In the vast expanse of the internet, the surface web is but a glimpse of what lies beneath.

Search engines provide access to roughly 19 terabytes of data, representing only a fraction of the internet’s true scale.

Below the surface web resides the deep web, a realm that dwarfs its visible counterpart by a factor of 400 to 500, storing a staggering 7,500 terabytes of data.

Within this hidden domain exists a secretive enclave known as the dark web, accessible only through specialized software.

Let’s discover the dark web users by country in 2024 and other statistics about it.

Post Contents

1 Key Statistics
2 Dark Web Users by Country in 2024
3 The Onion Router
4 Dark Web Daily User Count by Country
5 Countries with Highest Dark Web Users
6 Percentage of Dark Web Users by Country
7 Facts About Dark Web Users
8 Users Are Using the Dark Web for Illegal Activities
9 Top Countries Using Technologies to Access the Dark Web
10 Dark Web User Demographics
11 Familiarity with Dark Web
12 Conclusion
13 Sources

Key Statistics

The estimated number of dark web users is around 2.5 million to 2.7 million per day as of 2023.
The US has the most number of dark web users. It has approximately 832,000 daily users, equivalent to over 34%.
The estimated dark web daily user count in Russia is roughly 273,000.
The US recorded the highest count of dark web users, accounting for 34.81%. They are primarily involved in the illegal trading of items and data.
Dark Web accounts for approximately 5-6% of the internet. It provides users with a high level of privacy and anonymity.
About 26% of internet users in India used technologies to access the dark web in 2019.
Almost 60% of surveyed dark web users are 26 to 35 years old.
28% of internet users in BRICS claimed to be familiar with the dark web.

Dark Web Users by Country in 2024

The dark web is the deepest subsection of the internet that is not visible and accessible by regular internet users.

The exact number of dark web users is challenging to determine since the information available on the dark web is not easily traceable and verifiable.

However, based on estimations, the dark web daily users count is around 2.5 million to 2.7 million as of 2023.

When it comes to dark web users by country, the United States has the most number of dark web users, accounting for approximately 832,000 daily users, equivalent to over 34%.

It is followed by Russia, with an estimated 274,000, or around 11%, and Germany, with roughly 171,000, or 7%.

The Onion Router

The dark web is a hidden layer that is not included in the database of search engines like Google Search.

To access the dark web, specialized software, such as Tor (The Onion Router), is required.

This layer operates on encrypted connections and hosts websites with “.onion” domains.

It provides a level of anonymity and privacy to users.

Dark Web Daily User Count by Country

Let’s take a look at the estimated dark web daily user count by country:

The estimated dark web daily user count in the United States is 831,911.
The estimated dark web daily user count in Russia is 273,844.
The estimated dark web daily user count in Germany is 171,009.
The estimated dark web daily user count in the Netherlands is 165,281.
The estimated dark web daily user count in France is 78,714.

Countries with Highest Dark Web Users

Dark web users are increasing steadily. It is accessed by millions of people daily for both legal and illegal activities.

However, it is often associated with illicit activities because of its anonymity and unregulated nature.

The United States recorded the highest number of dark web users, accounting for 34.81%.

Dark web users in the country are mainly involved in the illegal trading of items and data.

Russia comes next, with an average dark web daily users of 11.46%. They mostly use the dark web for trading hacking toolkits.

Percentage of Dark Web Users by Country

Here are the percentages of dark web users by country and the most-common activity they are involved in:

34.81% of dark web users are in the United States. They are primarily involved in trading illegal drugs, malware, counterfeit documents, and user data

11.46% of dark web users are in Russia. They are primarily involved in trading Exploit Kits, Cryptolockers, data dumps, and malware

7.16% of dark web users are in Germany. They are primarily involved in trading Botnets, counterfeit documents, credit and debit card details, malware, and data dumps

6.92% of dark web users are in the Netherlands. They are primarily involved in trading electronics, guns, narcotics, and fake items

3.29% of dark web users are in France. They are primarily involved in trading stolen items, electronics, pornography, and data dumps.

Facts About Dark Web Users

The dark web is a small portion of the internet that is intentionally hidden.

It accounts for around 5-6% of the internet. It provides users with a high level of privacy and anonymity.

This is achieved through encryption techniques and specialized software, such as Tor.

Some users, like journalists, whistleblowers, and activists, use the dark web to have privacy and freedom of expression.

Other users like cybersecurity researchers and law enforcement agencies use it to have access to information, study the techniques used by cybercriminals, and investigate criminal activities.

Users Are Using the Dark Web for Illegal Activities

However, many users abuse the power of the dark web.

They make it easier to engage in illegal activities, such as trading drugs, weapons, stolen data, fake items, hacking tools, pornography, and other illegal services.

Top Countries Using Technologies to Access the Dark Web

Statistics show that about 12% of internet users used technologies like Tor to access the dark web in 2019.

India was the top country that used Tor or other similar technologies to access the dark web, accounting for 26%.

Below are the top countries that used technologies to access the dark web in 2019:

In India, about 26% of internet users used technologies to access the dark web in 2019
In Russia, about 22% of internet users used technologies to access the dark web in 2019
In Brazil, about 21% of internet users used technologies to access the dark web in 2019
In Indonesia, about 20% of internet users used technologies to access the dark web in 2019
In Turkey, South Africa, and Sweden, about 16% of internet users per country used technologies to access the dark web in 2019

Dark Web User Demographics

According to a survey, the majority of dark web users are male, accounting for 84.7%, and only 9.4% are female.

Most of them are millennials, between 26 to 35 years old, equivalent to 58.8%.

Here is the list of the age distribution of dark web users according to the survey:

11.8% of surveyed dark web users are 18 to 25 years old
58.8% of surveyed dark web users are 26 to 35 years old
23.5% of surveyed dark web users are 36 to 45 years old
5.9% of surveyed dark web users are 46 to 55 years old

Familiarity with Dark Web

The global average share of internet users familiar with the dark web in 2019 reached 24%.

BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) had the most share of internet users who are “very familiar and somewhat familiar” with the dark web, accounting for 28%.

Here are the shares of internet users who have familiarity with the dark web in 2019:

28% of internet users in BRICS claimed to be familiar with the dark web
26% of internet users in LATAM and APAC claimed to be familiar with the dark web
25% of internet users in North America claimed to be familiar with the dark web
24% of internet users in Europe claimed to be familiar with the dark web
23% of internet users in the Middle East / Africa claimed to be familiar with the dark web