Once created for military communication, virtual private networks have entered the mainstream. There’s a good reason for that. Online security affects our personal lives. And with people spending more time in front of screens, a VPN is essential to stay protected.
But how many people are using this software? NordVPN did a study across 18 countries, and the results are quite interesting. More than 150,000 people participated in these surveys. Read on to find out what they figured out!
Table of Contents
Why Should You Use A VPN?
Before diving into the statistics, it’s important to review the basics. Here’s everything you can do with a VPN:
– Use public Wi-Fi securely
– Protect your digital privacy
– Stream the same content when traveling
– Save money when renting cars, buying plane tickets, and booking hotels
– Beat price discrimination
– Avoid slow speeds and bandwidth throttling
– Play games securely
– Get phishing protection
– Block cookies and trackers
– Remove ads
– Shield yourself from hackers
The whole point of a VPN is to keep you safe in cyberspace. Many services offer free trials so you can experience the effectiveness firsthand. Plus, you can use them on multiple devices at the same time. Now, let’s see if people know about it.
Do Americans Use VPNs?
Survey results show that Americans are well-versed in VPN terminology and usage. More than two-thirds of them (66.8%) know virtual private networks. And one out of every three people uses a VPN. Compared to last year, the number of users increased substantially. The typical user is male, either millennial or post-boomer (25 to 44).
What Kinds Of VPNs Do They Use?
VPNs are divided into two main categories: free and paid. Free VPNs are usually frowned upon in the tech world. They use it as a marketing ploy, limiting your bandwidth unless you purchase a plan. Or they sell your data to third parties.
Even more, when something is free, it’s often not of the highest quality. Because there are no monthly subscriptions, they can bombard you with ads. On top of that, they don’t have great servers or military-grade encryption. This means they’re compromising security, which is the primary thing they’re made to do.
These situations aren’t desirable, yet nearly half of Americans (44.2%) use free options. The rest use corporate VPNs (9.7%) or a paid American VPN (51.2%).
Why Do Americans Use VPNs?
People in the United States know what VPNs do and what they’re for. Close to half (43%) use this software to increase their online privacy. A third of them use a VPN for the US to secure their accounts and devices.
Are There Any Generational Differences?
Gen Z is the generation setting all of the TikTok trends. They know everything about the online world (VPNs included), yet they’re the worst regarding online security. Most of the time, they use free virtual private networks, which isn’t the best option.
The United States Gen Y generation has the best habits, intending to gain more privacy and use paid subscriptions.
What About Global Statistics?
Worldwide stats show that Hong Kong has the most usage and awareness about VPNs. Half the population uses them (50.2%), and almost all know about the software (87.2%). Similar statistics are in Brazil, Taiwan, Spain, Singapore, Poland, The UK, and Canada. All of these countries have above-average awareness.
Japan, on the other hand, has the lowest usage and awareness. Just 8% of them use VPNs, and only 23% of people know about them. Similarly, South Korea, Italy, and France have below-average awareness.
To end things off, here are some quick and cool stats:
– German students use VPNs the most, compared to students from other countries – Taiwanese men use VPNs more compared to men from other countries – Hong Kong business owners lead with VPN usage compared to other markets – Italian residents lead in the Gen Y and Gen X age groups
Finally, remember to boost these stats by being part of the VPN-users crew!
