VPN application downloads are rising again after a post-pandemic slowdown, with growth concentrated in large markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
These findings are based on a recent Cybernews analysis of download data for the 50 most popular VPN applications. App install volumes were sourced from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store and then compared to national population data to estimate country-level VPN adoption rates.
In the United States, VPN apps recorded 67 million downloads in 2022, the highest annual figure in the dataset. While US download volumes declined after the 2022 peak, demand remained high. In 2024, VPN apps were downloaded 63 million times in the US, and by the first half of 2025, 37 million downloads had already occurred, representing roughly 5 million more installs than during the same period last year.
Despite leading global download volumes, the United States does not rank among the highest countries in terms of per-capita VPN adoption.
G7 countries drive global VPN download volume
G7 economies are digitally mature and exhibit a high demand for VPN tools, even though per-capita adoption isn’t necessarily the highest globally.
- The United Kingdom recorded 17 million VPN downloads in 2024, followed by 11 million installs in the first half of 2025.
- Germany logged 18 million downloads in 2024 and 9 million in early 2025.
- France saw 11 million installs in 2024 and 7 million during the first half of this year.
- Canada recorded 7 million VPN downloads in 2024, with 4 million installs in early 2025, placing it among the higher-adoption G7 markets relative to population size.
- Japan registered 5 million downloads in 2024 and 3 million in the first half of 2025.
- Italy reported around 4 million installs in 2024 and 2 million as of the first half of 2025.
Together, these figures show that G7 countries account for a substantial share of global VPN downloads, despite having lower adoption rates compared to smaller or more restricted markets.
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations lead in VPN adoption
When VPN usage is measured relative to population size rather than raw downloads, the global rankings change significantly.
| Country | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 1st half of 2025 |
| The UAE | 70.02% | 49.80% | 63.94% | 73.48% | 83.52% | 53.93% |
| Qatar | 56.51% | 47.65% | 61.82% | 63.42% | 63.48% | 39.69% |
| Singapore | 24.35% | 32.18% | 48.17% | 46.96% | 50.26% | 27.48% |
| Nauru | 8.12% | 17.73% | 55.05% | 48.69% | 50.14% | 33.22% |
| Oman | 22.24% | 17.82% | 37.45% | 33.54% | 38.44% | 36.73% |
| Saudi Arabia | 28.14% | 23.50% | 31.78% | 33.59% | 36.82% | 19.75% |
| The Netherlands | 14.18% | 16.45% | 28.37% | 27.46% | 28.52% | 15.63% |
| The United Kingdom | 17.65% | 15.80% | 21.70% | 23.16% | 24.08% | 15.38% |
| Kuwait | 17.60% | 16.42% | 19.42% | 20.19% | 20.79% | 12.83% |
| Luxembourg | 12.23% | 13.17% | 24.45% | 21.16% | 21.03% | 11.73% |
The United Arab Emirates records the highest average VPN adoption rate globally, at around 66% between 2020 and early 2025, with adoption reaching 84% in 2024.
Qatar follows with a 55% average adoption rate, peaking at 63% in 2024.
Other Middle Eastern countries also rank highly. Saudi Arabia reports an average adoption rate of 29%, while Oman averages 31% over the same period.
High VPN usage across the region is mainly driven by the desire to access restricted communication services as well as various international websites that are not available in Arab nations due to some of the strictest online restrictions and censorship globally.
Global VPN downloads and adoption over the past five years
VPN usage worldwide has increased significantly over the past five years, despite short-term fluctuations.
Globally, VPN apps were downloaded more than 2.2 billion times between 2020 and the first half of 2025.
Annual downloads rose from about 285 million in 2020 to nearly 296 million in 2021, before surging to around 487 million in 2022 during the peak of pandemic-era demand.
| Year | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (1st half) |
| Downloads | 284,591,457 | 295,722,780 | 487,049,573 | 404,248,986 | 464,021,602 | 282,101,253 |
Downloads declined to roughly 404 million in 2023, as growth cooled following the 2022 spike, but rebounded to about 464 million in 2024.
In the first half of 2025 alone, VPN apps were downloaded roughly 282 million times, nearly matching the total installs recorded in all of 2020 and putting the year on track to meet or exceed 2024 levels.
VPN adoption has increased alongside download growth. Across the 106 analyzed countries, the average adoption rate rose from about 7% in 2020 to over 12% in 2024.
| Year | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (1st half) |
| VPN adoption rates (%) | 6.95 | 6.84 | 10.06 | 10.90 | 12.35 | 6.89 |
Early 2025 figures indicate adoption continues to grow as VPN usage becomes more established globally.
VPNs became mainstream
Over the past five years, VPN usage has shifted from a niche privacy tool to a mainstream online service in many parts of the world.
While large economies, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, continue to account for a large portion of total downloads globally, adoption remains highest in regions with tighter internet controls, namely, nations in the Middle East.
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