VPN Adoption Rate & Usage Trends 2024 – Symlex VPN Insights

According to recent statistics by Forbes, 33% of internet users worldwide have used a VPN. As consumers become increasingly protective of their online data, VPNs have surged in popularity, with 10 million more people expected to adopt VPNs in 2024. 

Other studies have found about 35-42% of VPN users use their service daily, and an additional 15-13% use it 4-5 times a week. Furthermore, 32% of mobile users and 29% of PC and laptop users use their VPNs daily or almost every day.
Globally, VPNs are downloaded by almost 330 million people worldwide.

Top VPN Insights

• 42% of users use VPNs to get secure on public Wi-Fi.
• 46% use VPNs to access streaming services like Netflix, Prime, etc.
• 47% of users connect to VPNs to protect data privacy.
• 16% of people use VPNs for torrenting/P2P file sharing.
• 26% use VPNs to access region-locked entertainment.
• 72% of users use VPNs from their desktop/laptop.
• 69% use VPNs on their mobile devices.
• 52% of users have installed and use VPNs on iOS.  
• 37% of Android users have downloaded VPNs.
• 33% of users have VPNs installed on a tablet.

About 66% of people in the U.S. have used a VPN at some point. Around 93% of organizations currently use a VPN for business security. 

Almost 80% of VPN users use a VPN for their digital security, 47% of users use a free VPN, and 26% of employees pay for a VPN subscription. 

The UAE has the highest VPN adoption rate, at around 43%. India and Indonesia have the most VPN users, with 45 million and 42 million users, respectively.

Additionally, the VPN market, which was worth around $44.6 billion in 2022, is projected to reach $77.1 billion by 2026, indicating substantial growth in the industry.

Symlex VPN has expanded globally in recent years, gaining more than 10 million users worldwide. We have most users from the UAE, Russia, China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and more. 

Let’s look at VPN adoption rates and usage trends worldwide.
Based on Proxyrack data, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has the highest percentage of VPN users, around 84.38%. Other countries with high VPN usage rates include Singapore (74.5%) and Saudi Arabia (51.4%).

VPN Market Statistics

The worldwide Virtual Private Network (VPN) market was worth about USD 45 billion in 2022. It’s projected to expand at an average annual growth rate of around 17.7% from 2023 to 2030 and reach a value of roughly USD 350 billion by 2032.

VPN Adoption and Awareness

As of 2024, around 1.5 million users are using VPN services worldwide. Most of the users use either a free or paid VPN service to protect personal information and increase overall online security.

A recent study conducted among Sri Lankan smartphone users increased suddenly during the period when social media was banned. 

Analysis of responses provided by 150 respondents shows that 85% admitted to using VPN apps during this period.

So, it’s understandable that censorship is a crucial factor contributing to the uprise of VPN adoption and user awareness.

According to another study by Ghoui, obstacles that led to low VPN adoption in the country include lack of VPN awareness, difficulties in comparing VPN apps, and distrust of VPN providers.

Free VPNs are not widely used, which is because the apps themselves have potential security and privacy issues. 

Several studies have shown that many VPN apps risk de-anonymization attacks, traffic leakage, insecure VPN protocols, DNS traffic leakage, de-encryption of VPN traffic, Man-in-the-Middle attacks, and lack of transparency. 

However, most regular users may not fully understand these technical problems, so these issues might not actually impact their decision to use a VPN.

VPN Adoption Rate by Country

Refer to the table below for an idea of the VPN adoption rate by country.

*VPN Adoption Rate (%) is collected from Atlas VPN

From the above data table, we can see that Singapore has the highest number of VPN downloaders amongst their country population, around 19%, followed by the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Netherlands, and more.
Recent data shows the UAE and Indonesia have the most VPN users worldwide who use VPNs for digital security, torrenting, gaming, WhatsApp calling, and more.

Here’s a Geo-map to better look at the VPN adoption rate by country. This map illustrates the expansion of VPN users worldwide and how many people have

VPN Adoption Rate by Regions

The chart shows that Asia Pacific has the most VPN users. According to many researchers, the Asia-Pacific region is the most emerging market in the VPN industry, with an expected growth rate of 16% from 2020 to 2027.

Second, we see Latin America has a 23% adoption rate. The Middle East and Africa have around 19%, followed by Europe and North America, which have a 17% adoption rate.

VPN Adoption Rate by Use Cases

According to research data, around 43% of users use VPN service for their digital security, 26% for streaming purposes, 12% for privacy, 26% for unblocking geo-block content, and 3-4%, respectively, for gaming and work purposes.

Moreover, many people worldwide use VPNs for torrenting purposes (P2P). In many countries, piracy and downloading of such content violate copyright law. According to Forbes, roughly 16% of people use a VPN for torrenting.

VPN Users by Different Age Groups

• 46.5% of VPN users are 16 to 24 years old.
• 22.8% of VPN users are 25-34 years old.
• 15.5% of VPN users are 35-44 years old.
• 17.4% of VPN users are 45 to 54 years old.
• 12.9% of VPN users are 55 to 64 years old.
• 14.8% of VPN users are over 65 years old.

Top Reasons and Ratings of VPN Usage By Year

85% of Free VPNs Share User Data With Advertisers

According to the study by the top10vpn, here are some findings on free VPNs:

• Just 3 free VPNs (15%) respect your choice not to allow advertisers to track you.
• 7 free VPNs (35%) don’t ask for consent to allow advertisers to track you.
• 9 free VPNs (45%) share personally identifiable data of your iPhone.
• 15 free VPNs (75%) share basic info about your iPhone with advertisers.
• 16 free VPNs (80%) share your real IP address without asking permission.
• 10 apps (50%) have shared detailed information about your iPhone by this point.

75% Free VPNs On Appstore Share User Data with Advertisers

According to a study, 15 out of 20 free VPN apps 75% on the Apple App Store were found to share basic information about users’ iPhones with advertisers. 

This information includes data points such as:

• Network operator
• Free memory, battery level
• Screen brightness
• Device volume
• Device name
• Free storage space
• Last time the device was switched on
• Phone screen dimension 
• Network connection type
• iOS version
• Device model, and language

93% Free VPNs Reduces Connection Speed

According to the search results, many VPNs can cut internet speeds by about 50%.

However, the fastest VPNs, such as NordVPN, Symlex VPN, and Surfshark VPN, have been reported to reduce speeds by as little as 7-10%. However, connecting to the nearest server will increase speed and performance significantly. 

It’s also worth noting that some VPNs can cause a more significant speed reduction, with some users reporting drops of up to 77%.

Therefore, while a 10% speed reduction is achievable with some of the fastest VPNs, it’s not a universal standard for all VPNs.

99.98% Free VPN Users are Uniquely Traceable

VPNs often claim that the data they track and share with third parties is anonymized and not tied to your personal information. 

However, something like a device ID can still be used to personally identify you when combined with other data points related to your online behavior and interactions with the app. It doesn’t take much to connect the dots and identify you online.

Research has demonstrated that 99.98% of users could be re-identified in any anonymized dataset using only 15 data points. 

The more data points an app collects about you, the easier it becomes for others to identify you online, even if the collected data isn’t personally identifiable information.

Symlex VPN Mostly Liked Feature by the Users

Symlex VPN is the first choice of many individuals and businesses worldwide due to its strong AES-256 bit encryption, blazing fast speed, no-logging policy, kill switch, split tunneling, and ad-blocking features.

The noteworthy features include 24/7 customer support, gaming and streaming optimized specialty servers, an in-app private browser, a loyalty program, attractive discount offers, and more. Not only that, Symlex offers cutting-edge protocols for advance security.

Why Do People Use Symlex VPN Over Free VPN?

We know the risks involved in using free VPNs, so people are adopting premium VPNs for better speed, security, and privacy. 

The main reasons why people use Symlex VPN over free VPN include:

1. Strong security and encryption.
2. Enhanced privacy protection.
3. Better gaming performance.
4. Unblock all streaming platforms.
5. To bypass censorship while traveling.

No-logging policy and zero knowledge privacy.

Symlex VPN Global Adoption Rate Geo-Map

Regarding the Symlex VPN adoption rate, we expanded our service to countries like the UAE, the UK, the United States, China, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Russia, and more. We also provide services in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Uzbekistan, etc.

Symlex VPN has more than 8 million customers worldwide and is expanding. We provide industry-leading AES-256-bit encryption and a wide range of high-speed servers. Our servers are located in more than 95+ locations globally.

Symlex VPN: Why are People Adopting It?

Blazing fast servers, robust military-grade security, multiple device support, DNS leak protection, unlimited speed, and bandwidth make Symlex VPN the best choice. Here’s what you get if you subscribe to Symlex VPN:

• Top-notch Security: Symlex offers state-of-the-art security, AES-256 bit encryption. This encryption standard has a reputation for being unbreakable.
• High-speed Servers: Our servers have unlimited speed with no bandwidth restriction. So, no fear of speed throttle and running out of bandwidth anymore.

• Zero Knowledge Privacy: Symlex doesn’t keep any usage logs like browsing data, real IP addresses, cookies, or any personal information.

• Best Protocols: We offer all industry-leading protocols: WireGuard, Open Connect, Shadowsocks, Any connect, IPsec, and more.

• Multiple Device Support: You can connect 5 devices simultaneously with one subscription. Enjoy limitless entertainment on all your devices.

Moreover, we have split tunneling, an active kill switch, and an in-app browser  You can visit our Feature page to get to know more about the features of Symlex VPN.

Closing Words

To sum up, global VPN adoption and usage trends clearly indicate that VPNs are more than just a tool. They have become an essential part of the online lives of millions of people around the world. Moreover, day by day, the usage of VPNs is increasing.

As the digital world changes, VPN services will grow further, giving individuals and businesses the tools to protect their digital lives and unlock new possibilities.