How Many Websites Are There?

Have you ever wondered — how many websites are there on the internet?

Since its inception, the World Wide Web has grown staggeringly. From personal blogs to small business websites, it now caters to every need and interest there is.

With new websites emerging every day and old ones being deleted, defining a precise number isn’t easy. However, expert estimates can help us understand how many websites there are in 2024 and the current state of the World Wide Web.

How Many Websites Are There?

Although the internet has already reached an incredible scale, it continues to expand. The latest data provides insight into the number of websites and the ongoing growth of the digital world: 

1. As of 2024, there are around 1.1 billion websites on the World Wide Web. 
2. Out of all websites in the world, only about 200 million are active. This means only 17.83% are actively maintained and visited.
3. The number of new websites that emerge every day is 252,000. 
4. 62.32% of all websites are registered in unknown locations. 
5. 362.4 million domain name registrations have been made as of Q2 of 2024. According to the same report, domain name registrations increase by 1.6% yearly.
6. 52.1% of all websites are in English, making it the most frequently used language for web content.
   
   
7. A total of 5.44 billion people are on the internet worldwide.
8. Every day, 402.74 million terabytes of data is produced. 
9. 43.5% of all websites use WordPress. 
10. An average website has a lifespan of 2 years and 7 months. 
11. The global website builder industry is worth $2.1 billion in 2024.
    
    
12. 30,000 websites are hacked every day, with small businesses being targeted 43% of the time. 
13. 4.1 million websites were reported to be infected with malware in 2022.

How Many Websites Are On Google? 

Looking at key stats on Google can provide a clearer picture of the current state of the World Wide Web. Below, we’ve listed some essential statistics regarding the number of websites and web pages:

1. There are over 50 billion web pages indexed on Google. 
2. Google is the most-visited website, with 175 billion monthly visits. It’s followed by YouTube (113 billion) and Facebook (18.1 billion).
   
   
3. Google is also the most linked-to website globally, with 475,012 links leading to its pages. It’s followed by Facebook (470,479) and YouTube (423,781). 
4. Google accounts for 81.95% of the global desktop search market. 
5. 63,000 Google queries are made every second.

The Number Of Websites Per Domain

The .com domain remains dominant in the market, but recent trends in domain usage are showing some interesting shifts. Here are a few statistics that highlight these changes:

1. 44.4% of all websites use the .com domain, making it the most popular domain in the world. .org and .de domains follow with 4.2% and 3.2%, respectively.
   
2. 42% of all websites use a generic TLD. In addition, 40% use a country TLD and 19% use a new generic TLD. 
3. There are 10,837,152 websites in the world with the .org domain. 
4. Wikipedia is the most visited .org website, with 6.7 billion monthly visits. 
5. There are 5.1 million websites with the .ru domain name. 
6. With 32.41 million registered domains, .cn is the world’s most-used country code top- level domain (ccTLD). 
7. There are around 359.3 million domain name registrations. This amounts to 1 domain name registration per 22 people on the planet. 
8. The average cost of a standard domain, such as .com or .net, is between $10 and $20 per year. 
9. The .xyz domain is the most used new gTLD with a 10.5% market share.
   
   
10. Out of all malware websites, 77.6% use the .com domain. They’re followed by those that use .org (4.7%) and .net (3.2%) domains.

The Number Of Websites Per Industry

Internet presence is crucial for businesses across various industries. Let’s look at the number of websites in different sectors to highlight the importance of having a website: 

1. Over 27 million of all websites are eCommerce. This number has increased significantly in recent years, having previously stood at 9.2 million in 2019.
2. The U.S. has the most eCommerce websites, with the number currently standing at 14 million. It’s followed by the U.K. (1.3 million), Brazil (0.8 million) and Germany (0.8 million). 
3. The New York Times is the most popular news website in the world with 9.4 million digital subscribers. It’s followed by The Wall Street Journal (3.5 million) and The Washington Post (2.5 million).
   
   
4. The most popular gaming website in the U.S. is roblox.com with a 12.54% share of visits. It’s followed by twitch.tv (10.02%) and chess.com (1.55%).
5. In August 2023, ESPN was the most-visited sports website, recording 415.5 million visits in that month.
   
   
6. Booking.com is the most-visited travel website worldwide, recording 556 million visits in April 2024.
7. There are over 8,000 dating websites in the world.

How Many Businesses Have A Website?

Every business needs an online presence and having a functional and well-designed website is essential. Below are some key statistics on the number of companies with websites: 

1. Out of all small businesses, 71% have a website. 
2. 27% of small businesses don’t have a website because they believe they aren’t relevant to their industry. 
3. 28% of all businesses conduct online activity. 
4. The average website cost for a small business is $3,200. 
5. Maintaining their website is the biggest challenge for 33% of small businesses.

Historical Website Statistics

Websites have evolved significantly since the early days of the internet. Let’s explore some statistics that illustrate how they have developed over the years: 

1. symbolics.com, which was the world’s first domain name, was registered in 1985. 
2. mitre.org was registered in 1985, making it the world’s first-ever registered .org website. 
3. The first-ever web page on the internet went live on August 6, 1991. The page still exists, and you can check it out here. 
4. There were 17.1 million websites in 2000. 
5. In 2005, the number of websites on the internet increased to almost 65 million. This was also the year YouTube was created. 
6. In 2010, there were almost 207 million websites worldwide. Both Instagram and Pinterest were launched that year. 
7. 38% of pages that existed in 2013 have been removed by 2024. 
8. The milestone of 1 billion websites was reached in 2014 for the first time. 
9. The total number of websites then fell below that mark before stabilizing above 1 billion again in March 2016.
   
   
10. People spent more time online during the COVID-19 pandemic, with global internet traffic increasing by 40% between February and April 2020.

Grow Your Website With Digital Silk

The number of websites currently on the World Wide Web shows how important being online is. 

Having a well-designed, fast and optimized website is essential for businesses that want to increase their brand awareness and grow.

Digital Silk is a professional web design agency that offers custom web design, custom web development, branding services, eCommerce development, and much more for clients across industries.

We strive towards measurable results, being transparent in every stage of the journey and treat each project like our own.

Contact us, reach out via (800) 206-9413 or fill the Request a Quote form below to schedule a free, custom consultation.

Matt Loy

Matt is a seasoned IT professional with nearly two decades of experience in product development, strategy, and system architecture. His commitment to transforming businesses and enhancing their digital presence has led to strategic initiatives that consistently exceed client expectations. Matt has been instrumental in launching successful projects for leading global brands, significantly advancing their objectives and revenue. Drawing on his experience as a full-stack engineer, Matt navigates complex technical challenges with ease. He stays ahead of industry trends, fosters a collaborative work environment, and mentors teams to success. His strategic approach and diverse expertise in business and technology enable him to deliver innovative solutions and tangible results in demanding situations.