How Many Websites Are There On The Internet In 2025?

The internet is a massive digital space hosting billions of websites. These websites are key hubs for information, commerce, entertainment, and connection. The sheer number of websites reflects the rapid growth of online activity and the increasing reliance on digital platforms.

But exactly how many websites are there today? While the numbers fluctuate as new sites are created and others become inactive, estimates reveal fascinating insights into the internet's scope and evolution.

Let's review the current statistics, trends, and key factors influencing the web's growth in 2024.

How Many Websites Are There?

• As of September 2024, the Internet hosts over 1.1 billion or exactly 1,119,023,272 websites. Approximately 17% are actively maintained and updated, which means around 192 million websites are active and serve as essential nodes.
• The number of websites fluctuates daily as new ones are created and old ones become inactive.
• Notably, the milestone of 1 billion websites was first reached in September 2014.
• Around 252000 new websites per day, 10500 websites per hour and 175 websites per second are launched.

Total Number Of Websites

Some Other Website Statistics

Mobile Traffic: Mobile devices account for approximately 65.89% of global website traffic.

Small Business Websites: Around 73% of small businesses have websites.

Website Loading Speed: 47% of consumers expect a website to load in 2 seconds or less.

E-commerce Conversion Rates: The average conversion rate for e-commerce websites ranges between 2.5% and 3%.

Global Internet Users: As of January 2024, there were approximately 5.3 billion Internet users worldwide, representing 66% of the global population.

WordPress Usage: WordPress powers about 43.2% of all websites, making it the most popular content management system globally.

Domain Registrations: By the end of the third quarter of 2023, 359.3 million domain name registrations had been made across all top-level domains.

Bounce Rates: The average bounce rate for most websites ranges between 26% and 70%. Blogs and news websites often experience higher rates due to one-page visits.

Voice Search Optimization: Around 27% of global online users use voice search on mobile, emphasizing the need for websites to optimize for voice queries.

SSL Certificates: Over 90% of websites use SSL certificates to secure connections, as HTTPS is now a standard for trust and SEO rankings.

Average Website Lifespan: The average website lifespan is 2 years and 7 months before it requires a significant redesign or update to stay competitive.

Page Load Speed: A delay of just 1 second in page load time can reduce conversions by 7%.

A Brief History Of Website

The history of websites began in 1991 when Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web (www), launched the first website at CERN. It was a simple page explaining the concept of the World Wide Web and how to use it. By 1993, the web had gained traction with the release of the Mosaic browser, making it more accessible to the public.

Early commercial websites emerged in the mid-1990s as businesses recognized this new medium's potential. Companies like Amazon (1995) and eBay (1995) established their presence, laying the foundation for e-commerce. Websites were primarily static during this period, relying on basic HTML coding.

In the late 1990s, dynamic websites enabled by server-side scripting languages like PHP and databases emerged. Search engines like Google (1998) transformed how users found information online.

In the 2000s, the rise of social media platforms like Facebook and multimedia-rich websites reshaped the web. Technologies like CSS, JavaScript, and responsive design revolutionized user experiences, making websites interactive and mobile-friendly.

Today, websites are essential for communication, business, and entertainment. They range from simple blogs to complex platforms using AI and immersive technologies like AR/VR, marking the continued evolution of web design and functionality.

Most Popular Websites

Here is a table of the 20 most popular websites worldwide, ranked by monthly visits as of October 2024:

Data Source: Backlinko

Most Popular Languages for Websites

Here are the most popular languages used for website content, along with their usage percentages:

• English is the top language, used on 49.4% of websites, followed by Spanish at 6.0%. German (5.6%), Japanese (5.1%), and French (4.4%) are also widely used. 
• Russian (3.9%), Portuguese (3.8%), and Italian (2.7%) have significant shares. 
• Smaller percentages include Dutch/Flemish (2.1%), Turkish (1.8%), and Chinese (1.2%).

How Many Website Pages Are There?

Estimating the exact number of web pages on the internet is challenging due to its dynamic and ever-expanding nature. However, as of 2016, Google reported being aware of over 130 trillion individual pages. This figure has undoubtedly increased since then, considering the continuous growth of online content.

Also, not all web pages are indexed by search engines like Google. Factors such as duplicate content, low-quality pages, or restrictions set by website owners can prevent pages from being indexed. Therefore, while the total number of web pages is immense, the number accessible through search engines is somewhat less.

Websites User By Different Browser

• With 67.48% of the worldwide market share, Google Chrome is the most popular web browser.
• With 18.22%, Safari is in second place, primarily because of its compatibility with Apple devices.
• Following closely behind with 4.84%, Microsoft Edge continues demonstrating its consistent rise as the preferred browser for Windows users.
• Firefox, which prioritizes user privacy and supports open-source development, has a small but dedicated user base, making up 2.6% of the total.
• The use of Samsung Internet on Samsung smartphones accounts for the vast majority of its 2.18 percent share.

How Many Websites Google Has?

Google has over 50 billion web pages indexed and receives the most monthly visits at 132.34 billion. YouTube follows with 71.97 billion visits, while Facebook sees 12.92 billion visits.

Percentages Of Websites by Top-Level Domains

The distribution of websites across various top-level domains (TLDs) highlights the dominance of specific extensions:

• .com leads with a dominant 36.10%. It the most used domain worldwide.
• .cn follows with 4.27%. It shows the growing digital presence of China.
• Other significant domains include .tk (3.49%), .de (3.37%), .net (3.02%), and .uk (2.98%).
• Smaller shares include .org (2.46%) and .xyz (2.03%), highlighting their niche but important roles.

Monthly Websites Visits By Their Type/Business

• Web traffic is dominated by search engines at 25%, followed by news and media websites at 20%.
• Entertainment platforms, like streaming services, take up 15%, while social networks hold 12% of total traffic.
• Adult content accounts for 10%, and 8% is attributed to technology-related websites.
• Marketplace sites contribute 5%, with programming and software at 3%.
• Smaller shares go to video games (1.5%) and educational sites (0.5%).

Monthly New Websites In 2024

In 2024, the creation of new websites showed notable fluctuations throughout the year. January and September saw the highest numbers, with 8.9 million and 11.2 million new websites, respectively, reflecting peak activity.

February followed with 7.8 million, while months like March (3.2 million) and April (2.8 million) experienced lower levels.

Mid-year months such as May (4.4 million), June (4 million), and July (2.7 million) had moderate activity, with August slightly rising to 3.6 million. These trends highlight seasonal variations in website creation.

Website Domain Statistics By All Regions

• Unknown sources hold the largest share with 457.7 million domains, followed by the United States with 145 million.
• Iceland contributes 22.4 million domains, and China adds 19.2 million.
• Canada accounts for 9.6 million, while France, Germany, and Japan have 7.9 million, 7.6 million, and 7.5 million domains, respectively.

Market Overview By Domain Names

• With an astounding 47.53% market share, GoDaddy demonstrates its dominance in the domain name service industry and the trustworthiness of its customers.
• Following closely behind with 17.49%, Cloudflare DNS demonstrates its widespread use in DNS administration.
• Out of the total, 4.16 percent is attributable to Google Domains and 4.11 percent to Amazon.
• In addition, OVH Domains (3.18% of the market) and Network Solutions (3.47% of the market) play important roles.
• Smaller providers like DNS.com (1.47%) and Enom DNS Hosting (1.29%) enhance the broad and competitive market environment.

Some Website Design Statistics

• 94% of first impressions are based on a website's design.
• Users form an opinion about a website in just 50 milliseconds.
• A well-designed user interface can increase conversion rates by up to 200%, while a better user experience design can boost them by 400%.
• 88% of users are unlikely to return to a website after a bad experience.
• 59.16% of global web traffic comes from mobile devices, making mobile optimization essential.
• 47% of visitors expect a website to load in less than 2 seconds.
• Websites with clear calls-to-action see higher engagement, yet 70% of small business sites need one on their homepage.
• Visual content is critical, as 38% of people will only engage with a website if the layout is attractive.
• 85% of adults think a company's mobile website should be as good as or better than the desktop version.
• Slow-loading websites cost businesses approximately $2.6 billion annually in lost revenue.

Final Discussion

The number of websites worldwide reflects the growing digital presence. The largest share of domains is unclassified, with the United States leading among recognized countries. Countries like Iceland, China, and Canada also contribute significantly, showing the global nature of domain registrations.High-traffic nations like the US, China, and Japan dominate the market, while regions like Europe and smaller countries continue to grow. The global online presence also shows the value of the internet for different businesses. It opens doors for growth in e-commerce, digital media, and online services. The web keeps growing, creating more opportunities for brands to connect and succeed.