Research highlights: Nearly 1 in 3 people worldwide are now digital buyers as 2.77 billion people shop online, up from 2.37 billion in 2020. Women aged 35 to 44 are the most frequent online shoppers, with 62.4% shopping weekly. Thailand leads globally with 69.2% of internet users aged 16+ shopping online weekly.
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How many people shop online worldwide?
In 2025, there are 2.77 billion online shoppers globally, up from 2.37 billion in 2020, an increase of 400 million over five years or 16.9%
Nearly 1 in 3 people worldwide are now digital buyers
On average, the number of online shoppers grew by 80 million people per year from 2020 to 2025
However, annual growth in digital buyers has been slowing. 2020 to 2021 saw a rise of 110 million, while 2024 to 2025 added only 60 million
Year | Number of online shoppers worldwide |
|---|---|
2025 | 2.77B |
2024 | 2.71B |
2023 | 2.64B |
2022 | 2.56B |
2021 | 2.48B |
2020 | 2.37B |
How many people shop online in the US?
There are an estimated 288 million online shoppers in the US
The US online shopper population will grow from 211.7 million in 2020 to 333.5 million in 2029, a 57.5% increase over nine years
Between 2020 and 2025, the US added 76.8 million online shoppers (36% growth), compared to a projected 45 million added from 2025 to 2029 (15.6% growth)
The average yearly increase of online shoppers in the US is 13.5 million from 2020 to 2029, though recent years show a downward trend in absolute growth
By 2029, the number of online shoppers in the US will nearly match the total US population, suggesting full market penetration is approaching
Year | Number of online shoppers in the US |
|---|---|
2029 | 333.5 |
2028 | 323.77 |
2027 | 313.01 |
2026 | 301.87 |
2025 | 288.45 |
2024 | 273.49 |
2023 | 259.06 |
2022 | 244.23 |
2021 | 228.19 |
2020 | 211.67 |
Online shoppers by age group
Women aged 35 to 44 are the most frequent online shoppers, with 62.4% shopping weekly, compared to 57.2% of men in the same age group
Across all age groups, women shop online weekly at higher rates than men, with the largest gender gap in the 35 - 44 group (5.2 percentage points) and the smallest in 55 - 64 (1.6 points)
Online shopping peaks in the 35-44 age range for both genders, then gradually declines in older age groups
Among seniors (users aged 65+), 54.3% of women and 50.6% of men shop online weekly
Middle-aged groups (25–54) dominate weekly online shopping, with rates consistently above 55% for both genders
The youngest age group (16–24) has the lowest weekly online shopping rates, with 53.3% of women and 50.4% of men participating
Percentage of internet users who shop online weekly | ||
|---|---|---|
Age group | Female | Male |
16-24 | 53.3% | 50.4% |
25-34 | 58.3% | 53.9% |
35-44 | 62.4% | 57.2% |
45-54 | 59% | 55.2% |
55-64 | 55.3% | 53.7% |
65+ | 54.3% | 50.6% |
Online shoppers by country
On average, 55.8% of internet users aged 16+ worldwide shop online weekly
Thailand leads globally with 69.2% of internet users aged 16+ shopping online weekly, surpassing the worldwide average by 13.4 percentage points
Asian markets dominate the top ranks of online shoppers: 6 of the top 10 countries are in Asia, including South Korea (64%), UAE (63.6%), and China (62.5%)
Only 4 of the top 15 countries are outside Asia or the Middle East
Japan (44.2%) and Germany (41%) fall well below the global average of online shopping rates despite having advanced economies
European countries show mixed results: the UK ranks 9th at 60%, while Germany (41%), Switzerland (40%), and France (49.6%) trail far behind
The lowest weekly online shopping rates are in Ghana (12.1%) and Morocco (26%)
Country | Share of internet users aged 16+ who buy something online each week |
|---|---|
Thailand | 69.2% |
South Korea | 64% |
UAE | 63.6% |
Malaysia | 62.9% |
China | 62.5% |
Turkey | 61% |
Vietnam | 60.6% |
Mexico | 60% |
UK | 60% |
Indonesia | 60% |
USA | 58% |
Brazil | 57.9% |
Singapore | 57.8% |
Nigeria | 57.7% |
Taiwan | 57.4% |
Philippines | 57.1% |
Czechia | 56.2% |
Worldwide | 55.8% |
Ireland | 55.7% |
Chile | 55% |
Australia | 54.7% |
Poland | 54.7% |
Saudi Arabia | 53.4% |
Russia | 53.2% |
India | 52.8% |
New Zealand | 52.2% |
Netherlands | 51.3% |
Canada | 51.2% |
Greece | 51% |
Sweden | 50.2% |
France | 49.6% |
Israel | 49.5% |
Spain | 49.4% |
Croatia | 49% |
Hong Kong | 48.4% |
Argentina | 47.3% |
Norway | 47% |
Serbia | 47% |
Romania | 46.8% |
Colombia | 46% |
Bulgaria | 45.9% |
Portugal | 45.9% |
South Africa | 45.7% |
Italy | 45.4% |
Kenya | 45% |
Japan | 44.2% |
Denmark | 42.79% |
Belgium | 42.6% |
Hungary | 42.4% |
Germany | 41% |
Switzerland | 40% |
Egypt | 38% |
Austria | 37% |
Morocco | 26% |
Ghana | 12.1% |
How much do online shoppers spend per order?
Purchases from unknown traffic sources had the highest average order value in December 2024 at $145.15
Direct traffic drove an average order value of $114.78, slightly higher than email ($113.94)
Orders from search traffic ($109.90) are 27.8% higher than those from social media ($85.98). This suggests that buyers coming from a search are more likely to have a stronger purchase intent
Channels where users proactively arrive (Direct, Email, Search) all outperform Social by $23.92 to $28.80
Traffic source | Average order value in December 2024 |
|---|---|
Direct | $114.78 |
$113.94 | |
Search | $109.90 |
Social | $85.98 |
Unknown | $145.15 |