Besides that fact that 162 billion spam emails are sent daily – email spam costs businesses $20.5 billion annually.
Crazy stuff!
Are you tired of wading through your inbox, trying to find the important emails amidst a sea of spam? You’re not alone.
Spam email has become an increasingly prevalent problem in today’s digital age. But just how bad is it?
Let me show you some fascinating spam email statistics to uncover the shocking numbers behind this relentless nuisance.
From the number of spam emails sent daily to the most common types of spam messages, I’ll reveal the truth behind this digital epidemic.
So, if you’ve ever wondered how big of a problem spam email is, buckle up and prepare for some eye-opening stats.
Global Spam Email Statistics
1. Almost 85% of the overall email traffic is found to be spam (122.3 billion spam emails transmitted per day).
(ResearchGate)
Spam emails are unwanted messages that are sent to a large number of people. According to research, almost 85% of all email traffic is spam.
Most people (96.8%) have received spam messages in some form. The most common topics of spam emails are prizes and giveaways, job opportunities, and banking.
2. Healthcare-related spam emails account for nearly 33% of total spam volume.
(Statista)
This is a significant increase from previous years and is a cause for concern. The healthcare industry has been flooded with cyberattacks, and email is the top threat facing healthcare companies.
Phishing is a leading cause of healthcare data breaches, and attacks appear to increase.
Phishing attacks frequently result in data breaches of hundreds of thousands of records.
In several cases, millions of records have been stolen after employees disclosed their credentials or downloaded malware.
3. Adult content makes up the second largest category of spam emails.
(Statista)
This type of spam includes explicit content, dating-related junk mail, and other adult-related emails. Spam accounts for 14.5 billion messages daily, making up 45% of all emails.
4. Dating-related junk mail generated approximately 10 percent of spam messages.
(Statista)
5. In 2021, the number of spam emails worldwide was around 88.88 billion out of 105.67 billion emails.
(MagicSpam)
This represents a 45.37% share of spam emails during that time. The United States, Russia, Germany, China, and the Netherlands were the top countries contributing to spam emails.
6. Between October 2020 and September 2021, global daily spam volume reached its highest point.
(Statista)
7. The country where the most emails were sent was the U.S.
(Statista)
The U.S. has the most emails sent daily, with almost ten (9.8) billion emails. It surpasses all other countries in the total number of emails sent daily.
| Spam email Country | Total Daily Emails Sent (billion) |
|---|---|
| United States | 9.8 billion emails/day |
| United Kingdom | 8.3 billion emails/day |
| Belgium | 8.3 billion emails/day |
| Netherlands | 8.3 billion emails/day |
| Japan | 8.3 billion emails/day |
| India | 8.3 billion emails/day |
| Germany | 8.3 billion emails/day |
| Israel | 8.2 billion emails/day |
| Ireland | 8.2 billion emails/day |
| Austria | 8.2 billion emails/day |
8. Chinese spam accounts for 22.02% of all emails sent in the second quarter of 2020.
(Computer Forensic World)
9. 162 billion spam emails are sent daily, with 49% of the 333 billion emails sent considered spam.
(International Skeptics Forum)
10. China is the country with the most spam issues. A live report shows that the country has 19,679 spam issues.
(SpamHaus)
Although spam is a worldwide problem, few countries suffer worse spam attacks. For example, China tops the chart. It has either very weak anti-spam laws or none at all.
Hence, spam attacks thrive there.
But it isn’t just China. Other countries also enable spam activities. However, China surpasses them by far.
The U.S. comes second with over 6,783 spam issues. Others are:
- Russian Federation: 840
- Saudi Arabia: 829
- Mexico: 814
- India: 798
- Dominican Republic; 684
- Japan: 662
- France: 647
- Germany: 627
11. Email spam costs businesses $20.5 billion annually.
(EngageBay)
12. In 2022, the highest volume of spam emails was registered in February, approximately 53% of email traffic worldwide.
(Statista)
Despite the high volume of spam emails, the share of spam in the total number of sent emails worldwide decreased to around 45% by December 2022.
The decrease was due to actions against botnets, networks of hijacked computers that send out spam.
While the percentage of spam decreased, the total number of emails sent daily increased, indicating that the overall volume of spam emails is still substantial.
13. Russia generated the largest share of unsolicited spam emails in 2022, with 29.82 percent of global spam emails originating from the country.
(Statista)
14. Phishing is the most common cybercrime, with an estimated 3.4 billion daily spam emails.
(IT Governance)
15. Advertising emails account for at least 36% of all global spam email content.
(Constant Contact)
16. In 2021, Spain accounted for 9.32% of all measured email antivirus detections.
(Statista)
This indicates a relatively high level of malicious email activity targeting the country. Spanish organizations have also experienced a high rate of cyber attacks, with over 91% being compromised in the past year.
17. Microsoft accounts are the most popular target of phishing emails, accounting for 43% of all phishing attempts.
(Checkpoint)
18. 99% of phishing attacks require human interaction to succeed, resulting in malware installation, wire fraud, unwitting data disclosures, and more.
(ProofPoint)
Phishing attacks, a form of social engineering, require human interaction to succeed.
Attackers impersonate reputable entities to deceive individuals into providing sensitive information or clicking on malicious links. This can lead to malware installation, wire fraud, and data disclosures.
According to CNBC, a study found a 61% increase in the rate of phishing attacks compared with 2021, indicating that these attacks are becoming more sophisticated and dangerous.
To avoid falling victim to phishing, individuals should be vigilant when sharing personal information and carefully scrutinize all incoming messages, especially those containing links or attachments.
19. Vietnam had the most significant share of internet users facing phishing attacks.
(Statista)
20. The most widespread type of phishing scam in 2022 was bulk phishing, with around 85% of companies worldwide experiencing it.
(Statista)
In bulk phishing, impersonal messages are sent to many people at once. These messages typically appear to be from a well-known, legitimate business or organization, such as a bank or a large online retailer.
The messages trick users into downloading malware, sharing sensitive information, or taking other actions that expose themselves or their organizations to cybercrime.
Bulk phishing attacks are often carried out in large quantities, with minimal personalization, and can lead to identity theft, credit card fraud, ransomware attacks, and data breaches.
21. Spam email sites generate around $7,000 per day for senders.
(EasyDMARC)
Spam emails generate around $7,000 daily for senders, primarily through online pharmaceutical campaigns.
Spammers use tactics like the “Nigerian prince” scam to trick people into clicking or providing personal information.
22. For every 12,500,000 emails sent, spammers receive one reply.
(EasyDMARC)
23. In 2022, there were 300,497 phishing victims, with a total loss of $52,089,159 in the U.S. alone.
(Forbes)
In 2022, the US-based IC3 received 300,497 reports from phishing victims, and business email compromise attacks cost US victims more than $2.7 billion.
Around 36% of all data breaches involve phishing, and 84% of organizations were the targets of at least one phishing attempt in 2022.
In 2023, the Anti-Phishing Working Group observed 1,350,037 total phishing attacks in Q4, up from 1,270,833 the previous quarter.
The figures show that the volume of phishing attacks is increasing, and many organizations are impacted.
Phishing attacks occur via email and text, and phone, making it important for individuals and businesses to stay vigilant and protect their personal information.
Statistics On The Different Types Of Spam Email
24. Phishing is one of the most prevalent cybercrimes, with over 500 million attacks reported in 2022.
(Forbes)
These attacks often target businesses, with 92% of organizations falling victim to phishing, resulting in a 29% increase in incidents compared to 2021.
25. 38 to 48% of victims find out about identity theft within three months of it happening to them.
(Guardchild)
26. Approximately 26.5% of all spam emails are financial, making them the third most prevalent category.
(Spam Laws)
These financial-themed spam emails often include phishing attempts, where scammers try to trick recipients into providing their personal and financial information.
Common red flags for phishing emails include misspellings, unfamiliar sender addresses, urgent requests, and links to update payment details.
27. The Aberdeen Group has estimated that $221 billion a year is lost by businesses worldwide due to identity theft.
(Guardchild)
28. 40% of business costs for individual identity theft cases exceed $15,000.
(Guardchild)
Identity theft insurance may help cover some of these costs, typically offering compensation between $10,000 and $15,000.
However, insurance policies usually don’t cover stolen money or direct financial losses.
To protect yourself, consider identity theft insurance, credit monitoring, and staying vigilant about your personal information.
29. Scams and fraud comprise only 2.5% of all spam emails.
(Spam Laws)
Spam Email Statistics By Country
30. The United States has the highest number of spam emails sent in a single day as of January 2023.
(Statista)
The total number of spam emails sent worldwide is estimated to be around 162 billion per day, with the U.S. alone accounting for 8.6 billion.
31. Another report shows that China sends 8.53 billion spam emails annually, placing it second.
(HCL Software)
Weak or non-existent anti-spam laws in China contribute to the country’s high volume of spam emails.
32. The third position goes to Russia, with 8.09 billion spam emails.
(HCL Software)
33. Brazil comes fourth, sending around 8.03 billion spam emails.
(HCL Software)
34. India sends 7.97 billion spam emails annually, placing it fifth.
(HCL Software)
According to a report by RSA Security, India ranked fifth on the global list of countries targeted by phishing attacks in 2020.
Indian organizations have greatly improved their email security, with 32% increasing spending in the past 12 months.
However, 82% of Indian organizations experienced email-borne attacks in the last 12 months.
To protect themselves from phishing attacks, both individuals and businesses in India must exercise caution and take preventative measures.
35. Germany has 7.9 billion spam emails, placing it sixth.
(HCL Software)
36. The Czech Republic ranks sixth, near Germany, with 7.83 billion spam emails sent.
(HCL Software)
The Czech Republic is among the top 20 spam email senders in the world, according to a 2019 analysis by Cisco Talos Intelligence Group.
Every 160th spam email is sent from the Czech Republic, ranking 2nd worldwide as of 2023.
The problem may stem from the general lack of concern for personalized IT security among average users, which makes the country a prime target for botnets and infected computers.
Despite being home to Avast, the most popular antivirus vendor on the market, the Czech Republic is one of the biggest spam email senders in the world.
37. Poland, Bulgaria, and the UK round out the top three with 7.77, 7.73, and 7.71 billion emails sent, respectively.
(HCL Software)
38. Kaspersky blocked 11,260,643 phishing links in Southeast Asia.
(Tech Wire Asia)
39. Spain is the target of 9.32% of malicious email operations.
(Comparitech)
Most Targeted Industry For Spam Emails
40. Financial institutions, including banks, are the most common targets for business phishing attacks.
(Statista)
Statista said nearly 28% of all phishing attacks in Q4 2022 targeted financial institutions. Additionally, Webmail and SaaS had almost 18% of attacks worldwide.
Then, social media comes in third place, with 10% of the phishing attacks targeting the industry.
41. Manufacturing, wholesale trade, and construction are the next most heavily targeted industries.
(Cyber Magazine)
According to a report on phishing scams, these industries are vulnerable to phishing emails, often aimed at unleashing cyberattacks on companies of all types.
Additionally, a study on email spam placement rates across various industries found that the distribution/manufacturing vertical had a relatively low average spam placement rate.
This indicates that the sector is not immune to spam targeting.
Final Thoughts
Spam emails continue to be a significant problem in the digital world, with nearly 56.5% of all emails being spam in 2022.
These emails range from useless advertisements and scams to adult content and phishing attacks.
Despite the efforts of email security gateways, 10% of phishing emails still manage to get through, resulting in over 170,000 incidents inside organizations’ premises.
However, there is hope as daily spam messages are declining and email filters are becoming more effective.
To protect oneself from spam emails, activating spam filters, avoiding clicking on malicious emails, and being vigilant are essential.
By understanding the figures and facts related to spam emails, one can gain a deep insight into the cybersecurity landscape and its risks, like phishing and other scams.
FAQs On Email Spam
1. What are the consequences of spam emails on businesses and individuals?
The consequence of spam emails is that they can decrease productivity for businesses. They clog up inboxes and cause employees to delete essential emails, potentially resulting in missed opportunities.
It can also reduce customer loyalty and lead to security breaches.
For individuals, the consequences of spam emails include wasted time, irritation, and the potential loss of essential emails among the deluge of spam messages.
There is also the risk of falling victim to phishing attacks and malware, as a large percentage of spam emails contain malicious attachments or links.
2. How can businesses prevent spam emails from reaching their employees?
Businesses can prevent spam by implementing email authentication protocols, use and update spam filters, and provide employee training on identifying and handling spam.
Additionally, employees should create separate email accounts and set up alerts for potential spam emails.
3. What are the most common types of spam emails?
The most common types of spam emails include:
- Ads (marketing and advertising emails)
- Chain letters
- Email spoofing or hoaxes
- Money scams
- Malware warnings
- Porn spam
4. What are some best practices for email security in businesses?
The best practices for email security are to train employees on email security, create strong passwords, use two-factor authentication, manage passwords better, encrypt emails, use email security protocols and tools, e.t.c
Businesses should encourage employees to avoid using business email for personal use, only use corporate email on approved devices, and avoid clicking on suspicious emails or links.
5. What common email security threats should businesses be aware of?
Some common email security threats businesses should be aware of include phishing, malware, spam, data loss, authentication attacks on email servers, and business email compromise.
Sources:
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