What Percentage of Americans Have Internet Access? (2014–2024)
As of 2024, there are 5.35 billion internet users worldwide, marking a 1.8% increase from the previous year. In the United States, known for having some of the fastest internet connections globally, 331 million people currently use the internet. But what proportion do they constitute? In other words, what percentage of Americans have internet access?
In this post, we explore key internet accessibility statistics in the US, including the percentage of Americans with internet access.
Key United States internet access statistics
- In 2024, 97.1% of Americans are using the internet—a rate that has held steady since 2022.
- In 2014, just 73% of the US population identified as internet users.
- The average American spends seven hours and three minutes on the internet every day in 2024, a four-minute increase from 2023.
- Internet adoption is the highest among users aged 30 to 49, with a penetration rate of 98%.
- Smartphones are the preferred device for Americans to access the internet, with 94.6% using them.
United States internet access statistics: Table
|
Year |
US internet adoption rate |
Annual change |
|
2014 |
73.0% |
+2.1% |
|
2015 |
74.6% |
+14.7% |
|
2016 |
85.5% |
+2.0% |
|
2017 |
87.3% |
+1.4% |
|
2018 |
88.5% |
+1.1% |
|
2019 |
89.4% |
+8.0% |
|
2020 |
96.6% |
+0.2% |
|
2021 |
96.8% |
+0.4% |
|
2022 |
97.1% |
+0% |
|
2023 |
97.1% |
+0% |
|
2024 |
97.1% |
+0% |
What percentage of Americans have internet access in 2024?
According to a recent survey on internet accessibility in the US, in 2024, 97.1% of the population are internet users. This figure has remained stable since 2022.
The general trend shows that the percentage of Americans with internet access has risen every year from 2014 to 2022. In 2014, fewer than three in four (73%) of Americans had internet access. This increased marginally the following year to 74.6%, before a 10.9 percentage point surge in 2016 brought the figure to 85.5%. Annual rises continued, and by 2020, more than nine in 10 (96.6%) Americans were internet users.
What percentage of Americans have internet access: By age group
|
Age group |
Percentage of US adults in this age group who use the internet |
|
18–29 |
97% |
|
30–49 |
98% |
|
50–64 |
96% |
|
65+ |
88% |
The percentage of Americans using the internet varies according to age group. For instance, a separate study showed that in 2023, as many as 98% of US adults aged 30 to 49 were internet users. This makes it the age demographic with the highest internet penetration rate.
It is followed by those aged 18 to 29, with 97%, and older users between 50 and 64, with 96%. Just 88% of US adults aged 65 and older are internet users.
United States internet access statistics: Top devices used
|
Device |
Percentage of US internet users who use the device to go online |
|
1. Smartphones |
94.6% |
|
2. Personal laptops or desktops |
65.3% |
|
3. Connected television |
42.5% |
|
4. Tablets |
41.7% |
|
5. Smart home devices |
30.6% |
When it comes to accessing the internet, smartphones are many Americans’ device of choice—94.6% use smartphones to go online.
This is followed by personal laptops or desktops, which are used by 65.3% of US internet users, and connected television devices, with 42.5%. Tablets and smart home devices round out the top five devices Americans use to access the internet, used by 41.7% and 30.6% of them, respectively.