How Much Data is Created and Used Every Day?

Data and technology have become a part of all our lives. Data is constantly being created and used by people across the world. This leaves many people wondering how much data is generated every day. Internet data usage is at all-time highs with 2.5 quintillion bytes of data being created every day.

With at least 81% of adults going online daily, data usage and creation is a part of your daily life whether you realize it or not. That may have you thinking, “How much data do I use?”

What Is the Average Mobile Data Usage?

Mobile phones have rapidly become a primary source of data usage across the globe. According to Forbes Advisor of 2024, 54% of all internet traffic worldwide was on mobile phones. In 2009, it was 0.7%. That’s a massive change.

With mobile phones being prominent across the world, we expect this trend to continue with more and more data usage on our phones. According to Ericsson, the average monthly mobile data usage is 21 GB globally per person. One major reason for high data usage is the advent of streaming movies and TV from home.

Let’s look at common streaming sources and how much data you use while streaming.

How Much Data Does Netflix Use?

Netflix’s data usage depends on a few variables, the most important of which is the graphic quality you’re streaming in. So, unfortunately, it’s not as simple as asking how many GB a movie is. The real question is how many GB does it take to stream that movie in HD? (Or any other graphic setting.)

Here’s a quick breakdown of the numbers when it comes to streaming data usage:

• 1 GB per hour in standard definition (SD)
• 3 GB per hour in high definition (HD)
• 7 GB per hour in 4K Ultra HD (UHD)

Let’s think about this in movie terms. If the average movie is about two hours long and HD is the most popular resolution setting, most people will probably use 6 GB to watch it. If you’re watching a half-hour TV show, you’d probably only use 1.5 GB to stream an episode in HD.

Obviously, streaming in standard definition can save a lot of data — especially when compared to UHD! If you’re worried that lower graphics will distract you from the entertainment, be strategic. Use SD to stream things that are naturally less crisp (think: classic films, shows from the early 2000s and before, or even kid’s movies). You’ll notice the difference less in these cases compared to the latest superhero movie.

Making these changes doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing, though. Instead, make small adjustments to stretch your data even further. So, yes: Netflix use can eat up a lot of data — but you can control it to an extent.

How Much Data Do I Use for Other Services?

Of course, Netflix isn’t the only big data platform out there. We’ve got the lowdown on how much data other popular platforms require per hour.

Spotify

If you’re using the default settings (96kbps playback), Spotify uses roughly 40 MB per hour. In other words, it would take about 24 hours to use 1 GB of data in the standard setting.

But if you increase your audio quality, you’ll also need more data. For high quality (160kbps) you’ll need 72 MB per hour, and you’ll reach 1 GB in about 14 hours. For very high quality (320kbps), you’ll use 144 MB per hour and will be able to stream music for about 7 hours before using 1 GB.

You can change playback quality by going to: Settings > Audio Quality and making your selection for WiFi and cellular data. Generally, audio-only streaming uses less data than video streaming because there’s less information being downloaded from the servers.

YouTube

Again, depending on the video quality you choose, the amount of data YouTube requires varies.

• 360p uses just 60 MB of data every hour
• Standard definition, or 480p, uses roughly 563 MB of data per hour
• 720p requires 1.86 GB of data per hour
• 1080p uses 3.04 GB of data per hour
• 4K uses nearly 16 GB of data per hour

Just like we suggested with Netflix, use lower resolution if you’re trying to save data — especially if you’re just watching on a phone or have it on in the background.

Facebook

One thing you might not think about requiring data is social media. Take Facebook, for example. The platform has a mix of text-based posts, photos, and even videos. So how much data does scrolling Facebook require?

“Regular” usage of the app — like browsing through the news feed and looking at photos — uses about 1.5 MB of data every minute. In other words, 90 MB of data every hour. However, if you’re viewing video content, you’ll be using roughly 2.6 MB per minute, depending on the graphic quality. That means video on Facebook adds up to 156 MB of data per hour.

Looking to use less data? Try going into your settings and turning off autoplay videos or adjusting your playback quality.

Instagram

Although owned by Facebook, Instagram is much more dedicated to video and photo sharing. On average, Instagram uses about 720 MB of data every hour. Again, if you’re solely watching videos — whether it’s a video posted to the grid or a story — you’ll burn through more data than only scrolling still photos.

Along the same lines, TikTok uses nearly 850 MB every hour. It makes sense that this would be one of the highest data-using social media apps since it’s all video-based.

Video Games

If streaming video uses a significant amount of data, then surely gaming uses even more, right? The answer is a little more complicated than that. While the exact amount of data used depends on the game itself, Fortnite and Minecraft both use roughly 100 MB per hour. Most games range anywhere from 50 MB to 150 MB.

That said, if you’re into competitive gaming, those hours can add up fast, and you’ll want an internet plan that can keep up. Check out our guide to the best internet provider for gamers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much data is on the internet?

According to Exploding Topics, some experts predict the amount of data on the internet will exceed 147 zettabytes by the end of 2024. That’s 147 trillion gigabytes!

How much data does the average person use per month?

The average user consumes around 641 GB of data per month. This may continue to rise with the advent of smart devices and streaming.

Conclusion

The world is using a lot of data, and this trend is only growing. It’s important that you get the speed and reliability you deserve.

For that, there’s nothing better than EarthLink’s Fiber Internet. With speeds up to 5 Gigs, and no data caps, there’s virtually no limit to what you can do. Call one of our Internet Experts today at 866-618-0264 or find your plan online.