Research highlights: In 2024, there were 3,158 data breaches that occurred in the United States. Healthcare leads consistently with 811 breaches, the highest across all sectors.
Related research: What's the cost of cybercrime? (Worldwide + US states)
How many data breaches occurred in the United States?
In 2024, there were 3,158 data breaches that occurred in the US, slightly down from the record 3,205 in 2023, but still more than double the number reported in 2021 (1,862)
The number of individuals impacted by data breaches jumped sharply in 2024 to 1.35 billion people, compared with 353.02 million in 2023, showing a nearly 4x increase year over year
Data compromises have been trending upward long term, from 157 incidents in 2005 to over 3,000 incidents by 2023 and 2024, representing a 20-fold increase in less than two decades
The peak year for data breaches was 2018, when 471.23 million records were compromised, while 2009 had the single largest spike in records exposed relative to incidents, with 222.5 million records affected across only 498 incidents
2016 marked the most extreme impact year, when 2.54 billion individuals were reported affected despite a moderate 1,099 compromises that year
Between 2019 and 2021, the number of data breaches rose from 1,279 to 1,862 (a 45.5% increase), but the number of individuals impacted actually declined from 883.56 million in 2019 to 298.08 million in 2021
Overall, the highest number of individuals impacted in a single year remains 2016 (2.54 billion), while the lowest in recent years was 2021 (298.08 million)
Year | Data compromises | Number of records exposed in millions | Individuals impacted in millions |
|---|---|---|---|
2005 | 157 | 66.90 | - |
2006 | 321 | 19.10 | - |
2007 | 446 | 127.70 | - |
2008 | 656 | 35.70 | - |
2009 | 498 | 222.50 | - |
2010 | 662 | 16.20 | - |
2011 | 419 | 22.90 | - |
2012 | 447 | 17.30 | - |
2013 | 614 | 91.98 | - |
2014 | 783 | 85.61 | - |
2015 | 785 | 169.10 | 318.28 |
2016 | 1,099 | 36.60 | 2,541.07 |
2017 | 1,506 | 198 | 1,825.41 |
2018 | 1,175 | 471.23 | 2,227.85 |
2019 | 1,279 | 164.68 | 883.56 |
2020 | 1,108 | - | 310.12 |
2021* | 1,862 | - | 298.08 |
2022 | 1,802 | - | 422.14 |
2023 | 3,205 | - | 353.02 |
2024 | 3,158 | - | 1,350.84 |
Data breaches by industry
In 2023, healthcare saw 811 breaches, the highest across all sectors that year, before dropping to 536 in 2024, a 34% decline
For the financial services sector, data breaches rose from 138 in 2020 to a peak of 742 in 2023, holding steady at 737 in 2024, marking a more than 5x increase over the five-year span
Professional services saw 144 breaches in 2020 to 345 in 2024, showing consistent year-over-year growth
Manufacturing emerged as a target starting 2022, with breaches growing from 247 in 2022 to 317 in 2024, a 28% rise in just two years
Data breaches in education spiked in 2021 with 125 breaches, then peaked at 173 in 2023 before easing slightly to 162 in 2024
Data breaches in nonprofits/NGOs quadrupled over five years, climbing from 31 in 2020 to 146 in 2024
Government data breaches nearly tripled, from 47 in 2020 to 128 in 2024, with the steepest jump between 2022 (74) and 2023 (99)
Data breaches in the tech sector incidents more than doubled, from 67 in 2020 to 167 in 2023, though they declined to 142 in 2024
After the retail sector hit 118 breaches in 2023, the number dropped to 96 in 2024, still nearly double the 53 breaches in 2020
Emerging targets like utilities, wholesale trade, HR/staffing, and social services only began reporting breaches after 2021, but all showed consistent upward growth through 2024, with utilities climbing from 44 in 2023 to 66 in 2024
Sector | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial services | 138 | 279 | 270 | 742 | 737 |
Healthcare | 306 | 330 | 341 | 811 | 536 |
Professional services | 144 | 184 | 223 | 310 | 345 |
Manufacturing | 247 | 259 | 317 | ||
Education | 42 | 125 | 99 | 173 | 162 |
Non-profit/NGO | 31 | 86 | 72 | 102 | 146 |
Technology | 67 | 79 | 87 | 167 | 142 |
Government | 47 | 66 | 74 | 99 | 128 |
Retail | 53 | 102 | 65 | 118 | 96 |
Transportation | 21 | 44 | 36 | 101 | 88 |
Hospitality | 17 | 33 | 34 | 45 | 69 |
Utilities | - | - | - | 44 | 66 |
Wholesale trade | - | - | - | 53 | 54 |
HR/Staffing | - | - | - | 11 | 23 |
Social services | - | - | - | 16 | 18 |
Unknown | - | 4 | - | 1 | 15 |
Other | 172 | 308 | 250 | 80 | 112 |
Total | 1,798 | 3,202 | 3,158 |
Average cost of a data breach in the US
The average cost of a data breach in 2024 was $9.36 million, slightly below the all-time high of $9.48 million in 2023, showing a modest 1.3% decline year over year
Since 2006 ($3.54 million), the average cost of a data breach has nearly tripled (+164%)
Costs rose steadily from 2006 to 2011, peaking at $7.24 million, before dropping sharply in 2012 ($5.5 million) and 2013 ($5.4 million)
After 2013, breach costs rebounded and climbed from $5.4 million in 2013 to $9.48 million in 2023, an increase of 76% in 10 years
The sharpest single-year jump occurred between 2006 and 2007, when costs spiked 35% from $3.54 million to $4.79 million
From 2019 to 2022, data breach costs grew every year, from $8.19 million to $9.44 million, reflecting a 15% increase in just four years
The last three years (2022–2024) show costs stabilizing around $9.3–$9.5 million, suggesting breach costs may have plateaued after years of steady escalation
Year | Average cost of a data breach in the United States from 2006 to 2024 (in million USD) |
|---|---|
2006 | 3.54 |
2007 | 4.79 |
2008 | 6.36 |
2009 | 6.66 |
2010 | 6.75 |
2011 | 7.24 |
2012 | 5.5 |
2013 | 5.4 |
2014 | 5.85 |
2015 | 6.53 |
2016 | 7.01 |
2017 | 7.35 |
2018 | 7.91 |
2019 | 8.19 |
2020 | 8.64 |
2021 | 9.05 |
2022 | 9.44 |
2023 | 9.48 |
2024 | 9.36 |