Ad Blockers Usage Statistics [2025]: Who’s Blocking Ads & Why?
Ad blockers usage statistics 2025 reveal key trends. Find out who’s blocking ads, their reasons, and how it impacts online advertising.
Annoying, slow, and intrusive—ads are driving users away.
In fact, 42.7% of internet users now block ads, and that number keeps rising. If you rely on digital ads, this is a huge problem.
As more people turn to ad blockers, marketers and publishers risk losing billions. But there’s a way forward.
This ad blockers usage statistics will show who’s blocking ads, why it’s happening, and what you can do about it.
Don’t get left behind—let’s break it down.
Key takeaways
- Nearly one-third of Americans (32.2%) use ad blockers, with desktop leading at 37%.
- Men block ads more than women (49% vs. 33%)—a bigger gap than the global average.
- Younger users lead, but Boomers are catching up (41% of 18-24s vs. 32% of Boomers).
- Ad blockers cost advertisers billions, yet the US digital ad market is set to hit $870.85B by 2027.
- Privacy matters—31% of US adults block ads to avoid tracking.
- Users want faster browsing—71% block ads to remove banners, 41% for speed.
- The ad industry is adapting, shifting to subscriptions, native ads, and Acceptable Ads.
How many people use ad blockers worldwide?
Ad blocking has become a routine part of internet use, with over 900 million people actively blocking ads.
This shift has forced advertisers and websites to rethink how they reach audiences.
About 1 in 3 internet users (32.5%) use ad blockers at least sometimes. This marks a decline from the 37% peak in Q3 2021, though a change in methodology may have contributed to the drop.
Mobile ad blocking now leads the way. Out of nearly 1 billion ad blocker users worldwide, 54.4% (496 million) block ads on mobile, while 45.6% (416 million) do so on desktops.
Younger adults are the most likely to block ads. Among men aged 25-34, 36.9% use ad blockers, while 31.6% of women in the same group do the same.
Ad blocker usage has exploded over the years. In 2012, only 44 million people used ad blockers.
By 2016, that jumped to 558 million, and in 2023, it hit 912 million. Growth has slowed, but ad blocking is now a mainstream habit.
How many people use ad blockers?
Total ad blocker users have grown 21x since 2012. Here’s the breakdown:
| Year | Total Users |
|---|---|
| 2012 (Q1) | 44M |
| 2014 (Q1) | 240M |
| 2016 (Q1) | 558M |
| 2018 (Q1) | 691M |
| 2020 (Q1) | 764M |
| 2021 (Q4) | 820M |
| 2022 (Q2) | 716M |
| 2022 (Q4) | 850M |
| 2023 (Q2) | 912M |
Even though the total number of ad block users is rising, the percentage of internet users who block ads has dropped slightly since 2021.
| Year | % of Internet Users Using Ad Blockers |
|---|---|
| 2021 (Q3) | 37% |
| 2021 (Q4) | 36.2% |
| 2022 (Q1) | 36.4% |
| 2022 (Q2) | 35.9% |
| 2022 (Q3) | 35.7% |
| 2022 (Q4) | 32.6% |
| 2023 (Q1) | 32.8% |
| 2023 (Q2) | 32.8% |
| 2023 (Q3) | 32.5% |
Fewer people are using full ad blockers. Instead, many are switching to ad filtering, where only the most intrusive ads get blocked.
Ad Blocker usage in the US
In the US, ad blocking is widespread. 32.2% of Americans use ad blockers, according to GWI.
Desktop still leads in the US. 37% of users block ads on computers, while only 15% use ad blockers on mobile and 10% on tablets.
Men are more likely to use ad blockers. 49% of US men block ads, compared to just 33% of women—a wider gender gap than the global average.
Ad blocker usage in the US varies by age, with younger users leading but older demographics not far behind.
| Age Group | Usage Rate |
|---|---|
| 0-11 | 5.3% |
| 12-17 | 35% |
| 18-24 | 41% |
| 25-34 | 36.8% |
| 35-44 | 29.9% |
| 45-54 | 29.8% |
| 55-64 | 24.8% |
| 65+ | 15.6% |
Younger users are the biggest adopters, with 41% of 18-24-year-olds using ad blockers.
Which countries have the highest ad blocker usage?
Ad blocker usage varies significantly worldwide. Some countries see adoption rates above 40%, while others remain under 20%.
| Country | Ad Blocker Usage (%) | Key Insights |
|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | 40.6% | Highest global adoption. Mobile-first users block ads to save data. |
| China | 38.5% | Users wary of privacy issues and excessive tracking. |
| Vietnam | 38.1% | High mobile penetration drives ad-blocking demand. |
| Croatia | 37.2% | One of the highest in Europe, possibly due to intrusive ads. |
| Greece | 37% | Strong dislike for online ads, leading to high blocking rates. |
| Taiwan | 36.8% | Users prioritize faster browsing and fewer interruptions. |
| South Africa | 36.3% | Increasing mobile internet usage contributes to ad blocking. |
| Germany | 33.1% | Europeans widely use ad blockers for a cleaner browsing experience. |
| USA | 31.8% | Moderate adoption, slightly declining from previous years. |
| India | 30% | Mobile users block ads to reduce data consumption. |
Countries like Indonesia, China, and India rely on mobile internet, where ads slow down browsing and consume data.
Users in Asia, particularly China, increasingly block ads due to online security risks.
Younger populations in Asia are more tech-savvy and aware of ad-blocking tools.
How different cultures view online ads
- Europe: Many European countries, including Germany, Sweden, and France, have high search volumes for ad-blocking software, signaling strong ad resistance.
- North America: US and Canada have moderate ad blocker usage, but Canadians search for ad-blocking tools more than Americans.
- Africa: Ad blocking is lower overall, except in North African countries like Algeria, where distrust in online ads is growing.
- Middle East & Central Asia: Turkey and Israel rank highest in ad blocker searches, showing a preference for ad-free browsing.
- South America: Argentina leads the region in ad blocker adoption, with users actively searching for ad-blocking solutions.
Do more people use ad blockers on mobile or desktop?
For the first time ever, mobile ad blocking has overtaken desktop. In 2023, 54.4% of ad blocker users are on mobile, compared to 45.6% on desktop.
There are now 496 million mobile ad blocker users worldwide, up from just 99 million in 2014. Desktop usage? Stuck at 416 million.
Why the shift? Mobile users want faster pages, less data drain, and zero autoplay pop-ups. Pages load twice as fast with ad blockers on.
Mobile-first regions lead the charge. 40.6% of Indonesians use ad blockers, followed by Vietnam (38.1%) and China (38.5%).
If this trend keeps up, mobile ad blocking will dominate, forcing advertisers to rethink their strategies fast.
Why do people use ad blockers?
Ads are everywhere—and people are over it. 63.2% of users block ads because there are too many, while 53.4% say ads get in the way.
Privacy matters. 40.3% block ads to protect their privacy, and 31% of US adults use ad blockers for this reason.
Mobile users hate data drain. 19% of US users block ads to save mobile data, especially in mobile-first regions where every MB counts.
Even security plays a role. 30.6% block ads to improve device performance, while 30% do it to avoid malware risks.
Who blocks ads the most? Baby Boomers (32%) actually block ads more than Gen Z (27%)—often due to privacy concerns.
Top reasons people block ads
| Reason | % of Users |
|---|---|
| Too Many Ads | 63.2% |
| Ads Get in the Way | 53.4% |
| Privacy Concerns | 40.3% |
| Ads Are Irrelevant | 39.4% |
| To Stop Inappropriate Content | 36.5% |
| To Improve Device Performance | 30.6% |
| To Stop Data Collection | 25.2% |
| US Adults Blocking Ads for Privacy | 31% |
| Baby Boomers Block Ads for Privacy | 32% |
| Gen Z Blocks Ads for Privacy | 27% |
Why do Americans block ads?
In the US, 71% of users block ads because "websites are more manageable without banners".
44% of Americans say they block ads to avoid tracking, and 41% do it to speed up websites.
| Reason | % of US Users (2020) |
|---|---|
| Websites are more manageable without banners | 71% |
| Avoid offensive or irrelevant ads | 46% |
| Don’t want behavior to be tracked | 44% |
| Websites load faster without ads | 41% |
| Want to limit data usage | 19% |
Bottom line? Users want control, speed, and a cleaner online experience. Marketers, take note.
How does ad blocking impact advertisers and publishers?
Ad blocking is hitting advertisers hard.
Ad blocking is hitting publishers hard, with $54 billion in lost ad revenue expected in 2024—about 8% of total digital ad spend.
News, streaming, and mobile gaming are among the most affected industries.
Yet, digital ads aren’t disappearing. The global ad market was worth $549.51 billion in 2022 and is set to hit $870.85 billion by 2027. The challenge? Reaching users who are actively avoiding ads.
How are publishers adapting?
- Subscription models – Paywalls and memberships are becoming the norm.
- Native ads – Blending ads into content to make them less intrusive.
- Acceptable Ads programs – Some ad blockers now allow non-disruptive ads.
Ad blocking isn’t just a trend—it’s a shift in user behavior. Marketers need to create ads that add value, not frustration.
Most popular ad blockers in 2025
Ad blocking is booming, with millions relying on top tools to filter ads.
The most-used ad blockers this year:
- AdBlock & AdBlock Plus – Still leading with the highest user base.
- uBlock Origin – Gaining popularity for its efficiency and low resource usage.
- Ghostery – Preferred for privacy-focused tracking protection.
- Brave Browser – Built-in ad blocker driving adoption.
- DuckDuckGo – Growing as a privacy-first alternative.
Privacy-focused browsers are rising. Brave and DuckDuckGo are expanding beyond niche audiences, attracting users who want ad-free, tracking-free browsing.
The trend? More users are choosing browsers with built-in ad blocking instead of relying on extensions.
Future of ad blocking: What’s next?
Ad blockers aren’t going anywhere, and neither is the demand for privacy.
GDPR, CCPA, and the death of third-party cookies mean marketers must rethink how they track and target consumers.
Tracking users across the web is fading fast. The new game? Collecting data directly.
First-party data (purchases, site visits) and zero-party data (surveys, direct interactions) are now must-haves—even from ad blocker users.
No more cookies? No problem. Probabilistic data steps in, analyzing big trends to predict behavior when direct tracking fails.
Ad blockers block data, but triangulation keeps marketing measurement sharp. Here’s how:
- Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA): Tracks digital touchpoints leading to conversions.
- Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM): Analyzes all marketing impact—online and offline.
- Incrementality Testing: Measures real ad-driven growth through controlled experiments.
Combine them, and you get the full picture—even when tracking is blocked.
The future is privacy-first marketing. Brands that embrace transparency, smarter data strategies, and trust-building will win. The rest? They’ll struggle to keep up.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are quick answers to the most common questions.
What percentage of people use ad blockers?
The percentage of people using ad blockers is 32.5% of internet users.
While this is slightly lower than the 37% peak in 2021, the number of total users continues to grow, with nearly 912 million people worldwide actively blocking ads.
How effective are ad blockers?
Ad blockers are very effective at removing unwanted ads from websites and apps. They block pop-ups, banners, autoplay videos, and tracking scripts, leading to faster page loading and improved privacy.
However, some websites detect ad blockers and may restrict access or request users to disable them.
How many gamers use ad blockers?
The number of gamers using ad blockers is around 40%, especially on PC and mobile gaming platforms.
Gamers block ads to prevent interruptions, reduce lag, and avoid intrusive in-game advertising. Younger players, in particular, prefer ad-free experiences for smoother gameplay.
Final thoughts
Ad blocking isn’t slowing down, and advertisers who ignore it risk falling behind. The digital ad landscape is changing—adapt or get left out.
- Ad blocking is mainstream. Nearly half the internet is skipping ads, and the trend isn’t reversing.
- Traditional ads won’t cut it. Users demand non-intrusive, relevant, and fast-loading content.
- Marketers must evolve. Ad filtering, native ads, and direct engagement are the future.
Want to stay ahead in digital advertising? Explore smarter ad solutions with Cropink. Get started today!
Sources
- BACKLINKO. Ad Blocker Usage and Demographic Statistics
- EXPLODING TOPICS. Number of Ad Block Users Worldwide (2024)
- StatsUP. Ad Blocker Statistics
- EMARKETER. Ad blocking: What it is and why it matters to marketers and advertisers
- Surfshark. How many people use ad blockers worldwide?
- BLOCKTHROUGH. Ad block user statistics every publisher
- Funnel. Ad blockers in advertising and what they mean for marketers
Ansherina helps brands create powerful digital marketing and performance marketing strategies. With a passion for ad design and audience engagement, she is dedicated to making brands more visible and impactful.
Leszek is the Digital Growth Manager at Feedink & Cropink, specializing in organic growth for eCommerce and SaaS companies. His background includes roles at Poland's largest accommodation portal and FT1000 companies, with his work featured in Forbes, Inc., Business Insider, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, BBC, and TechRepublic.
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