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VPN Demand: Global Statistics in 2020

Demand for VPN is soaring globally with the introduction of strict social restrictions. This report identifies the emerging trends in VPN demand following seismic changes to how we live and work.
VPN demand stats 2020 header illustration
Simon Migliano
Simon Migliano

UPDATED 20 Apr 2020 17:20 GMT to add global VPN demand stats. All demand data is to 15 April inclusive.

  • Global VPN demand: Increased 41% over the second half of March 2020 and remains 22% higher than the first half of the month.
  • 75 countries with significant VPN demand increases since introduction of social restrictions
  • 21 countries where VPN demand surged to more than double prior levels
  • Highest volume VPN demand: U.S. (41% peak increase), UK (35%) and France (80%)
  • Largest VPN demand increases: Egypt (224%), Slovenia (169%) and Chile (149%)
  • Largest sustained increases: Egypt (154% – over 14 days since initial peak), Peru (119% – over 28 days since peak), South Africa (105% – ongoing since mid March)

Restrictions Driving VPN Demand Increases

This study identifies the evolving trends in VPN demand in March and April 2020 that took place in response to social restrictions imposed around the world at that time.

Faced with an indefinite period shut inside their homes, people not only had to work remotely, often for the first time, but were also looking to access geo-restricted content and maximize their entertainment options.

Demand therefore surged for Virtual Private Networks (VPN) due to their ability to provide a secure, private internet connection and unblock content.

VPN usage had been growing steadily with 31% of internet users using a VPN in the preceding months. However in the second half of March 2020, global demand for VPN services suddenly rocketed.

Global VPN demand rose 41% over last two weeks of March compared to the first half of the month.

While overall demand would soften in April, it remained significantly elevated at 22% higher than it was at the start of March.

We saw VPN demand suddenly double in countries where restrictions were announced, or expected to be.

Even in huge mature markets like the U.S., we saw daily demand peak at 65% above the previous average.

To help better understand this rapidly-changing landscape, we analyzed our global monitoring data to show where and when these surges in demand took place. We also tracked the size and durations of these spikes, along with identifying what the “new normal” looked like for each country.

In an earlier update, we added a US state-by-state breakdown of VPN demand increases.

We also looked at how rising VPN demand related to individual streaming services. We analyzed service-specific VPN searches to identify where spikes in demand were developing.

Below you’ll find the following data views, click the links to jump straight to the numbers:

Increased VPN Demand: Top 20 Countries

The following table shows the 20 countries with the greatest volume increases in average daily VPN searches, by overall search volume.

Understanding the data

  • VPN Demand Increase percentage is the difference between the average daily search volume over the peak period and the daily average for the period prior.
  • Where VPN demand continues to peak at the time of the most recent update, this indicated by “Ongoing” in the End Date column.
  • The +7 day percentage is the difference between the average daily search volume over the seven days following the end of the peak period and the period prior to the peak, ie the baseline level of demand.
  • Where 7 full days have yet to elapse since the end of the peak, the +7-day column is left blank
  • The +14 day column is the same as +7 day but uses the daily average for days 8-14 following the end of the peak period. The +21 day and +28 day columns work in a similar manner.

Highlights

  • United States: Demand peaked at 65% above average on March 23. Demand softened after that date but remained over a third higher than normal for the following three weeks.
  • Canada: On April 9 VPN demand jumped back to 52% above prior levels after having dipped for two weeks.
  • Spain: VPN demand resurged to 52% above prior levels around April 8 after dropping to a third of the level of the initial peak in March.
  • Italy: The Italian people were the first in Europe to be subject to restrictions and VPN demand surged by 57% around that time. Since then demand has remained elevated, fluctuating between 34% and 53% above prior levels. Daily demand hit its highest levels yet between April 6-8 when it was 65% higher than it was in early March.
  • South Africa: VPN demand surged from March 16 and the average for the following period was more than double the level prior.
  • Brazil: VPN demand averaged 121% higher in mid March than it was at the start of the month. It softened significantly after a single-day peak increase of 180% on March 23 to 39% above prior levels over the last week.
  • Australia: The average VPN demand since mid March was 59% higher than it was prior to that. The single biggest day was April 10 when searches were up 124% compared to early March, as Australians faced up to an Easter weekend at home.
  • Egypt: VPN demand went through the roof at over three times the level (224%) recorded in the period prior. While it started to fall away by the end of March, it remained more than double prior levels (123%). Egypt’s overall volume was lower and was therefore not among the top 20 – see the MENA table for more detail.

VPN Demand By Region

Asia-Pacific

The following table shows all countries in the Asia-Pacific region with significant increases in average daily search volume for VPN following the introduction of restrictions in March/April 2020.

Understanding the data

  • VPN Demand Increase percentage is the difference between the average daily search volume over the peak period and the daily average for the period prior.
  • Where demand continues to peak at the time of the most recent update, this indicated by “Ongoing” in the End Date column.
  • The +7 day percentage is the difference between the average daily search volume over the seven days following the end of the peak period and the period prior to the peak, ie the baseline level of demand.
  • Where 7 full days have yet to elapse since the end of the peak, the +7-day column is left blank
  • The +14 day column is the same as +7 day but uses the daily average for days 8-14 following the end of the peak period. The +21 day and +28 day columns work in a similar manner.

Europe

The following table shows all countries in Europe with significant increases in average daily search volume for VPN following the introduction of restrictions in March/April 2020.

Understanding the data

  • VPN Demand Increase percentage is the difference between the average daily search volume over the peak period and the daily average for the period prior.
  • Where demand continues to peak at the time of the most recent update, this indicated by “Ongoing” in the End Date column.
  • The +7 day percentage is the difference between the average daily search volume over the seven days following the end of the peak period and the period prior to the peak, ie the baseline level of demand.
  • Where 7 full days have yet to elapse since the end of the peak, the +7-day column is left blank
  • The +14 day column is the same as +7 day but uses the daily average for days 8-14 following the end of the peak period. The +21 day and +28 day columns work in a similar manner.

Latin America

The following table shows all countries in Latin America with significant increases in average daily search volume for VPN following the introduction of restrictions in March/April 2020.

Understanding the data

  • VPN Demand Increase percentage is the difference between the average daily search volume over the peak period and the daily average for the period prior.
  • Where demand continues to peak at the time of the most recent update, this indicated by “Ongoing” in the End Date column.
  • The +7 day percentage is the difference between the average daily search volume over the seven days following the end of the peak period and the period prior to the peak, ie the baseline level of demand.
  • Where 7 full days have yet to elapse since the end of the peak, the +7-day column is left blank
  • The +14 day column is the same as +7 day but uses the daily average for days 8-14 following the end of the peak period. The +21 day and +28 day columns work in a similar manner.

Middle East & Africa

The following table shows all countries in the Middle East & African regions with significant increases in average daily search volume for VPN following the introduction of restrictions in March/April 2020.

Understanding the data

  • VPN Demand Increase percentage is the difference between the average daily search volume over the peak period and the daily average for the period prior.
  • Where demand continues to peak at the time of the most recent update, this indicated by “Ongoing” in the End Date column.
  • The +7 day percentage is the difference between the average daily search volume over the seven days following the end of the peak period and the period prior to the peak, ie the baseline level of demand.
  • Where 7 full days have yet to elapse since the end of the peak, the +7-day column is left blank
  • The +14 day column is the same as +7 day but uses the daily average for days 8-14 following the end of the peak period. The +21 day and +28 day columns work in a similar manner.

North America

The following table shows all countries in the North-American region with significant increases in average daily search volume for VPN following the introduction of restrictions in March/April 2020.

Understanding the data

  • VPN Demand Increase percentage is the difference between the average daily search volume over the peak period and the daily average for the period prior.
  • Where demand continues to peak at the time of the most recent update, this indicated by “Ongoing” in the End Date column.
  • The +7 day percentage is the difference between the average daily search volume over the seven days following the end of the peak period and the period prior to the peak, ie the baseline level of demand.
  • Where 7 full days have yet to elapse since the end of the peak, the +7-day column is left blank
  • The +14 day column is the same as +7 day but uses the daily average for days 8-14 following the end of the peak period. The +21 day column works in a similar manner.

By US State

The following table shows the increases in average daily search volume for each of the states in the U.S., along with District of Columbia, following the introduction of restrictions in March/April 2020.

Understanding the data

  • VPN Demand Increase percentage is the difference between the average daily search volume over the peak period and the daily average for the period prior.
  • Where demand continues to peak at the time of the most recent update, this indicated by “Ongoing” in the End Date column.
  • The +7 day percentage is the difference between the average daily search volume over the seven days following the end of the peak period and the period prior to the peak, ie the baseline level of demand.
  • Where 7 full days have yet to elapse since the end of the peak, the +7-day column is left blank
  • The +14 day column is the same as +7 day but uses the daily average for days 8-14 following the end of the peak period. The +21 day column works in a similar manner.

Streaming VPN Demand

The following table shows the average increase in global daily searches for VPN in relation to major streaming platforms.

Understanding the data

  • The Increase in Demand percentage is the difference between the daily average search volume from Mar 14-25 and the daily average over the two weeks prior.
  • The +7 day percentage is the difference between the average daily search volume from the Mar 25-31 and Mar 1-13, ie the baseline level of demand.
  • The +14 day percentage is the difference between Apr 1-7 and the baseline period, +21 day the difference between Apr 8-14

The second phase in Disney+ progressive global roll-out in late March came at a perfect time for families in western Europe stuck indoors with children to get access to hugely popular shows such as The Mandalorian. However, for consumers not lucky enough to live in one of those countries, a VPN is the only means of accessing the service. While demand has softened since an initial huge peak, it remains significantly elevated at almost three times prior levels.

The relative lag in heightened demand for VPNs that work with Netflix may well be related to consumers exhausting their viewing options after a week stuck inside at home. Those in countries with more limited libraries would need to turn to VPNs to expand their options and unblock content available in other regions. Indeed, as the weeks of restrictions have dragged on, demand has skyrocketed.

It’s notable that all interest in VPNs that work with particular services increased as time has went on, as the reality of long restrictions really started to sink in around the world.

Methodology

Using our global monitoring data, we analyzed daily VPN search volume by country and identified any step changes in demand compared to previous weeks.

To calculate the increase in demand, we compared the average daily search volume during the period of elevated demand with the daily average for the seven days prior.

Where the period of elevated demand was longer than seven days, we extended the prior comparison period to match.

Our streaming service analysis is based on global VPN searches that reference specific streaming services. There was a clear step change in overall demand from March 14.

Therefore, to calculate the increase in demand, we compared the daily average volume of searches from the 14th onwards with the daily average from the start of March.

View full data for VPN demand in all countries (Google Sheet).

References

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