Ad Blocker Usage and Demographic Statistics in 2026 – Backlinko

A 14-day trial for premium features. 55+ tools.Free access for core features.Backlinko readers getaccess for 14 days. 55+ tools.Written by Backlinko TeamThe first ad-blocking extension was introduced to the market in 2002. The number of devices using ad blockers hit a milestone of 20 million in 2009.Today, 29.5% of internet users worldwide report using an ad blocker. And the technology has expanded beyond the desktop. Ad-blocking software for mobile devices and tablets is now widely available.Read on to discover all of the most important statistics about ad blocker usage. Here’s a breakdown of what we’ll cover:Globally, 29.5% of internet users use ad blockers at least sometimes when online, as of Q2 2025, GWI data shows.That equates to an estimated 1.77 billion ad-blocking users worldwide in Q2 2025.Here’s a table with the number of active ad-blocking users over time since Q1 2012:Sources: DataReportal, BlockthroughGWI found that ad blockers are generally used by at least 29.5% of the global population. 27 out of 54 analyzed countries showed ad blocker penetration above the global average.Among the countries studied, only 3 (South Korea, Japan, and Ghana) had ad blocker penetration of less than 20%.Here’s a list of the top 20 countries that GWI analyzed, ranked by the percentage of ad blocker usage among internet users aged 16-64:Source: DataReportalThe use of ad blockers is more prevalent among men than women. Men are the biggest users of ad blockers across every age group. Ad blockers are most popular among men aged 25-34, 34.5% of whom use ad-blocking software (compared to 31.6% of women).For both male and female users, ad blockers are more popular among those 44 and under.Here’s a table showing the use of ad blocking by age and gender:Source: DataReportalGlobally, the most commonly reported reasons for using ad blockers include excessive amounts of ads (63.5%), obstructive ads (53.5%), and privacy concerns (42.4%).Here’s a list of the primary reasons given for using ad-blocking tools:Source: DataReportalAs of Q2 2025, GWI estimates that 32.5% of Americans use ad blockers. But there are other estimates too.For example, Blockthrough estimates desktop ad blocker penetration in the US at 27% on desktops and 22% on other devices (mobile, tablet, CTV).According to Tinuiti data, 31% of US adult consumers claim to use ad blockers to ensure their privacy (as of March 2023).Sources: DataReportal, Blockthrough, eMarketerAd blockers in the US are predominantly used on computers. An AudienceProject survey found that 37% of respondents blocked ads while using a desktop computer.By comparison, only 15% of respondents said that they used blockers on mobile devices.Tablets have the lowest rate of ad blocker usage in the US. 10% of internet users in the US say that they block ads while browsing on a tablet.Here’s a table showing ad blocker usage in the US by device type (as of 2020):Similarly, Blockthrough data shows that Americans are more likely to use ad blockers on desktops than on other devices like mobile, tablet, and CTV (27% vs. 22%).Sources AudienceProject, BlockthroughAccording to Tinuiti survey data (responses collected between February 2023 and April 2023), baby boomers are more likely to use an ad blocker than Gen Z consumers (32% vs. 27%).Based on data from AudienceProject, ad blockers in the US are predominantly used by men. 49% of male respondents in the US reported the use of ad blockers. Interestingly, the disparity between male and female users is far more pronounced in the US than it is globally. Just 33% of US women use ad blockers.By age group, ad blockers in the US are most popular with internet users aged 15-25. Meanwhile, the lowest usage of ad blockers is seen among the 36-45 age group, with 38% of respondents in this demographic using blocking software.Here’s a table showing the US ad blocker penetration rate by age group (as of 2020):Another data source (eMarketer) provides a significantly different outlook. According to the eMarketer figures, US men and women use ad blockers equally, with 27.2% of each group using blocking software.Usage in the 18-24 age group is the most common, with 41% of US internet users utilizing ad blockers. Usage of ad blockers in the US is least common for people older than 65: 15.6% of those in the oldest age bracket use ad-blocking tools.Here’s a complete breakdown of ad blocking usage by age group in the US (per eMarketer’s 2021 data):Sources: Marketing Dive, AudienceProject, eMarketerAmong Americans, the most popular reason for using ad blockers is that “websites are more manageable without banners”. 71% of AudienceProject respondents agreed with this statement.Other commonly reported reasons for using ad blockers include privacy concerns and avoidance of irrelevant ad messages.Here’s a list of common reasons why Americans use ad blockers (as of 2020):Source: AudienceProject28.5% of internet users in the UK use ad blockers. The share of UK users utilizing ad blockers has been on a steady decline since 2016, when almost half (47%) of those surveyed admitted to blocking ads.Here’s a table showing the ad blocker usage rate in the UK since 2016:Sources: AudienceProject, Data Reportal29% of British residents report using ad blockers on computers.Mobile usage of ad blocking software among UK internet users stands at 12%, while 9% of users report blocking ads on tablets.Here’s a complete overview of ad blocker usage by device type in the UK (as of 2020):Source: AudienceProject42% of male internet users in the UK report using ad blockers, compared to 29% of female users.By age group, usage of ad blockers is most common among younger people in the UK. A 41% share of survey respondents aged 15-25 stated that they use ad-blocking tools.Here’s a table with the usage rate of ad blockers by age group in the UK (as of 2020):Source: AudienceProjectAs in the US, viewing websites without banners is the primary reason for using ad blockers in the UK. Avoiding irrelevant or offensive images and/or messages is the second most popular reason provided.Here’s a table with the most commonly reported reasons for the use of ad blockers in the UK (as of 2020):Source: AudienceProjectConclusionThat’s it for our ad blockers roundup.Ad blockers are still used by a minority of internet users overall. But usage has definitely become a more mainstream practice, presenting a major challenge for advertisers.A growing number of websites restrict access to users who have installed blocking software. But detection rates remain pretty low. It will be interesting to see how the ad industry evolves.Backlinko is owned by Semrush. 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