Number of people using the Internet in United States

United States: Number of people using the Internet was 310.46 million users in 2021. β—† Volatile

Latest (2021)
310.46 million users
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
3rd
of 207 countries
All-time high
310.46 million users
in 2021
All-time low
1.99 million users
in 1990
Years of data
32
1990–2021

Number of people using the Internet in United States, 1990–2021

0100.0M200.0M300.0M1990200520211990: 2.0M users1991: 3.0M users1992: 4.5M users1993: 6.0M users1994: 12.9M users1995: 24.8M users1996: 44.4M users1997: 59.1M users1998: 83.1M users1999: 99.8M users2000: 121.3M users2001: 139.5M users2002: 168.8M users2003: 178.9M users2004: 189.6M users2005: 201.0M users2006: 205.9M users2007: 226.4M users2008: 225.7M users2009: 218.7M users2010: 223.0M users2011: 219.0M users2012: 236.9M users2013: 228.6M users2014: 235.9M users2015: 243.1M users2016: 281.6M users2017: 289.9M users2018: 296.5M users2019: 302.1M users2020: 306.7M users2021: 310.5M users

Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in. Measured in users.

Analysis

United States recorded 310.46 million users for number of people using the internet in 2021. That is the highest value across all 32 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 41.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of people using the internet in United States peaked at 310.46 million users in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.99 million users, in 1990.

That places United States 3rd out of 207 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 33.95 million users 1.99 million users 99.81 million users 10
2000s 187.57 million users 121.26 million users 226.38 million users 10
2010s 255.66 million users 219.02 million users 302.09 million users 10
2020s 308.56 million users 306.66 million users 310.46 million users 2

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 1 China 1.04 billion users compare
  2. 2 India 696.61 million users compare
  3. 4 Indonesia 171.88 million users compare
  4. 5 Brazil 169.09 million users compare
  5. 6 Russia 128.65 million users compare

See the full ranking of 207 places β†’

More science & technology data for United States

All data for United States β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is number of people using the internet in United States?
Number of people using the internet in United States was 310.46 million users in 2021, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in.
What is the highest number of people using the internet recorded in United States?
The highest recorded value was 310.46 million users in 2021.
What is the lowest number of people using the internet recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was 1.99 million users in 1990.
How does United States rank for number of people using the internet?
United States ranks 3rd out of 207 countries with data for 2021.
Is number of people using the internet rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is up 41.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United States data come from?
The figures come from World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in, published as part of Number of people using the Internet. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Number of people using the Internet
Unit
users
Source
World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
207 places, 5,658 data points, 1990–2021
Last refreshed

The number of individuals using the Internet.