 2019 to 2028 (in millions)
Premium Statistic U.S. market share of leading social media websites 2023
U.S. market share of leading social media websites 2023
Leading social media websites in the United States as of August 2023, based on share of visits
Premium Statistic Most common social media activities in the U.S. 2023
Most common social media activities in the U.S. 2023
Most common social media activities in the U.S. as of September 2023
Premium Statistic Most talked about products/topics online in the U.S. 2023
Most talked about products/topics online in the U.S. 2023
Most talked about products/topics online in the U.S. as of September 2023
Premium Statistic Average daily time spent on social media by U.S. adults 2017-2022
Average daily time spent on social media by U.S. adults 2017-2022
Average daily time spent on selected social networks by adults in the United States from 2017 to 2022, by platform (in minutes)

Online and mobile commerce

Basic Statistic Revenue of the e-commerce industry in the U.S. 2018-2028
Revenue of the e-commerce industry in the U.S. 2018-2028
Revenue of the e-commerce industry in the U.S. 2018-2028 (in billion U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Retail e-commerce sales in the U.S. 2018-2027
Retail e-commerce sales in the U.S. 2018-2027
Retail e-commerce sales in the United States from 2018 to 2027 (in billion U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Leading e-commerce sites in the U.S. 2021, by monthly visits
Leading e-commerce sites in the U.S. 2021, by monthly visits
Leading e-commerce websites in the United States as of June 2021, based on number of monthly visits (in millions)
Premium Statistic Retail m-commerce sales in the U.S. 2019-2025
Retail m-commerce sales in the U.S. 2019-2025
Mobile retail e-commerce sales in the United States from 2019 to 2025 (in billion U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Number of users of e-commerce in the U.S. 2019-2028
Number of users of e-commerce in the U.S. 2019-2028
Number of users of e-commerce in the U.S. 2019-2028 (in millions)
Premium Statistic Number of mobile buyers in the United States 2020-2024
Number of mobile buyers in the United States 2020-2024
Number of mobile buyers in the United States from 2020 to 2024 (in millions)
Premium Statistic Most popular categories for online purchases in the U.S. 2023
Most popular categories for online purchases in the U.S. 2023
Most popular categories for online purchases in the U.S. as of September 2023
Premium Statistic Most common online purchases by device in the U.S. 2022
Most common online purchases by device in the U.S. 2022
Most common online purchases by device in the U.S. in 2022

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