Despite VPN usage often being considered a pretty niche activity, it’s now 3 in 10 internet users who have used these tools to get online, up from just under a quarter in Q1 2016. And as our research makes clear, it’s Turkey which is the current leader for this activity.

Turkey’s recent censorship efforts against many of the major social networks and messaging apps are likely to be having an impact here as this market has not always been the global leader on this metric – Indonesia has typically been the top market for VPN usage since Q4 2013, when GWI began tracking this activity.

But it’s not just a desire to circumvent online censorship initiatives which is driving this behavior, with our research showing that it’s the search for better entertainment content (such as accessing content libraries in other markets) and online privacy concerns which comprise the top two motivations behind VPN usage.

Turkey Leads for VPN UsageExplore this data in PRO Platform Download the new Trends 17 Report!

Never miss a post

By subscribing you confirm you’re happy for us to send you our latest articles.

You’ve read our blog, now see our platform

Every business has questions about its audiences, GWI has answers. Powered by consistent, global research, our platform is an on-demand window into their world.

laptop