Dark Web Statistics for 2025: Key Trends and Threats

Several media productions, intelligence companies, hackers, snoopers, and whistleblowers use the dark web for their respective tasks. Moreover, some users use this hidden part of the internet to stay away from prying eyes. However, as the name indicates, this shady part refers to hosting illegal and inappropriate activities, including drug selling, hacking, etc.

Understanding how the dark web works can help you protect your digital life (including assets). What else but statistics to grasp about something? Data doesn’t lie. Read on to explore major dark web statistics, popular dark web marketplaces, the number of users, and much more. We’ve also included tips for keeping your connection and data safe when visiting the dark web.

Top 10 dark web statistics and trends

Key dark web stats

• The Dark Web Intelligence Market was valued at $520.3 million in 2023, with projections to grow to $1.3 billion by 2028, with a growth rate (CAGR) of 22.3%. (KBV Research)
• The dark web is roughly 5,000 times bigger than the surface web. (The Federation of American Scientists)
• Approximately 60% of dark web websites are involved in illegal activities. (Tor)
• Illegal activities on the dark web are estimated to generate about $1.5 billion per year. (ID Agent)
• Bitcoin is the most commonly used cryptocurrency, accounting for more than 90% of transactions on the dark web. (Marshmclennan)
• The dark web is estimated to host about 30,000 active hidden services. (Aleph Networks)
• The United States has the highest number of dark web users, followed by Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. (Statista)

Dark web illegal activities stats

Cybercrime and hacking dark web statistics

• Roughly 60% of hidden marketplaces on Tor network are involved with cybercrime. (Tulane University)
• By 2021, more than 15 billion compromised credentials were circulating on the dark web. (The Wall Street Journal)
• Cybercrime-as-a-service grew by 300% between 2016 and 2022. (Europol)

Weapons and arms trafficking statistics

• A 2022 study found that Illicit online marketplaces hosted around 35,000 weapon listings, covering firearms, explosives, ammunition, and related items. (The World Economic Forum)
• In the above study, 58% of weapon listings came from the US, 11% from Europe, and 7% from Russia. (The World Economic Forum)

Human trafficking statistics

• The International Labor Organization reports that about 25 million people worldwide are victims of human trafficking. (GAO)
• Human trafficking generates a revenue of approximately $236 billion per year. (UNICEF USA)
• Sexual exploitation represents about 79% of human trafficking cases. (UNODC)
• Approximately 18% of human trafficking cases involve forced labor. (UNODC)

Drug trade statistics

• Roughly 20% of worldwide drug sales happen on dark web underground marketplaces, highlighting their role in drug trafficking. (VICE)
• In 2022, anonymous online black markets on Tor featured over 44,000 drug listings, reflecting the wide availability of illicit substances.

Financial fraud statistics

• Financial fraud accounts for over 34% of all listings on the dark web. (International Compliance Association)
• In 2022, authorities seized over $22 million in counterfeit currency linked to dark web activities. (Yahoo News)
• Payment card skimming devices and techniques are widely traded on the dark web. In 2022, skimming attacks increased by 77% globally. (DataDome)
• In 2021, personal data breaches caused an estimated loss of $2.7 billion worldwide. (Astra)
• In 2022, compromised credit card details on the dark web reached almost 60 million. (Recorded Future)

Size and growth of the dark web in numbers

• The number of dark web websites grew 44% in 2022 over the previous year. (Aleph Networks)
• There are around 30,000-50,000 active .onion domains on the dark web. (Aleph Networks)
• The dark web serves as a hub for stolen data, with over 15 billion credentials found there in the first half of 2022. (The Wall Street Journal)
• The drug trade is a dominant activity on the dark web. As per the 2022 data, dark web had almost 1,000 drug marketplaces active, which resulted in significant revenue increases for illicit dealers in 2023. (Chainanalysis)

Dark web general statistics worldwide

• About 56.8% of dark web content is illegal. (IndiaTimes)
• The global dark web market is projected to hit $1.3 billion by 2028, with a 22.3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR). (KBV Research)
• A single stolen credit card data is available for as low as $10 on the dark web. (Cybernod)
• ‘123456’ and ‘QWERTY’ are two of the most exposed passwords on the dark web. (CNBC)
• As per the 2023 data, the dark web attracted 2.7 million daily visitors. (IndiaTimes)
• About 28% of people in BRICS countries are aware of the dark web. (IndiaTimes)
• The US makes up 60% of dark web weapons sales, followed by Europe with 25%. (RAND)
• Phishing remains a leading method for harvesting financial data on the dark web. (Research Gate)
• The dark web offers 1,000 high-grade malware attacks priced at $5,000. (Statista)
• Around 60 of the largest dark web sites together exceed 750 TB in size. (Defence Research and Development Organisation)
• About 70% of requests on the dark web involve people attempting to contact criminals. (Tulane University)

Other stats

• As of 2022, around 4,000 dark web domains were impersonating major e-commerce sites such as Amazon and Alibaba. (Statista Dark Web E-commerce Report)
• As per June 2022 data, e-wallets and verified cryptocurrency accounts ranked as the priciest illegal digital products on the dark web. (SOSIntel)
• The Hidden Wiki is the most visited gateway for dark web beginners. (SOSIntel)
• Over 1.2 million payment card details were exposed on the dark web in 2022. (Andrea Draghetti, D3Lab’s Head of Threat Intelligence)
• Demographic data shows that male users are more prevalent than female users on the dark web. 84.7% of the users on hidden internet are male while only 9.4% were identified as females. (Cornell University)
• About 65% of cybercriminals use data from the dark web in their attacks. (Cybernod)

Dark web statistics by different categories

• Illegal file sharing. Around 29% of dark web content involves illegal file sharing.
• Leaked data. Approximately 28% of dark web content consists of leaked data.
• Financial fraud. It’s a dark web fact that roughly 12% of dark web content is linked to financial fraud.
• News media. Approximately 10% of dark web content is related to platforms that report on illicit activities, cybercrime, and underground trends.
• Promotions. About 6% of dark web content consists of ads and promotional materials for various illegal products and services.
• Discussion forums. Around 5% of dark web activity involves forums where users discuss various topics.
• Drugs. Approximately 4% of dark web content comprises the sale and distribution of illegal drugs.
• Hacked accounts. Roughly 3% of dark Web content involves hacked accounts, stolen login details, and compromised personal information.
• Pornography. About 1% of dark web content consists of illegal pornography.
• Weapons. Around 0.3% of dark web content involves different types of weapons.

(Sources: IMF, Tulane University, UNODC, Association for Computing Machinery, RAND, UNODA)

Dark web statistics from region to region

United States

• The United States leads globally in the number of dark web users. (Statista)
• In 2023, the US recorded 880,418 internet crime complaints, with reported losses reaching $12.5 billion – a 22% increase from the previous year 2022. (Internet Crime Complaint Center)
• The United States dominates dark web weapon sales at 60%, followed by Europe at 25%. (The World Economic Forum)
• In 2022, about 50% of US companies had enforced a dark web threat intelligence policy. (LinkedIn Pulse)
• Roughly 80% of customers’ email data has been exposed on the dark web. (IDAgent)
• In 2021, the number of compromised credentials on the dark web surpassed 20 billion. (DigitalShadows)
• In 2023, authorities seized counterfeit notes worth over almost $22 million. (United States Secret Service)

United Kingdom

• The UK economy loses an estimated £27 billion each year to cybercrime, much of which is fueled by criminal activities on the dark web. (TwentyFour IT Services)
• Around 25% of the UK internet users are familiar with the dark web (you can assume at least half have used it). (Statista Dark Web Familiar Internet Users Share Report)
• In 2020, UK authorities shut down the Illicit online marketplace ‘DarkMarket’, which had nearly 500,000 users and over 2,400 vendors. (Europol)
• A study found that 24% of UK-based dark web listings were linked to drugs, which tells the dark net drug sales keep increasing in the UK. (BBC)

France

• France accounts for about 5% of global dark web users, translating to an estimated 150,000 daily users. (Tor)

Germany

• Germany makes up about 12% of dark web users. (Tor) 
• German police and the Central Office for Combating Cybercrime (ZIT) took down Hydra Market forum’s servers and seized wallets holding approximately $25 million in bitcoin. (Department of Justice)
• In 2020, Hydra Market had approximately 19,000 registered vendor accounts and about 17 million customer accounts. (BBC)
• In 2020, illegal transactions on Hydra Market reached roughly $1.34 billion. (BKA Germany)

Netherlands

• The Netherlands makes up 3.73% of dark web users, representing roughly 85,000 daily users. (Tor)

Russia

• Russian-based anonymous websites comprise over 36% of the DARKINT data collected by DarkOwl. (DarkOwl)
• DarkOwl has indexed more than 300 million pages from the deep web and anonymous networks in Russian. (DarkOwl)

Recent developments and trends

Law enforcement operations

• In 2020, authorities launched Operation DisrupTor to target Illicit market platforms selling illicit goods and services online. (FBI)
• The operation seized over $6.5 million in cash and virtual currencies. (FBI)

Market consolidation

• In 2015, law enforcement authorities shut down Evolution Marketplace, one of the biggest illegal goods and services platforms, causing a significant drop in dark web transactions. (Wired)

Market size

• Even with law enforcement crackdowns, the dark web economy remains active.
• The scale of the dark web is uncertain because of its clandestine nature, though annual revenues from illegal activities are believed to reach billions annually.

Innovation in cryptocurrency technologies

• Privacy-focused coins such as Zcash and Monero are becoming popular on dark web underground internet marketplaces because they facilitate anonymous transactions and help avoid law enforcement tracking.
• These cryptocurrencies offer more anonymity and security than traditional coins like Bitcoin.

Regulatory efforts

• Governments and regulators across the world are introducing tighter controls to fight dark web activities and improve cybersecurity.
• Measures include stronger surveillance of illicit online markets, tougher penalties for cybercrime, and cross-border cooperation to dismantle criminal networks.

Deep-dive on dark web attacks

Here are some of the common attacks on the dark web:

• Malware attacks. Cybercriminals use various malware types, including keyloggers, ransomware, and Trojans, to steal sensitive data and disrupt systems (these are the most common attacks carried out on the dark web).
• DDoS attacks. Dark web criminals use botnets to launch DDoS attacks, leading to disruption and financial losses.
• Social engineering. Some of the common social engineering methods dark web criminals use include phishing emails, fraudulent phone calls, pretexting, baiting, and fake social media messages.
• Credential-based attacks. Dark web attackers use stolen or fake credentials to evade many traditional defenses, impersonate legitimate users, and exploit internal systems.

Industries most vulnerable to dark web attacks

Although anyone can fall victim to dark web attacks, here are some industries that face higher levels of risk. Here are the most targeted industries:

• Education and research
• Healthcare and pharmaceuticals
• Public administration
• Finance and insurance
• Retail

According to Check Point Research, schools and other educational institutions were the most targeted sectors, with attacks rising by 43% compared to 2021. The same report showed that cyberattacks on the healthcare industry grew by 86% in 2022 compared to the previous year.

Dark web trend outlook for 2025 and beyond

The dark web isn’t going away, so you need to understand the risks and take necessary precautions to stay safe online. While the deep and dark web serve legitimate purposes, they also facilitate illegal activities and create difficulties for law enforcement.

The biggest cyber threats today are different from those of yesterday and will continue to shift tomorrow. But let’s first look back at how the dark web has evolved before considering future predictions.

Evolution of cybercrime

• In the 1980s, personal computers became common, often connected through phone lines. However, the technology also helped hackers break into networks and computers. A new motivation emerged when they found out that they could profit from their skills.
• In the 2000s, Microsoft began hiring hackers to test Windows systems. These ethical hackers detected vulnerabilities and fixes before ill-motivated hackers could exploit them.
• In the 2010s, the rise of ransomware attacks made hacking more lucrative. Although the threat was a problem throughout the decade, it escalated in 2019 with the rise of ‘big game hunting’, where ransomware gangs shifted from individual victims to large corporations.
• Today, cybercriminals use AI and machine learning tools to execute more advanced attacks. Also, they continually develop new methods to exploit system flaws and steal sensitive data.

Protecting yourself and your businesses on the dark web

Here are some of the key strategies you can apply to safeguard against the many threats the dark web possesses:

• Maintain anonymity: Use privacy-oriented, secure internet browsers like the Tor browser and a reliable VPN like NordVPN to conceal your IP address and protect your identity on the dark web. If you want to explore more options, our article here lists 5 best dark web VPNs.
• Dark web monitoring: Regular dark web monitoring helps to detect cyber threats like malware attacks and data breaches. This includes scanning marketplaces and forums for stolen data and other compromise indicators.
• Law enforcement agencies: Law enforcement has the tools and expertise to track criminals and shut down illegal dark web operations, making collaboration key for reporting and investigations.
• Cybersecurity best practices: Strong cybersecurity starts with the basics like strong, unique passwords, two-factor authentication, and regular software updates to fix vulnerabilities.
• Education and awareness: Teaching users about dark web risks and safe practices is vital. This should cover phishing awareness, safe browsing, and good cyber hygiene.

Average number of Tor users per day

The future of cybersecurity on the dark web

With the growth of the dark web, both cybercriminal tactics and security responses evolve. Here are some of the trends expected to influence the future of cybersecurity on the dark web:

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning usage: No surprise here. AI has a major role to play in every field ahead. Cybersecurity is no difference (probably among the sectors where AI involvement is going to be too big). The future of dark web cybersecurity involves an escalating AI-driven arms race. Attackers are increasingly using AI and machine learning to execute smarter attacks, automate tasks like target selection, and exploit vulnerabilities. This makes attacks faster and harder to detect. So, security teams must harness AI and ML to build stronger detection and defense tools. We already have good progress here as multiple advanced AI monitoring tools exist that help counter AI-powered cyber attacks.
• Use of social engineering methods: Social engineering is expected to grow, with techniques such as pretexting and phishing becoming more convincing. Strong training and awareness programs are needed to defend against them.
• More focus on anonymity and privacy: As the dark web becomes more popular, attaining anonymity and protecting privacy will gain more attention. As cybercriminals adopt new methods to hide their activities, cybersecurity experts must develop strategies to break through these defenses and counter emerging threats.

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