Global VPN Downloads set to Hit 1 Billion in 2021

The need to safeguard data and privacy while using the internet has contributed to an increase in the number of Virtual Private Networks downloads.  VPN usage is projected to accelerate to previously unheard-of heights.

Based on data acquired by Finbold, it is projected that the number of VPN downloads globally might surpass one billion in 2021 driven by various factors such as the ongoing work-from-home trend, an increase in cyber-attacks, and the service’s overall rising popularity.

The projection represents a growth of 70.45% from the 616 million downloads recorded in the first half of 2021. Interestingly, the downloads in the first six months of 2021 are more than double the 2020 figure of 277 million.

Elsewhere, during the first half of 2021, Middle East Countries dominated the percentage of the population using VPN. Qatar ranks in the pole position, with 44.47% of the population deploying VPN. The United Arab Emirates is second at 39.91%, followed by Singapore at 29.59%. In India, 25.27% of the population used VPNs in the first half of 2021, followed by Oman with a share of 24.79%.

Madagascar ranks lowest, with just 0.42% of the population using VPN while Japan accounts for a share of 0.85%, while South Africa has a share of 1.43%. Poland ranks as the fourth-lowest country in VPN usage at 1.7%, while Kenya has a share of 2.01%.