Spam Statistics By Volume, Countries Of Origin and Daily Numbers
Updated · Oct 24, 2024
WHAT WE HAVE ON THIS PAGE
- Introduction
- Editor’s Choice
- Prevalence Of Spam Emails
- Trends In Spam Volume
- Source And Origin Of Spam
- Phishing Statistics
- Spam Calls
- Global Spam Volume
- Spam In Different Regions
- Spam Categories
- Spam Email Campaigns
- Spam Filter Effectiveness
- Mobile Spam
- Spam Statistics By Industry
- Impact Of Spam On Businesses
- Spam And Cybersecurity
- User Awareness And Spam
- Cost Of Spam To Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
- Future Predictions For Spam Statistics
- Spam And Legal Actions
- Spam Statistics In Social Media
- Spam And Privacy Concerns
- Conclusion
Introduction
Spam Statistics: Unwanted emails are so common in digital communication that 2023–2024 spam statistics show this. Spam is a substantial burden for both people and organizations, as it accounted for 45.6% of worldwide email traffic in 2023. Interestingly, with almost 25% of all spam traffic, the United States topped the worldwide spam email volume charts.
With phishing, financial fraud, and dangerous software emerging as the main issues, the spam environment is always changing as cybersecurity threats do. Spam is still a major problem even if 99.7% of spam emails were stopped by sophisticated spam filters in 2023.
Editor’s Choice
- Spam Email Prevalence: In 2023, spam emails made up 45.6% of global email traffic, with the highest volume recorded in May, reaching nearly 50% of all emails.
- Top Spam Source: The United States was the leading source of spam emails in 2023, accounting for 25.55% of global spam traffic, followed by Russia with 11.45%.
- Financial Impact on Businesses: Global businesses lost an estimated $20.5 billion in 2023 due to spam-related phishing attacks, emphasizing the financial risks posed by spam.
- Spam Filter Effectiveness: Advanced spam filters blocked 99.7% of spam emails in 2023, showcasing significant strides in email security, yet spam still reached many users.
- Spam Category Dominance: Promotional and marketing emails dominated the spam landscape in 2023, making up 36% of all spam emails, followed closely by adult content at 31.7%.
- Phishing Growth: Phishing attacks grew by 17% in 2023, with nearly 7 million detections, highlighting the increasing sophistication of spam-based cyber threats.
- Mobile Spam Surge: Mobile devices were targeted by 62% of spam emails in 2023, reflecting a growing shift toward mobile-centric spam campaigns.
- ISP Costs: Internet Service Providers (ISPs) spent an estimated USD 3.4 billion on spam prevention in 2023, with the cost expected to rise by 8% by 2024, illustrating the ongoing battle against spam.
Prevalence Of Spam Emails
(Reference: stastista.com)
- According to spam statistics, over 45.6% of all emails sent worldwide in 2023 were categorized as spam, down from nearly 49% in 2022. While spam still accounts for a large amount of email traffic, its frequency has significantly decreased since 2011. Spam peaked in May 2023, accounting for around half of all email traffic.
- As of December 2024, more than 46.8% of all emails sent worldwide were spam. One spam email has a carbon impact of about 0.03 grams of CO2e. Spam emails alone may have released about 4.5 tonnes of CO2e into the atmosphere in 2021.
- Emails that promote and advertise themselves are the most prevalent, accounting for over 36% of all spam, according to spam statistics for email kinds.
- Emails containing pornographic material come next, accounting for around 31.7% of spam. Approximately 26.5% of spam emails are connected to finances, and 2.5% are scam and fraud communications.
- Phishing emails account for 73% of all frauds.
Trends In Spam Volume
(Reference: cleantalk.org)
(Reference: cleantalk.org)
- Trends in Spam Statistics: Over the last 8 months, spam statistics have revealed notable variations in spam quantities among various protection systems.
- In January 2024, the Anti-Spam tool recorded a peak of 84,384,575 spam emails; by July 2024, that number had dropped to 68,980,984. This variant demonstrates how spam activity varies over time and how successful spam detection is.
- Performance of the Security Firewall: Based on spam statistics, the SecurityFireWall logged 139,059,261 spam emails in February 2024, which was its largest amount of spam.
- The volume peaked in July 2024 at 60,625,534. These numbers imply that SecurityFireWall’s efficacy in detecting spam varies significantly over time.
- Comparison of SpamFireWall vs Anti-Spam: When Anti-Spam and SpamFireWall spam statistics are compared, it is routinely shown that SpamFireWall has a larger volume of spam discovered.
- In July 2024, Anti-Spam found 68,980,984 spam emails, whereas SpamFireWall found 646,200,673 spam emails. This illustrates how well SpamFireWall can handle and identify spam emails.
Source And Origin Of Spam
(Reference: stastista.com)
- According to spam statistics from 2023, Russia accounted for 31.5% of all unsolicited spam emails sent worldwide, making it the country with the largest proportion.
- At the time of observation, the United States came in second place with 11.3% of the world’s unsolicited spam emails, closely followed by Mainland China with over 11%.
(Reference: stastista.com)
- According to spam statistics as of August 13, 2024, the United States sends almost eight billion emails every day to spam, which is the most of any country.
- Second and third place go to China and Germany, with 7.6 billion and 7.3 billion spam emails sent, respectively.
Phishing Statistics
- According to spam statistics, there was a 17% rise in phishing assaults in 2023 that targeted data and information, or credential phishing, with around 7 million detections.
- Unknown credential phishing detections increased by 29%, while known credential phishing saw just a 5% gain.
- Business email compromise (BEC) detections increased to 446,234 in 2023, a 16% rise, according to TrendTM Research.
- 280,191 were found by the anti-spam engine, indicating a 13% increase, and 166,034 were recognized using Trend MicroTM Writing Style DNA.
Spam Calls
- In 2023, more than 56.2 million people in the United States were affected by the widespread issue of spam and scam calls, according to recent statistics.
- On average, one in four Americans lost $452 to scammers, resulting in a total financial loss of nearly $25.4 billion.
- While seniors remained a significant target for fraudsters, individuals aged 18 to 44 were three times more likely to be targeted than older adults.
- The statistics also revealed that Black Americans and Hispanic groups faced a higher risk of being scammed, with 39% and 30% of these populations affected, compared to 15% of White Americans.
- Efforts to mitigate the problem, including regulatory measures, have led to an 18% annual reduction in large-scale robocall campaigns.
- Hiya’s statistics point to a developing problem: According to spam statistics from 2023, more than 28% of the 46.75 billion unknown calls that Hiya examined were found to be fraudulent or spam.
- Even though these problems are common, only around one-third of customers have installed applications that prevent phone fraud, and 59% of them said they would not pay more for this kind of protection.
Global Spam Volume
- In 2023, spam emails accounted for 49.9% of all global email traffic, reflecting a slight decrease from 53.4% in 2022.
- By mid-2024, the global spam volume is projected to increase by 7%, continuing a trend of high spam activity.
- The average number of spam emails received per user per day was 22 in 2023.
Spam In Different Regions
- North America experienced the highest spam email volume, with 56% of all emails being categorized as spam in 2023.
- Europe reported a spam email rate of 48% in 2023, a slight increase from 46.5% in 2022.
- In Asia-Pacific, spam emails made up 43.8% of total email traffic in 2023.
Spam Categories
- Malicious spam accounted for 11.8% of all spam emails in 2023, with phishing attempts constituting 43.7% of this category.
- 69.9% of spam emails in 2023 were categorized as promotional, with a majority related to e-commerce.
- 14% of spam emails were related to fake job offers and employment scams in 2023.
Spam Email Campaigns
- In 2023, 35% of spam email campaigns were linked to financial fraud schemes, making it the most common spam campaign type.
- 27% of spam email campaigns were related to healthcare and insurance fraud in 2023.
- 21% of spam campaigns in 2023 were associated with tech support scams.
Spam Filter Effectiveness
- In 2023, advanced spam filters managed to block 99.7% of spam emails before they reached users’ inboxes.
- 85% of businesses reported that their spam filters successfully blocked at least 90% of incoming spam emails in 2023.
- By mid-2024, spam filter technologies are expected to increase their accuracy by an additional 1.2%.
Mobile Spam
- Mobile devices were targeted by 62% of spam emails in 2023, up from 58% in 2022.
- 46% of mobile users reported receiving spam text messages in 2023, an increase from 39% in 2022.
- 22% of mobile spam in 2023 included links to phishing websites.
Spam Statistics By Industry
- The finance sector received 34% of all industry-targeted spam emails in 2023, making it the most targeted industry.
- The healthcare industry saw a 12% increase in spam emails in 2023, making up 27% of all industry-specific spam.
- Retail businesses reported a 31% increase in spam volume in 2023 compared to 2022.
Impact Of Spam On Businesses
- In 2023, businesses globally lost an estimated $20.5 billion due to spam-related phishing attacks.
- 41% of businesses reported significant downtime in 2023 due to spam-related issues.
- 23% of all IT security budgets in 2023 were allocated to combating spam and related threats.
Spam And Cybersecurity
- 87% of all malware was delivered via spam emails in 2023, making it the most common method of malware distribution.
- Ransomware attacks were delivered through spam emails 33% of the time in 2023.
- In 2024, the effectiveness of spam as a cyberattack vector is expected to rise by 6% due to more sophisticated tactics.
User Awareness And Spam
- 64% of users were able to identify and avoid spam emails in 2023, up from 58% in 2022.
- 42% of users reported falling victim to at least one spam scam in 2023.
- 73% of email users reported increased awareness of spam threats in 2023.
Cost Of Spam To Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
- ISPs spent an estimated $3.4 billion on spam prevention in 2023.
- The cost per ISP to manage spam-related issues was $2.5 million on average in 2023.
- By 2024, the total global cost for ISPs to handle spam is expected to rise by 8%.
Future Predictions For Spam Statistics
- Global spam volume is projected to grow by 10% annually through 2024.
- The effectiveness of spam filters is expected to reach 99.9% accuracy by the end of 2024.
- 45% of all internet users are predicted to receive spam emails daily by 2024, up from 40% in 2023.
Spam And Legal Actions
- In 2023, 12% of reported spam cases resulted in legal action.
- Governments globally imposed fines totaling $750 million on spam-related offenses in 2023.
- 18% of companies facing legal issues in 2023 cited spam as the cause.
Spam Statistics In Social Media
- 24% of all spam messages in 2023 were distributed through social media platforms.
- 53% of spam on social media in 2023 involved fake accounts or bot activity.
- The volume of spam on social media platforms increased by 15% in 2023 compared to 2022.
Spam And Privacy Concerns
- 72% of email users in 2023 expressed concern over privacy due to spam emails.
- 47% of users took action to improve their email security in 2023 due to rising spam threats.
- 35% of users in 2023 opted for paid email services with enhanced spam protection features.
Conclusion
Spam statistics from 2023-2024 underscore the ongoing battle against unsolicited emails and their associated risks. Despite improvements in spam detection and filtering, the global spam volume continues to rise, with significant impacts on businesses, industries, and individual users.
As spam remains a primary vector for cyberattacks, the importance of robust security measures and user awareness cannot be overstated. Moving forward, the effectiveness of spam filters is expected to improve, but the challenge of combating spam will persist, requiring continuous vigilance and adaptation.
Sources
FAQ.
Spam statistics refer to data that provides insights into the volume, sources, and types of unsolicited and potentially harmful emails or messages. These statistics help in understanding the scale of spam activity and its impact on users and organizations.
Recent spam statistics show fluctuations in the percentage of spam emails. For instance, in 2023, spam emails accounted for about 45.6% of global email traffic, a decrease from nearly 49% in 2022. Despite the decrease, spam continues to be a significant part of email communications.
Spam emails contribute to carbon emissions due to the energy required for their storage and transmission. Each spam email generates approximately 0.03 grams of CO2e. In 2021, the volume of spam emails led to the emission of about 4.5 tones of CO2e, highlighting the environmental impact of this issue.
Spam statistics reveal that Russia is the leading source of unsolicited spam emails, contributing 31.5% of global spam. The United States and Mainland China follow, responsible for 11.3% and over 11% of global spam emails, respectively.
Different security solutions detect varying volumes of spam. For example, Anti-Spam detected 84,384,575 spam emails in January 2024, which decreased to 68,980,984 by July 2024. In contrast, Spam Firewall consistently identified higher volumes compared to Anti-Spam, indicating differences in detection capacities.
Spam statistics categorize spam emails into several types. Marketing and advertising emails are the most common, comprising about 36% of all spam. Emails with adult content make up 31.7%, financial-related spam accounts for 26.5%, and scams and fraud constitute 2.5%, with phishing emails being the predominant form.
Credential phishing attacks grew by 17% in 2023, with nearly 7 million detections. While known credential phishing saw a modest 5% increase, unknown credential phishing detections surged by 29%, reflecting a rise in sophisticated phishing tactics.
In 2023, spam statistics showed that over 56.2 million U.S. adults were impacted by spam and scam calls, with one in four Americans losing an average of $452 to scams. This totals over $25.4 billion in losses, illustrating the significant financial burden of spam and fraud.
Regulatory and mitigation efforts have led to an 18% year-over-year decrease in large-scale robocall campaigns. These efforts demonstrate progress in combating spam, though challenges remain due to the evolving nature of spam tactics.
Despite the growing issue of spam calls, only about one-third of consumers have downloaded phone fraud prevention apps. Additionally, 59% of consumers are unwilling to pay extra for protection, reflecting a gap in proactive measures against phone fraud.
Saisuman is a professional content writer specializing in health, law, and space-related articles. Her experience includes designing featured articles for websites and newsletters, as well as conducting detailed research for medical professionals and researchers. Passionate about languages since childhood, Saisuman can read, write, and speak in five different languages. Her love for languages and reading inspired her to pursue a career in writing. Saisuman holds a Master's in Business Administration with a focus on Human Resources and has worked in a Human Resources firm for a year. She was previously associated with a French international company. In addition to writing, Saisuman enjoys traveling and singing classical songs in her leisure time.
