Ad Blocking Statistics: 42 Verified Data Points on Usage, Revenue Loss, and User Motivation for 2026

This briefing compiles verified ad blocking statistics from the primary industry measurement source (Blockthrough, formerly PageFair, and its parent eyeo) alongside survey estimates from GWI, Statista, eMarketer, and The Harris Poll. It matters because the two dominant measurement methods, panel surveys and server-side pageview measurement, produce materially different numbers, and readers who cite a single figure without its method risk overstating or understating the effect.

Every statistic below carries its publisher, year, geography, and a source link. Where figures conflict or are dated, that is flagged directly in the text.

Executive Summary

• An estimated 1.77 billion people, or 29.5% of internet users worldwide, used an ad blocker at least sometimes as of Q2 2025 (GWI, reported via DataReportal). Source
• Blockthrough measured a 21% average desktop adblock rate across more than 10 billion pageviews on 9,453 websites, with 290 million monthly active desktop users globally (Blockthrough/PageFair, 2022 Adblock Report). Source
• Total active ad-blocking users across devices reached 912 million by Q2 2023, up 11% from Q1 2022, split roughly between desktop and mobile (eyeo Ad-Filtering Report, 2023). Source
• Ad blocking was forecast to cost publishers about 54 billion dollars in lost ad revenue in 2024, roughly 8% of global ad spend (eyeo Ad-Filtering Report, 2023). Source
• France (25%), Germany (24%), and Canada (20%) led measured desktop adblock rates; the United States sat at 19% (Blockthrough/PageFair, 2022 Adblock Report). Source
• “Too many ads” (63.5%), “ads get in the way” (53.5%), and “to protect my privacy” (42.4%) were the top three reasons users gave for blocking ads (GWI via DataReportal, Q2 2025). Source
• 45% of US consumers said they had installed or used an ad blocker on a browser or mobile device in January 2024 (YouGov, cited by eMarketer). Source
• 96% of US ad-filtering users take active steps to protect their online privacy (eyeo and The Harris Poll, 2024). Source

Key Findings

• 29.5% of internet users worldwide used an ad blocker at least sometimes as of Q2 2025 (GWI via DataReportal). Source
• That share equated to an estimated 1.77 billion ad-blocking users globally in Q2 2025 (GWI via DataReportal). Source
• The measured average desktop adblock rate was 21% across 9,453 websites and more than 10 billion pageviews in the 2020 to 2021 window (Blockthrough/PageFair, 2022 Adblock Report). Source
• 290 million people were monthly active desktop ad-blocking users globally in the 2022 report (Blockthrough/PageFair, 2022 Adblock Report). Source
• Total ad-blocking users across all devices reached 912 million by Q2 2023 (eyeo Ad-Filtering Report, 2023). Source
• Mobile ad blocking surpassed desktop by the end of Q2 2023 (eyeo Ad-Filtering Report, 2023). Source
• Ad blocking was projected to cost publishers roughly 54 billion dollars in 2024, about 8% of global ad spend (eyeo Ad-Filtering Report, 2023). Source
• France recorded the highest measured desktop adblock rate at 25%, ahead of Germany at 24% (Blockthrough/PageFair, 2022 Adblock Report). Source
• The United States measured a 19% desktop adblock rate, below the 21% global average (Blockthrough/PageFair, 2022 Adblock Report). Source
• The Games vertical had the highest measured adblock rate at 31%, versus 16% for News and Media (Blockthrough/PageFair, 2022 Adblock Report). Source
• 45% of US consumers reported having installed or used an ad blocker in January 2024 (YouGov, cited by eMarketer). Source
• 52% of consumers across 48 global markets reported installing or using an ad blocker in January 2024 (YouGov, cited by eMarketer). Source
• 21% of global consumers use ad blockers regularly and a further 11% use them occasionally (GWI, cited by eMarketer). Source
• “Too many ads” was the single most cited reason for blocking at 63.5% of users (GWI via DataReportal, Q2 2025). Source
• 96% of US ad-filtering users take active steps to protect their privacy online (eyeo and The Harris Poll, 2024). Source
• 82% of adblock users preferred a lighter default ad experience over being prompted to disable their blocker (Blockthrough/PageFair, 2022 Adblock Report). Source

How Many People Block Ads

The headline global figure depends entirely on measurement method. Survey panels that ask people whether they use an ad blocker report far higher numbers than server-side systems that measure whether ads actually loaded on a given pageview.

GWI, a consumer survey panel, estimated that 29.5% of internet users worldwide used an ad blocker at least sometimes as of Q2 2025, equal to about 1.77 billion people (GWI via DataReportal). Source By contrast, Blockthrough’s pageview measurement put the average desktop adblock rate at 21% across more than 10 billion pageviews in its 2022 report (Blockthrough/PageFair, 2022 Adblock Report). Source eyeo reported 912 million total active users across devices by Q2 2023 (eyeo Ad-Filtering Report, 2023). Source

The gap between “at least sometimes” survey figures near 30% and measured pageview rates near 20% reflects that many people who install a blocker do not run it on every site or device, and some whitelist favored publishers. Cite the method alongside the number.

Desktop Versus Mobile

Ad blocking began on desktop but has shifted toward mobile as raw user counts. Desktop retains higher measured penetration rates on the sites that Blockthrough tracks, while mobile leads on total user volume.

eyeo reported that mobile ad blocking surpassed desktop by the end of Q2 2023 within the 912 million total user base (eyeo Ad-Filtering Report, 2023). Source Blockthrough’s measured penetration remained desktop-heavy, with US estimates of 27% on desktop and 22% on other devices including mobile, tablet, and connected TV (Blockthrough, cited by Backlinko). Source Survey data from AudienceProject showed 37% of US respondents blocked ads on a computer versus 15% on mobile in its 2020 measurement (AudienceProject, cited by Backlinko). Source

The AudienceProject computer-versus-mobile split is dated to 2020 and should be treated as directional rather than current. Much mobile ad blocking happens inside in-app browsers and privacy-focused browsers rather than through installed extensions, which makes it harder to measure.

Ad Blocking by Region and Country

European markets consistently show the highest measured desktop adblock rates, and Southeast Asian markets rank high in survey panels. The two source types again disagree on absolute levels but agree on relative ranking.

In Blockthrough’s measured 2022 data, France led at 25%, followed by Germany at 24%, Canada at 20%, the United States at 19%, and the United Kingdom at 18% (Blockthrough/PageFair, 2022 Adblock Report). Source In GWI survey data, Indonesia showed the highest penetration at 40.1%, while South Korea, Japan, and Ghana each fell below 20% (GWI via DataReportal). Source

The Blockthrough country rates are measured desktop pageview rates, while the GWI country figures are self-reported any-device usage, so the two lists are not directly comparable. Both are useful, but only within their own methodology.

Revenue Lost to Ad Blocking

Revenue-loss figures are modeled estimates, not measured receipts, and the publisher of the leading estimate has a commercial interest in ad-filtering recovery products. Treat the dollar figure as an order-of-magnitude indicator.

eyeo forecast that ad blocking would cost publishers about 54 billion dollars in lost ad revenue in 2024, roughly 8% of global ad spend (eyeo Ad-Filtering Report, 2023). Source The same report stated losses could reach 116 billion dollars without recovery solutions such as Acceptable Ads (eyeo Ad-Filtering Report, 2023). Source Blockthrough’s 2022 report noted that 94% of surveyed publishers could not accurately measure their own revenue losses from ad blocking, which underscores how uncertain any single figure is (Blockthrough/PageFair, 2022 Adblock Report). Source

Because the 54 billion dollar figure originates with a vendor that sells ad-recovery services, it should be attributed clearly and read as a projection rather than an audited loss.

Why People Block Ads

Motivation research consistently points to ad volume and intrusiveness first, and privacy second. This ordering holds across GWI, eyeo, and Harris Poll data even though the exact percentages differ by survey.

In GWI data, 63.5% of users cited “too many ads,” 53.5% cited “ads get in the way,” and 42.4% cited “to protect my privacy” (GWI via DataReportal, Q2 2025). Source In the eyeo and Harris Poll US survey, online ads were the top frustration for desktop users at 73%, ahead of security at 65% and privacy at 64% (eyeo and The Harris Poll, 2024). Source That survey also found 96% of ad-filtering users take active steps to protect their privacy (eyeo and The Harris Poll, 2024). Source

The consistent lesson is that most users object to the volume and disruptiveness of ads rather than to advertising itself, which is the premise behind acceptable-ads programs.

Acceptable Ads and User Preferences

A large share of ad-blocking users are open to a lighter, filtered ad experience rather than a total block. This finding is central to the industry’s recovery model.

82% of adblock users preferred a lighter ad experience by default over being prompted to disable their blocker or whitelist a site (Blockthrough/PageFair, 2022 Adblock Report). Source The Acceptable Ads program passed 400 million users as of 2025 (eyeo, cited by eMarketer). Source In the eyeo and Harris Poll survey, 89% of general users wished there were limits on the number or disruptiveness of ads shown on free sites and services (eyeo and The Harris Poll, 2024). Source

These preference figures come partly from a vendor that operates the Acceptable Ads program, so they should be read with that context, though the direction is corroborated by the independent Harris Poll fieldwork.

Original Synthesis

The following insights combine the verified figures above. Each states its inputs and limitations and does not extend beyond what the sources support.

1. The method gap: survey usage runs about 1.4 times measured pageview rate

Dividing the GWI global survey share of 29.5% by the Blockthrough measured desktop rate of 21% gives a ratio of about 1.4. Inputs: GWI via DataReportal (Q2 2025) and Blockthrough/PageFair (2022). Limitation: the two figures cover different years, devices, and populations, so this ratio illustrates the direction and rough scale of the method gap, not a precise conversion factor. It is a caution, not a formula.

2. Reported revenue loss per ad-blocking user is roughly 30 to 60 dollars per year

Dividing the 54 billion dollar 2024 loss estimate by the 912 million Q2 2023 user base yields about 59 dollars per user; dividing by the 1.77 billion Q2 2025 survey user base yields about 31 dollars per user. Inputs: eyeo (2023, 2024) and GWI via DataReportal (Q2 2025). Limitation: the loss estimate and the two user counts come from different periods and different measurement methods, and the loss figure is a vendor projection, so this is an illustrative range only.

3. Volume complaints outrank privacy by roughly 1.5 to 1

In the GWI reason data, “too many ads” (63.5%) exceeds “to protect my privacy” (42.4%) by a factor of about 1.5. Inputs: GWI via DataReportal (Q2 2025). Limitation: respondents could select multiple reasons, so the shares are not mutually exclusive and the ratio compares overlapping response rates rather than distinct user segments.

Data Tables

Table 1: Global scale of ad blocking by source and method

Sources: GWI via Backlinko; eyeo Ad-Filtering Report 2023; Blockthrough 2022 Adblock Report.

Table 2: Measured desktop adblock rate by country

Source: Blockthrough/PageFair 2022 Adblock Report, measured desktop pageview data.

Table 3: Measured adblock rate by content vertical

Source: Blockthrough/PageFair 2022 Adblock Report.

Table 4: Top reasons users give for blocking ads

Sources: GWI via Backlinko; eyeo and The Harris Poll 2024.

Charts to Build

• Survey versus measured global rate. Data needed: GWI 29.5% and Blockthrough 21%. Source: GWI via DataReportal and Blockthrough 2022. Insight: the roughly 1.4x method gap. Citation-worthy because it warns readers off mixing figures.
• Desktop adblock rate by country. Data needed: France 25%, Germany 24%, Canada 20%, US 19%, UK 18%. Source: Blockthrough 2022. Insight: European lead. Citation-worthy as a clean, single-method ranking.
• Adblock rate by content vertical. Data needed: the five vertical rates in Table 3. Source: Blockthrough 2022. Insight: Games sees roughly double the block rate of News and Media. Citation-worthy for publishers benchmarking their category.
• Reasons for blocking. Data needed: the reason shares in Table 4. Source: GWI via DataReportal and eyeo/Harris Poll. Insight: volume beats privacy. Citation-worthy for framing the acceptable-ads debate.
• Total users across devices over time. Data needed: 912 million at Q2 2023 with the 11% Q1 2022 to Q2 2023 rise. Source: eyeo 2023. Insight: growth plus the mobile crossover. Citation-worthy as the industry telemetry benchmark.

Methodology

Sources were selected for being either the primary industry measurement body (Blockthrough, formerly PageFair, and parent company eyeo) or established survey and research firms (GWI, Statista, eMarketer, YouGov, The Harris Poll). Aggregator pages were used only where they explicitly attributed a figure to one of these primary publishers, and the underlying publisher is named in each citation. Figures were excluded where no primary publisher could be identified. Conflicting numbers were retained rather than averaged, because the survey and pageview methods measure genuinely different things; both are reported with their method labeled. Derived insights in the Original Synthesis section use only the figures cited elsewhere in this document and state their limitations. Several core Blockthrough figures date to the 2022 report covering 2020 to 2021 data, and the AudienceProject device split dates to 2020; these are flagged as dated in the text. Last updated July 2026. For research-led growth and measurement work, see CO Consulting.

Source Quality

Tier 1 (primary industry measurement and independent survey fieldwork): Blockthrough/PageFair Adblock Report (server-side pageview measurement), eyeo Ad-Filtering Report (device telemetry), and The Harris Poll (independent survey fieldwork commissioned by eyeo). GWI is a large established consumer survey panel used here as a primary survey source.

Tier 2 (credible market research and trade data): eMarketer, Statista, and YouGov, used for corroboration and US-specific survey figures.

Tier 3 (reputable aggregation): Backlinko and DataReportal, used only as conduits that explicitly attribute figures to GWI or other primary publishers.

Most Quotable Statistics

• An estimated 1.77 billion people used an ad blocker as of Q2 2025 (GWI via DataReportal). Source
• Ad blocking was forecast to cost publishers about 54 billion dollars in 2024 (eyeo, 2023). Source
• France led measured desktop adblock rates at 25% (Blockthrough, 2022). Source
• 63.5% of users blocked ads because there were “too many ads” (GWI via DataReportal, Q2 2025). Source
• 96% of US ad-filtering users take active steps to protect their privacy (eyeo and The Harris Poll, 2024). Source

Data Limitations

• Survey figures (GWI, YouGov) and pageview measurement (Blockthrough) are not directly comparable and produce different levels; each is labeled by method.
• Core Blockthrough country and vertical rates come from the 2022 report covering 2020 to 2021 data and may understate current levels.
• The 54 billion dollar loss figure is a vendor projection, not an audited result, and eyeo sells ad-recovery products.
• The AudienceProject desktop-versus-mobile split dates to 2020 and is directional only.
• Mobile in-app and privacy-browser blocking is hard to measure, so mobile figures likely understate true blocking.
• Reason percentages allow multiple selections and therefore do not sum to 100%.

Recommended Dataset Fields

• metric_name
• value
• unit (percent, users, USD)
• geography
• period (year or quarter)
• measurement_method (survey panel, pageview measurement, telemetry)
• publisher
• source_url
• is_dated_flag
• notes

Press Summary

Ad blocking remains one of the most widely adopted consumer technologies on the web, but how large it looks depends on how you measure it. Survey panel GWI estimated 1.77 billion users, or 29.5% of internet users, blocking ads at least sometimes as of Q2 2025. Server-side measurement from Blockthrough, the primary industry source formerly known as PageFair, put the average desktop adblock rate lower at 21%, with France (25%) and Germany (24%) leading among tracked countries and the United States at 19%. Parent company eyeo counted 912 million total users across devices by Q2 2023, with mobile overtaking desktop, and projected roughly 54 billion dollars in lost publisher revenue for 2024. Users consistently cite ad volume first and privacy second: 63.5% block because there are too many ads. Most say they would accept a lighter ad experience rather than block everything, which is why acceptable-ads programs now exceed 400 million users.

Suggested Headlines

• 1.77 Billion and Counting: The State of Ad Blocking in 2026
• Why Ad Blocking Statistics Disagree, and Which Number to Trust
• France Leads, News Sites Suffer Least: Ad Blocking by Country and Category
• The 54 Billion Dollar Question: What Ad Blocking Really Costs Publishers
• Too Many Ads, Not Enough Privacy: Why 63.5% of Users Block

FAQ

How many people use ad blockers worldwide?

An estimated 1.77 billion people, or 29.5% of internet users, used an ad blocker at least sometimes as of Q2 2025 (GWI via DataReportal). Source

What is the measured desktop ad blocking rate?

Blockthrough measured a 21% average desktop adblock rate across more than 10 billion pageviews in its 2022 report (Blockthrough/PageFair, 2022). Source

How many total ad blocking users are there across devices?

eyeo counted 912 million active users across all devices by Q2 2023, up 11% from Q1 2022 (eyeo Ad-Filtering Report, 2023). Source

Do more people block ads on desktop or mobile?

Mobile ad blocking surpassed desktop by the end of Q2 2023 in eyeo’s total user count, though desktop retains higher measured penetration on tracked sites (eyeo Ad-Filtering Report, 2023). Source

Which country has the highest ad blocking rate?

In Blockthrough’s measured desktop data, France led at 25% (Blockthrough/PageFair, 2022). Source

How much revenue does ad blocking cost publishers?

eyeo forecast roughly 54 billion dollars in lost publisher ad revenue for 2024, about 8% of global ad spend (eyeo Ad-Filtering Report, 2023). Source

Why do people block ads?

The top reason was “too many ads” at 63.5% of users, ahead of “ads get in the way” at 53.5% and privacy at 42.4% (GWI via DataReportal, Q2 2025). Source

How many Americans use ad blockers?

45% of US consumers reported having installed or used an ad blocker in January 2024 (YouGov, cited by eMarketer). Source

Do ad blocking users care about privacy?

96% of US ad-filtering users take active steps to protect their online privacy (eyeo and The Harris Poll, 2024). Source

Are ad blocking users open to seeing any ads?

82% of adblock users preferred a lighter default ad experience over disabling their blocker, and acceptable-ads programs exceed 400 million users (Blockthrough 2022; eyeo via eMarketer). Source

If your team needs to translate these figures into a measurement or monetization plan, CO Consulting offers a brief research-led consultation.

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