Did you know that the first email ever was sent 50 years ago? Half a century later, people have developed a strange love-hate relationship with electronic mail. Many of them check their emails first when they wake up, but an even higher number of people aren't happy with the volume of emails they receive daily. This communication channel has become an inevitable part of our lives and has been steadily popular in marketing. The question is, how many email users are there?
Email Usage Statistics (Editor's Choice)
- There are nearly 4.26 billion email users worldwide. (Radicati)
- Over 3.13 million emails are sent every second. (Internet Live Stats)
- The average user has 1.86 email accounts. (Lifewire)
- There are over 7.9 billion email accounts. (Lifewire)
- 96% of consumers check email every day. (Email is not Dead)
- 58% of email users check their spam folders daily. (OptinMonster)
General Email Usage Statistics
1. There are nearly 4.26 billion email users worldwide.
Since the invention of email, the number of users has continued to rise. In 2020, the number of email users reached the 4 billion mark, which means that over 50% of the world's population was using email. The latest reported number in 2022 is close to 4.26 billion. For the next three years, the predicted user growth rate is 3%, or around 100 million more each year. So, in 2025, the number of email users worldwide should be approximately 4.6 billion.
(Statista, Radicati, Bizcognito)
2. 90% of Americans aged over 15 are using email.
The latest email users statistics for the US show that 90% of people older than 15 use email. The highest email usage by age group is within the 25-44 range with 93.6%. The penetration rate is 90% or higher for 15-24 and 45-64 as well. The only age group with less (84.1%) is over 65.
(Statista)
3. 333.2 billion emails are sent and received daily.
The daily volume of sent and received emails has been steadily rising over the years, and in 2022, the figure exceeded the 333-billion mark. Along with the rise of the number of email users worldwide, it's poised to reach 376.4 billion in 2025.
(Statista)
4. Over 3.13 million emails are sent every second.
Considering how many people use email, it shouldn't be surprising the number of emails is as high as 3.137 million per second. The latest reports suggest 333.2 billion emails per day. This figure includes both consumer and business emails. In 2023, the number of emails sent daily will grow by 4.2%, resulting in 347.3 billion emails a day. By 2025, the number of emails in circulation should stand at 376.4 billion daily.
(Internet Live Stats, Radicati)
5. There are over 1.8 billion active Gmail users.
In 2018, Google revealed how many email users are there, and the answer was a staggering 1.5 billion. Gmail's number of users is increasing and is currently at 1.8 billion, while the number of monthly active G Suite users stands at more than 2 billion.
(Software Findr, Axios)
6. Total email volume grew 7% in 2020.
Since the global pandemic started, remote work and online interactions have surged, and the volume of email grew 7%. The highest increases in volume were reported in March and July of 2020. Email marketing professionals played a powerful role in helping businesses communicate effectively and deliver to their clients more than ever. Personal email volume grew as well, and the total growth was 7%. For comparison, in 2019, it was 2.5%.
(GlobeNewswire)
7. There are over 7.9 billion email accounts.
The number is changing by the minute, but since we have the data on how many email users are there, as well as the average number of accounts, the estimation is there are about 7.9 billion email accounts. The number of email users worldwide is growing as email usage by age penetrates in groups younger than 15 and over 65. When we add the factor of multiple accounts per person, the conclusion is the number will continue to rise steadily over the years.
(Statista, Lifewire)
Average Email User Statistics and Facts
8. 96% of consumers check email every day.
Email is a vital channel of communication for various aspects of life, especially work and career-related networks. Research reveals that 58% of users check their email inbox the moment they wake up. People who do so are said to be more goal-oriented than those who start their day on social media. The latest email usage statistics show that 96% of consumers check their email on a daily basis.
(Email is not Dead, OptinMonster)
9. Overall, the open rate for mobile reached 81% in 2020.
The advancements in mobile technology change people's expectations daily. Keeping up with the trends and optimizing websites and emails for various devices is often a make-it-or-break-it factor for businesses. In 2018, the percentage of emails opened on mobile was 61%, jumping 20% to reach 81% in 2020. 80% of readers further say they immediately would delete the ones that are not mobile-optimized.
(SuperOffice)
10. Nearly half of users prefer smartphones to access personal email.
People rely on multiple devices to access their email, and one of the latest surveys examined how many people use email primarily on mobile devices. Desktops and smartphones are still the most common devices for email communication, and the latest recorded percentage of emails opened on mobile for personal interactions is 45%.
(Consumer Email Tracker)
11. The average user has at least 1.86 email accounts.
For a while, people opted to have separate personal and professional accounts. On top of this main division, the number of reasons for having multiple accounts is growing. The data from 2018 shows that the average number of accounts per user was 1.75, whereas, by now, it should have reached 1.86 accounts per user. Multiple accounts are connected with the primary type of use, such as:
- Personal correspondence and recurring monthly subscriptions (Netflix, Spotify, Amazon Prime, etc.);
- Sensitive information (bank account protection, online state, local, and federal government services, etc.);
- Shopping accounts, junk mail, etc.
(Lifewire)
12. 60% of consumers report making a purchase after receiving a promotional email.
Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective channels for communication with consumers and has the highest ROI. Consumers respond positively to promotional emails, and email users statistics show 60% bought something as a result, compared to only 12.5% for social media marketing messages.
(OptinMonster)
13. More than half of consumers like receiving emails from brands that contain offers.
Promotional offers are the main reason consumers like receiving emails from brands, followed by the relevance to them personally, with 52% and 50% stating so. 36% said the reason is simply liking the brand and the same percentage chose emails containing useful information. Feedback on promotional email usage by age shows consumers between 18 and 34 appreciate visually stimulating and fun-to-read emails.
(Consumer Email Tracker)
Email Industry Stats
14. Apple has the largest client market share.
The latest data on email client market share is calculated by tracking the open rates in email analytics. Email usage stats show Apple holds the first spot. Out of its 60.66%, Apple Mail Privacy Protection has 53.08%, Apple iPhone 4.23%, Apple Mail 2.98%, and Apple iPad 0.37% of the market share. Gmail is second with 26.5%, with Outlook (4.09%), Yahoo! Mail (3.333%), and Google Android (1.68%) completing the top 5 list.
(Litmus)
15. The email software industry is worth $64 billion.
The email market size by revenue is valued at $64 billion and is estimated to reach $73 billion in 2023. The chances are high that the revenue will exceed that estimation because of the global pandemic.
(T4)
16. Gmail for business has the largest email hosting market share.
Email marketing heavily relies on dedicated hosting services working independently from your website. Gmail for business ranks first by market share, accounting for over 34%. It is hosting more than 4.28 million domains. Email usage statistics show Microsoft Exchange Online is close behind with 30.35% of the market, and GoDaddy, which is also one of the top web hosting platforms, comes in third with a 15.9% market share. All other hosting providers hold less than 3% of the market.
(Datanyze)
17. Conversion rates from email ads had a 32% YoY increase.
We've mentioned the noticeable increase in email volume due to the pandemic, and another consequence was a similarly impressive increase in conversion rates from email ads. Already steadily rising email marketing and ecommerce levels shifted to turbo speed with a 32% increase in conversion rates. This fact, among many other email usage statistics, shows just how fast consumer behavior can change.
(Business of Apps)
Spam Email Statistics
18. Spam accounts for 45.1% of all email traffic.
Although spam has seen a slight decrease in the past few years, it still accounts for a large percentage of email traffic. Of all the emails in the world, in March 2021, 45.1% were spam. This, however, is down from 2012, which recorded a peak annual spam rate of 69%.
(Statista, Statista)
19. 58% of users check their spam folders daily.
Spam is annoying and can be dangerous. That said, security filters have become too strict nowadays and recognize many categories/sources such as email marketing and ecommerce as spam. One research includes an answer to how many email users are there who check their spam/junk folder, and it's a bit surprising. 11% said they do so every hour, and another 47% once a day, at least. That's 58% checking it daily, while 25% said once a week. Only 17% reported less than once in a week.
(Consumer Email Tracker)
20. There are 7 distinct categories of email spam.
Classification of campaigns sent via email points to seven distinct categories. Besides spammers sending ads and chain letters as the most common categories, others are:
- Phishing
- Hoaxes
- Money scams
- Malware warnings
- Adult content.
Considering how many people use email, it's no wonder cybercriminals are using it as one of the main delivery methods to get to them.
(Gatefy)
21. Gmail protection service blocks over 100 million phishing emails daily.
In April 2020, Google revealed an enormous increase in spam emails because of the pandemic. There were 18 million COVID-19 daily malware and phishing emails in one critical week and 240 million additional COVID-19-related spam emails. One of the principal reasons Gmail's number of users is continuously increasing is that Google successfully blocks 99.9% of spam emails, including phishing. However, as email can be a huge safety liability, you'll need to use some kind of email encryption software if you want to protect your data. This is especially relevant for businesses.
(Google Blog)
FAQ
How many emails does a person receive on average?
According to the latest email usage stats, the average number of daily emails received is 121 emails per day. Good thing there is an option to flag important emails.
(FinancesOnline)
How many emails are sent per day?
The answer is over a whopping 333 billion. The number of exchanged emails has been on the rise over the years, and with the increase of marketers using email as the primary channel, the forecast is it will exceed 376 billion in 2025.
(Statista)
How many email addresses does the average person have?
The latest email user statistics point to the average person having just less than two email accounts. Usually, people have separate personal and professional accounts. With the increase of online subscription platforms, people also create additional accounts for promotional services. According to Forbes, everyone should have 4 accounts for different purposes.
(Lifewire, Forbes)
How many work emails per day is normal?
The number of work emails per day varies not only by the industry of office workers but their position as well. According to some sources, the average is to receive 121 emails and send around 40 a day.
(Templafy)
How many spam emails are sent per day?
About half of all the emails in the world are unsolicited messages - the data from 2021 points to the average percentage of 45.1%. Considering that 319.6 billion emails were sent daily in 2021, spam emails amounted to 144.13 billion per day.
(Statista, Radicati)
How many people use Outlook?
Even though Microsoft hasn't shared how many people use email services in a while, we can estimate by its client market share and the latest reported data of 360 million Hotmail users. In 2013, the company migrated all its users to the Outlook email service, and there were 400 million active users in 2018.
(Lifewire)
What percentage of emails are opened on mobile?
As smartphones are becoming our primary devices, open rates for emails on mobile grew to 81%. The importance of mobile-friendly and optimized content for various devices, in general, has never been higher.
(SuperOffice)
How many Gmail accounts are there?
While we don’t know exactly how many email users are there on Gmail, the number of active Gmail accounts has been steadily growing over the years, and the latest data points to 1.8 billion. The milestone of 1 billion happened in 2016, and the Gmail number of users and accounts has been exponentially increasing since.
(Findstack)
