Events of the 2020 so far seem to have increased awareness of cybersecurity and VPNs around the world. From working at home to civil rights infractions in Hong Kong, VPN use has increased, while an unprecedented increase in cybersecurity start ups has been recorded in the UK.
Research from AtlansVPN meanwhile highlights VPN adoption rates have increased markedly in the first half of 2020. The report boasts several remarkable findings, including almost 20 million VPN downloads Jan-July 2020. That is 1 out of every 16.6 people in the USA.
Other key findings include:
- In total, people from 85 selected countries downloaded VPN applications more than 134 million times in the first half of 2020.
- United Arab Emirates citizens use VPN services by far the most often. Over 38% of the UAE population downloaded a VPN application in H1 2020.
- The lowest adopters of VPN services are Madagascar, Kenya, and Uzbekistan.
The top ten countries globally, with the highest VPN adoption rate are:
| Pos. | Country | Downloads | Population | Penetration rate | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Arab Emirates | 3,829,729 | 9.89M | 38.72% | 2.58 |
| 2 | Qatar | 805,114 | 2.88M | 27.95% | 3.58 |
| 3 | Oman | 1,216,372 | 5.11M | 23.82% | 4.2 |
| 4 | Saudi Arabia | 5,410,667 | 34.81M | 15.54% | 6.43 |
| 5 | Kuwait | 555,624 | 4.27M | 13.01% | 7.69 |
| 6 | Singapore | 477,915 | 5.85M | 8.17% | 12.24 |
| 7 | Turkey | 5,796,172 | 84.34M | 6.87% | 14.55 |
| 8 | Indonesia | 17,790,189 | 273.52M | 6.5% | 15.37 |
| 9 | Panama | 277,310 | 4.31M | 6.43% | 15.56 |
| 10 | Great Britain | 4,215,482 | 67.89M | 6.21% | 16.1 |
Information about the index:
1 out of “index” people use a VPN service in this country – e.g., 1 out of 2.58 people use a VPN in the United Arab Emirates.
Interestingly, VPN usage varies widely around the world. While some use a VPN to maintain their right to online privacy online, others are aiming to hide from online surveillance or censorship, operating locally or centralised.
Feel like you’re missing out? Check out our VPN comparison table to find the best VPN for you.