Technology has permeated all aspects of our everyday lives, and it’s difficult to imagine living without it. In this overview of the latest statistics about technology, we’ll take a closer look at the tech industry and discuss the adoption rates of various technologies. We’ll also focus on the two areas where technology has found much use — education and medicine. Finally, we’ll examine some darker aspects of technology use, including online data privacy and tech addiction.
Top 10 Statistics About Technology for 2023
Technology industry spending in 2022 is at $5.3 trillion worldwide.
The tech sector was responsible for 9.3% of the US GDP in 2021.
8.9 million Americans worked in the technology industry in 2021.
As of June 2022, 69% of the world’s population were internet users.
In 2021, there were 7.1 billion mobile phones worldwide.
As of October 2022, 59.3% of the world’s population used social media.
71% of US students say they use laptops in the classroom.
The global medical devices market was worth $550 billion in 2021.
In January 2022 alone, 38% of US patients received care via telehealth.
Americans aged 8–28 spend about 44.5 hours a week in front of screens.
General Statistics on Technology
Technology industry spending in 2022 is at $5.3 trillion worldwide.
Amid the global pandemic in 2020, industry spending was estimated at $4.8 trillion, only to increase by 4.2% to $5 trillion in 2021. The 6% year-over-year increase in 2022 demonstrates that the industry has largely recovered from the pandemic’s adverse effects. Of the $5.3 trillion spent in 2022, the US will account for $1.8 trillion (33%). Other big spenders will include Western Europe (19%), India (14%), and Australia and New Zealand (11%).
(CompTIA)
Telecom services make up 25% of global technology spending in 2022.
As countries worldwide race to invest in 5G technology, technology stats reveal that telecom services will account for the largest share of industry spending. Meanwhile, 22% will be spent on hardware and infrastructure, 20% on IT and business services, 19% on emerging tech, and 14% on software development. The US already has a well-developed infrastructure, so most of the country’s spending (28%) will go towards business services delivered via this infrastructure.
(CompTIA)
The tech sector was responsible for 9.3% of the US GDP in 2021.
The sector’s share in the country’s GDP was the lowest since 2017, when it accounted for 9.2%. Still, technology facts point to the industry’s immense impact on national and state economies. For example, in 2021, the technology industry was responsible for 22.4% of Washington’s and 18% of California’s economy. Other states that relied heavily on the tech sector in 2021 included Massachusetts (13.7% of the state economy), Colorado (13%), and New Hampshire (12.5%).
(Statista, Cyberstates)
8.9 million Americans worked in the technology industry in 2021.
This number includes 5.77 million tech industry jobs and 5.29 million tech occupation jobs, while accounting for a 41% overlap between the two. According to technology statistics, the number of employees was up by about 80,000 (1%) year-over-year. Certain occupations post significant growth in 2022. These include data scientists (+4.3%), cybersecurity specialists (+4.0%), and software devs and QA specialists (+3.9%).
(Cyberstates)
Minorities are still underrepresented in the US tech workforce.
Stats about technology point to the disparity between minority representation in the tech workforce and the overall US workforce. For example, although women comprise 49% of the total US workforce, they only account for 26% of the country’s tech employees. Similarly, Blacks account for 8% of the tech workforce (vs. 12% in the overall workforce), and Hispanics also make up 8% of technology industry employees (vs. 16% representation in the total workforce).
(Cyberstates)
Statistics on Technology Use and Adoption
As of June 2022, 69% of the world’s population were internet users.
The percentage translates to more than 5.47 billion people. Unsurprisingly, North America has the highest internet penetration rate, with 93.4% of people using it. Europe is in second place with an 89.6% penetration rate, followed by Latin America in third at 81.8%. The Middle East is in fourth place at 78.9%, Australia and Oceania rank fifth at 71.5%, and Asia is sixth with a 67.4% rate. Meanwhile, at just 46.8%, Africa currently has the lowest internet penetration rate.
(Internet World Stats)
In 2021, there were 7.1 billion mobile phones worldwide.
Technology use statistics reveal that 6.26 billion of these were smartphones. The number of smartphones grew 2022 up to 6.57 billion. This means that 83.8% of the world’s population owns a smartphone by the end of 2022. For comparison, there were only 3.67 billion smartphone owners in 2016, pointing to an impressive 79% increase over six years. The total number of mobile phone owners in 2022 is at 7.26 billion.
(The Radicati Group, Statista)
As of October 2022, 59.3% of the world’s population used social media.
According to facts about technology use, the number of social media users worldwide currently stands at 4.74 billion and marks an increase of 190 million compared to October 2021. The regions with the largest share of social media users include Northern Europe (83.7% of the total population), Western Europe (83.4%), and North America (76.1%). Overall, people worldwide spend an average of 2 hours and 28 minutes daily on social media — up by 0.7% over 2021.
(DataReportal)
Tech usage among older Americans has increased drastically since 2010.
Looking at older people’s use of technology, statistics show that 61% of Americans aged 65 and over owned a smartphone in 2021 — a massive increase from just 13% in 2012. Back in 2010, only 11% of Americans in this age group used social media; by 2021, the number had gone up to 45%. Similarly, the share of tablet owners in this age bracket went up from just 1% in 2010 to 44% in 2021. On the whole, 75% of Americans aged 65 and over say they are internet users.
(Pew Research Center)
41% of Americans say they don’t use cash to pay for their purchases.
One of the more interesting facts about technology is the growing number of Americans who participate in the so-called “cashless” economy. With so many alternative payment methods, including credit cards and mobile wallets, 41% of Americans now say they never use cash to pay for products and services, while 44% use cash to pay for some of their purchases. What’s more, 42% of US adults say they don’t worry about having cash at hand when paying for things.
(Pew Research Center)
16% of Americans have traded, invested in, or used cryptocurrencies.
While only 12% of US adults say they’ve never heard of cryptocurrencies, tech stats point to another 71% who have heard about cryptocurrencies but don’t have any experience with them. Globally, 12.3% of people owned some form of cryptocurrency as of October 2022. The list of countries with the highest share of cryptocurrency owners currently includes Turkey (25.8% of all internet users), Argentina (25.2%), the Philippines (23.7%), and South Africa (22.4%).
(Pew Research Center, DataReportal)
15.2% of people worldwide own smart home devices.
Statistics about technology at home reveal that smart home device ownership is particularly high in Ireland, where 25.1% of all internet users owned at least one such device as of October 2022. Other countries with high smart home ownership include the UK (24.4%), the US (23.4%), Italy (21.7%), Canada (20.7%), Spain (20.3%), China (20.1%), and Vietnam (19.1%). At 17.45% each, people in the 25–34 and 35–44 age brackets are most likely to own a smart home device.
(DataReportal)
Statistics About Technology in Education
As of 2019, 99% of US schools had fiber-optic internet connections.
Between 2013 and 2019, more than 22,000 American schools were newly connected via fiber, a technology deemed essential for digital learning. This directly benefited 46.3 million students and more than 2.8 million teachers. But this proved insufficient amid the shift to online teaching prompted by the global pandemic. As of September 2020, 4.4 million families with children had limited access to a computer, and 3.7 million lacked internet access for educational purposes.
(EducationSuperHighway, USAFacts)
58% of US educators say their opinion on technology use in education has improved amid the pandemic.
Computer technology facts from a 2020 survey show that 16% of US educators thought about technology a lot more positively and 42% a little more positively due to its increased use during the global pandemic. Moreover, 73% of US teachers thought that, upon return to schools, 1-to-1 computing (one device per student) would warrant better outcomes. Overall, 46% of teachers said their ability to use educational technology had vastly improved during the pandemic.
(Education Week)
71% of US students say they use laptops in the classroom.
According to statistics about technology in schools, the penetration rate of laptops in classrooms in the US is nearly twice the global rate of 37%. Results seem to favor this approach — a 2018 study found that students who use laptops scored 17 points higher on the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) test than those who don’t. The study also found that the use of data projectors in classrooms leads to better outcomes than internet-connected computers.
(McKinsey & Company)
Statistics About Technology in Medicine
The global medical devices market was worth $550 billion in 2021.
By 2030, experts predict the market will reach $850 billion, growing at a compound annual rate of 5.5%. North America was the world’s largest market for medical devices in 2021, accounting for 39.9% of the global revenue. At an 88.5% share of the revenue, hospitals and clinics made up the majority of end users. As manufacturers develop more diagnostic and imaging devices, diagnostics centers are projected to grow at an annual rate of 10.3% between 2022 and 2030.
(Precedence Research)
21% of US adults say they wear a fitness tracker.
According to statistics about technology use in America from a 2019 survey, women seem to be more concerned about their health. Namely, 25% of US women and 18% of men say they wear a fitness tracker. Globally, fitness tracker shipments have been steadily growing in recent years. In 2021, 90 million units were shipped, marking a 15.4% year-over-year increase. By 2025, analysts predict the number will go up to 127 million — a 41% increase over just four years.
(Pew Research Center, Statista)
The global health app market was worth $38.2 billion in 2021.
mHealth technology growth statistics reveal the market value reached $43.5 billion in 2022. From there, it will continue growing at a compound annual rate of 11.8%, reaching $105.9 billion by 2030. In 2021, the US health app market was valued at $13.4 billion, accounting for more than 35% of the global market. As of H1 of 2022, the world’s most downloaded health and fitness apps included Sweatcoin, PeduliLindungi, Blood Pressure App, and Flo Period Tracker.
(Grand View Research, Data.ai)
In January 2022 alone, 38% of US patients received care via telehealth.
Technology facts and statistics from 2022 also show that 76% of those who have received help this way would prefer to continue receiving care virtually in the future. Telehealth is a relatively recent phenomenon that saw a massive spike during the COVID-19 pandemic. It allows patients to receive care online without having to visit their doctor. And while it won’t substitute in-person treatments, experts predict that 43.3% of Americans will be regular telehealth users by 2025.
(mHealth Intelligence, eMarketer)
Negative Statistics About Technology
34% of US payment app users believe their personal data isn’t safe.
Amid the pandemic, payment apps and mobile wallets have seen a rise in usage. As of July 2022, 57% of US adults say they use PayPal, 38% use Venmo, 36% use Zelle, and 26% use Cash App. Yet only 20% believe these services keep their data safe from hackers. The level of distrust is higher among people 50 and over (39%) than those aged 18–49 (31%). Additionally, 58% of those who don’t use payment apps say they don’t trust those apps with their money.
(Pew Research Center)
34% of people worldwide believe their online accounts could be hacked.
Facts about technology point to a high level of concern for online safety among internet users. According to a 2020 survey, 50% of Turkish adults said they believed their online accounts could be hacked in 2021. Other countries with high levels of concern included Israel (47%), Malaysia (47%), Russia (46%), and South Africa (43%). Identity theft is among internet users’ biggest concerns — 66% say they’re very worried about potentially falling victim to identity theft.
(Statista)
Americans aged 8–28 spend about 44.5 hours a week in front of screens.
According to statistics about technology addiction, young people from “digital native” age groups (those who grew up surrounded by technology) are most likely to develop this problem. A 2022 survey found that 46% of US teens are “almost constantly” online. For comparison, only 24% of teens said the same in 2015. Moreover, while 36% of American teenagers admit to spending too much time on social media, 54% believe it would be at least somewhat hard to stop using it.
(The Center for Parenting Education, Pew Research Center)
Statistics About Technology FAQ
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Facts About Technology: The Takeaway
With global technology spending in 2022 estimated at $5.3 trillion, this industry is one of the pillars of the world’s economy. In the US, technology accounts for 9.3% of the national GDP, while in Washington and California, it is responsible for about a fifth of the state economy.
Statistics about technology point to its indispensable role in numerous aspects of our lives. During the pandemic, technology helped facilitate online education, allowing children to keep learning while in lockdown. Tech also plays a crucial role in medicine, illustrated by the growing sales of diagnostic and imaging devices, fitness trackers, and health apps, as well as the emerging popularity of telehealth as a supplemental service to regular in-person care.
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