Category: Blog

Did you know that most Americans aren’t familiar with even the most basic fire safety tips and are incapable of dealing with a potential fire in their home or workplace?

In order to remedy this, we’ve created an extensive list of statistics, facts, and tips that will help people prevent fires—one of the most common household mishaps in the US. By engaging in fire prevention, you’ll be able to properly deal with a fire before it gets out of control and avoid injuries, property damage, or loss of life.

With fire safety education being so neglected, not only in the US but across the world, even the most basic information can be helpful. Starting with prevention, we’ll move on to the devices that save lives once a fire breaks out, and finally, we’ll cover the fire statistics that will show you the importance of investing your time in learning more about this topic.

Fire Prevention

The most important part of educating the public on fire and safety should always be fire prevention. That’s why, first and foremost, we’re starting with a list of some basic prevention measures. By familiarizing yourself with the following, you’ll know what every household and workplace should adopt in order to be protected.

Home Fire Prevention Tips

No Smoking Indoors

Smoking is a habit most people aren’t proud of. However, those who can’t seem to kick the habit should keep it outside of their home and workplace, or any other closed space, as it’s a major fire hazard. Numerous deaths and injuries are reported every year due to people lighting a cigarette near a gas source or falling asleep with one in their hands. So what is the top cause of a house fire? Smoking takes the second spot, being responsible for 14.2% of fatal residential building fires in 2016.

Keep an Eye on the Food That’s Cooking

According to 2019 statistics, cooking fires were responsible for 550 deaths that year. Those preparing food should never leave the stove unattended, especially when cooking in shallow pans with lots of oil. This is a commonly ignored rule of household fire prevention.

Position the Heat Source the Right Way

Making sure that your heat source is situated such that it won’t contact any potentially combustible materials is another major factor in fire prevention. Electric space heaters cause around a third of all winter house fires, and they are to blame in 80% of the house fires with a deadly outcome that occur during the winter, according to recent house fire statistics. Even more caution is needed when heating the space with gas-fired space heaters—they require additional safety measures, such as proper room ventilation.

Properly Maintain Appliances and Electrical Wiring

Having all your wiring checked by a professional is recommended for everyone moving to a new place, as faulty wiring easily starts a fire. It is estimated that around 9.6% of fatal building fires are a consequence of an electrical malfunction. Appliances, such as washers and dryers, also require proper professional maintenance, on a yearly basis at least.

Workplace Fire Prevention Tips

Supervise and Clean All Work Areas

Adequate supervision is necessary in some workplaces, such as restaurants, in order to properly prevent a fire. Any potential mistakes that can lead to a fire need to be corrected quickly. Additionally, the workspace needs to be properly cleaned in order to prevent any combustible materials from accumulating.

Avoid Blocking Access to Fire Equipment

One of the bases of proper fire safety in the workplace is allowing unobstructed access to firefighting equipment, such as fire extinguishers, at all times. Piling things in front of these necessary safety features is a big no-no, and doing so should be avoided and watched out for at all costs.

Maintain All Workplace Machinery Regularly

This is another one of the important basic fire safety rules. To protect your workplace, regular and proper maintenance of all the machinery that’s constantly in use is absolutely mandatory. Not doing so risks the machinery malfunctioning and employees getting injured in numerous ways, even apart from fire. Electrical maintenance and its importance can’t be stressed enough, for both home and work settings.

Provide Proper Fire Prevention Training

Employees at most workplaces are required to go through some sort of fire prevention course or at least a training session. In fact, making this practice an annual requirement has been proven to effectively cut the risk of fire, as well as the number of fire-related deaths and injuries in the workplace, significantly. However, some companies don’t take this requirement seriously and just cruise through it. Make sure yours isn’t one of them.

Devices and Systems That Deal with Fire

What is a fire safety system? Why should everyone have one?

In some cases, due to negligence or device malfunctions, no amount of preemptive measures can prevent a fire from breaking out. In these instances, two basic types of devices—which are also the two most common types of fire safety systems—are worth investing in. We’ve provided some statistics and basic information on them.

Smoke Alarms

The most basic of all fire safety methods, a smoke alarm is a must-have for every residential and commercial space. Even though most of us consider them useless and find their only purpose to be their unpleasant wailing when something on the stove starts smoking too much, they’re an invaluable tool in preventing fire-related injuries and death. Here are some smoke alarm statistics and home safety tips related to them:

1. The risk of dying in a house fire is cut in half for those in homes with working smoke alarms.

Being warned of a fire early significantly increases your survival chances. This is why smoke alarms are considered a necessity, especially considering how working smoke alarms decrease the risk of dying in a home fire by 50%.

2. 40% of home fire deaths occur in a home with no smoke alarm.

Home fire statistics show that 40% of all deaths that occur in a home fire happen when no smoke detector is present. How little we value our safety is best shown by the pricing of some smoke alarms, which go for as little as $9 on Amazon.

3. 17% of home fire deaths occur due to a nonfunctional smoke alarm.

In 17% of deaths that occur in home fires, a smoke alert system was present, but it wasn’t operational. Checking if your smoke detector works is a small task that needs to be repeated weekly, fire prevention agencies warn. Even the simplest devices have a Test button on the back that can be set for a weekly check-up.

4. 25% of smoke alarm failures with a deadly outcome occur due to a dead battery.

Estimates show that a quarter of all smoke alarm failures that happened in home fires with a deadly outcome had batteries to blame. Missing, disconnected, or dead batteries are the reason those buttons on the back exist. No matter how sensitive to bad cooking your alarm may be, never disconnect its batteries. This is the most basic of all home fire safety tips.

5. Interconnected smoke alarms throughout the home further improve home safety.

Having more than one smoke alarm increases your safety, especially for large houses. Interconnected alarms that sound simultaneously when they detect a fire are a godsend when it comes to fires that break out during the night.

Fire Sprinklers

Sprinklers are regarded as a fire safety method reserved for commercial buildings, but they can be a life-saving investment for your home, too. Here are some fire prevention and protection facts and statistics that will debunk all the misconceptions related to home fire sprinklers:

6. Fire sprinklers reduce the risk of death in a home fire by 80%.

With fire sprinklers installed in your home, the chances of a deadly fire are reduced by 80%. This makes them the most effective fire safety measure available.

7. The risk of property loss is reduced by 70% in homes with sprinklers.

Homes that have a fire sprinkler system in place are 70% less likely to see any fire-caused property loss than their neighbors without one, house fire statistics for 2018 and 2019 show.

8. A fire sprinkler installation typically costs 1–2% of a home’s total construction cost.

Having a home fire sprinkler system is not a massive luxury. According to recent prices, it typically costs 1–2% of a home’s total construction cost to have this valuable safety system in your home.

9. Fire sprinklers activate on an individual basis.

One of the common misconceptions about sprinklers is that they ruin the entire house/building once they’re activated. Fire education teaches us the opposite of what the movies show; only the sprinkler closest to the fire is activated, while the rest of the home/building remains safe and dry.

10. Fire sprinklers release less water than fire hoses.

When a sprinkler is activated, approximately 341 gallons of water is released. A typical intervention by firefighters uses 2,935 gallons of water. This stands to show that sprinklers cause much less water damage to the property, making it another statistic favoring their use.

Fire Statistics

Now that we’ve gone through the fire prevention basics and recommended the more important devices to have in your home and workplace, we’ve finally arrived at the part that’s meant to scare you into caring about the safety of family and coworkers. Fires are much more common and devastating than people realize.

For those who think that a house fire is something that can’t and won’t happen to them, here are some statistics that show otherwise:

How Many Fires Are There in the US?

11. A fire department in the US responds to a fire every 24 seconds.

Even though the National Fire Protection Association points out that the number of fires is significantly lower now than it was 50 years ago, fires are still a common ordeal. According to them, firefighters in the US respond to a fire every 24 seconds.

12. US fire departments responded to 356,500 home fires in 2020

Wondering how many homes catch fire per year? The number for 2020 is 356,500. The total number of fires on structures the same year was 490,500.

13. On average, US fire departments respond to 37,910 industrial or manufacturing fires each year.

71% of these fires occurred outside, and another 20% took place inside the structures. Only 9% involved vehicles.The manufacturing sector is most prone to fires, and 65% of all combined industry and manufacturing fires happen there.

14. NFPA research shows that around 7,500 structure fires in restaurants are reported every year.

Eating and drinking establishments are not exempt from fires. Workplace fire statistics show that almost 7,500 fires were reported each year in bars and restaurants across the US. Between 2017 and 2021, there were around 200 fires annually just in NYC.

15. 3,230 fires in educational properties were reported each year, between 2014 and 2018.

Each year, there are around 3,300 fires requiring the fire department to respond, occurring on a property owned by an educational establishment. This shows that teaching kids about fire safety should be a major point of their early education.

Deaths and Injuries in Home Fires in the US

16. There were 3,500 civilian deaths due to a fire reported in the US during 2020.

In 2020, there were 3,500 fire-related deaths in the US. Compared to the same data from 2019, it is a 5.5% decrease in fires with a deadly outcome. Out of 3,500 deaths in 2020, 62 were on-duty firefighters. 

17. There were 15,200 reported injuries caused by a fire in 2020.

Statistics provided by the U.S. Fire Administration show that 1,700 of them were in vehicles, while the rest were in residential and non-residential structures.

18. 17% of fatal residential fires are caused by carelessness.

In addition to the majority of fatal home fires being caused by carelessness, 14% were caused by smoking. Around 10% of fires with fatalities are caused by electrical malfunctions and 9.8% are started intentionally.

19. 7% of residential fires that result in injury are caused by cooking.

The number of house fires per year that resulted in injury in recent years has remained similar. Additionally, an electrical malfunction was to blame for 6.8% of home fire injuries, while smoking caused 6.7% of them.

20. Men are more likely to die or get injured in a house fire.

Statistics show that residential fires have a gender bias. According to home fire death statistics, 60.3% of residential fire casualties are male. Men are also more likely to get injured in a fire, with a participation rate of 59.4% in all house fires.

21. People over the age of 85 have the highest rate of fire-related death.

The US Fire Administration’s data tells us that the elderly have the highest fire death rates. 37.3 per million people of those 85 or older die from a home fire every year, according to fire deaths data from 2018.

22. People aged 30–34 have the highest fire injury rate.

When it comes to home fire injuries, those between the ages of 30 and 34 are statistically more likely to be hurt during a fire. Their fire injury rate is 59 per million people.

23. On average, 300 children under 14 die in house fires each year.

A report on child fire safety shows that, on average, 300 children aged 14 or younger die in house fires and around 1030 get injured each year.

24. 140 firefighters lost their lives while on duty in 2020.

In total, there were 140 on-duty firefighter deaths in 2020, and 78 of them were Covid-related. Out of 62 non-Covid deaths, 27 were volunteer firefighters, 23 were career firefighters, eight were contractors, two were federal employees and two were members of the military.

25. 60,825 firefighters were injured in a fire during 2019.

Even though this is an increase of four percent compared to the year before, it is still the third-lowest injury total since 1981. An estimated 23,825 injuries happened during fire fighting and around 14,150 injuries occurred during non-fire emergencies.

Child Fire Safety Statistics

26. Children start around 20,000 fires each year by playing with fire.

This number exceeds the total of yearly residential fires in the UK—which you can learn more about further down the list.

27. 43% of the children were under the age of 6.

With 43% of the kids starting a home fire being in this age group, teaching fire safety for children as early as possible needs to become a priority. For comparison, those aged between 13 and 17 were responsible for just 9% of the home fires started by kids.

28. Of the home fires started by children, 83% were started by boys.

Once again, the numbers show that fires have a gender bias. It seems boys tend to be drawn to fire, as shown by the piece of fire safety statistics claiming that 83% of all home fires started by children are started by males.

29. 80 deaths per year were caused by home fires that children started.

In case you thought that your child playing with matches can’t do any harm, think again. An average of 80 deaths in home fires started by children were reported between 2007 and 2011. The numbers for more recent years are estimated to be similar.

30. $235 million in property damage is caused every year by kids starting fires.

Essentially a lack of kids fire safety causes approximately $235 million in property damage every year. Fire isn’t something you play with, and this needs to be ingrained in their curious minds from an early age.

31. 52% of these fires were started with a lighter.

Figures show that the majority of little pyromaniacs use a lighter as their means of starting a fire. Be sure to explain the potential consequences of playing with a lighter to them, or drive down to your local fire department—they’ll be more than glad to help educate your kids on the dangers of playing with fire. Once again, preventing house fires starts with an early education on the topic.

32. 50% of these fires start in a bedroom.

Once they get a hold of a lighter, their new favorite toy, children run straight into the bedroom to play with it. Typically, bedding, which is commonly made of combustible materials, catches fire first. Educate and keep an eye on your kids if you’re still wondering how to prevent house fires.

33. 24% of child-initiated fires are started in July.

Showing that our children aren’t complete maniacs is the fact that most fires started by them occur during July, mostly as a consequence of misusing fireworks around the July 4th celebrations.

34. Only 26% of families have actually practiced a home fire escape plan with their child.

Regardless of whether they’re the culprit, children need to know how to get out of a burning house. When it comes to fires and children, it’s estimated that just over a quarter of all families in the US have a fire escape plan that they’ve practiced with their children.

35. Children are not being taught about wildfires.

According to Save the Children, wildfires represent a huge threat to the children and adults in the parts of the country that are prone to them. Those living in these areas need to brush up on their knowledge and teach their kids, at the very least, the survival basics.

Wildfires in the US

36. There were 71,499 wildfires in 2017.

During 2017, 71,499 wildfires were reported across the US. United States fire statistics related to California’s largest fires show that the second largest wildfire in the state’s history was started in 2017. The Thomas Fire started in December, and it took 281,893 acres of land, 1,063 structures, and two lives. According to the results of the investigation, the fire was started by improperly managed power lines.

37. There were 58,083 wildfires in 2018.

2018 saw far fewer wildfires than 2017. A total of 8.8 million acres of land were affected by the 58,083 wildfires started over the year. According to recent fire statistics, the largest fire in the history of California was started in July of 2018. The Mendocino Complex Fire burned through 459,123 acres of land and 280 structures. One life was lost in the fire. This fire is still under investigation.

38. 50,477 wildfires have been reported in 2019.

As of March 8, there have been 2,411 reported wildfires across the US. Once again, a significant year-over-year cut is noticeable, as the same period in 2018 had 7,828 wildfires. Fire safety measures that were introduced to national and state parks across the US appear to have had a significant positive effect, with just 49,976 acres burned, compared to 204,631 acres in the same period of last year.

39. The Peshtigo Fire caused the most deaths in all US history.

The Peshtigo Fire, which took place in 1871, took the largest number of lives in the history of the US. The fire started burning in Wisconsin. During the period, people had no clue about fire safety. By the time the last flames were extinguished, the fire had taken approximately 1.2 million acres of land. However, what makes this wildfire so devastating is the fact that it took somewhere between 1,500 and 2,500 lives.

40. The Great Fire of 1910 shaped today’s wildfire prevention standards.

The Great Fire of 1910 burned through Idaho and Montana and took around 3 million acres of land. It’s also the main reason there’s a fire safety guide for wildfire prevention in place today. After it subsided, the US Forest Service was fully shaped and cemented as a key agency in forest fire prevention and de-escalation.

Even though they’ve made great efforts throughout the years to minimize wildfires by educating the population, this type of fire is still a threat.

41. California is the most wildfire-prone state.

When it comes to the number of households at high or extreme risk from wildfires, California takes the unfortunate first spot on the list, with over 2 million households belonging to this category. Fire department statistics by state add Texas, Colorado, Arizona, and Idaho as the top five most at-risk states.

42. The Camp Fire caused the most deaths in California’s history.

The Camp Fire, whose first flames started in November of 2018, was the most devastating fire in the history of California. 153,336 acres of land, 18,804 structures, and, most devastatingly, 85 lives were lost, Camp Fire statistics show.

43. California had the most acres burned in 2018.

During 2018, California appears to have been the state that was most affected by wildfires. The total land surface that was affected amounted to 1,823,153 acres in a total of 8,054 fires.

Nevada was the second most affected state, with 1,001,966 acres of land burned in just 649 wildfires.

44. Delaware and DC had no wildfire-burned land in 2018.

This question of How many wildfires happen a year? has already been answered above, but for Delaware and the District of Columbia, the answer appears to be zero, and these two states share the title of the safest place in America from wildfires.

In 2018, only 14 acres of land were burned in one of the 32 wildfires started in Oregon, making it the third safest.

45. In 2017, wildfires caused a massive $20 billion in damages.

Compared to just $2 billion lost due to wildfires in 2016, 2017 was a decimating year. Wildfire losses were tenfold, fire prevention organizations point out. According to the statistics, wildfires in California were responsible for the majority of this total, with the damages in the state being estimated at around $18 billion.

How Many Home Fires Are There in the UK?

In order to accommodate a wider audience and spread fire prevention awareness to the Old Continent, here are some statistics on home fires from the UK:

46. 39,600 fires were reported last year in the UK.

The UK has maintained a streak of less than 40,000 home fires per year for half a decade. Even though the number seems impressive, their house fire prevention education can still use some improvement.

47. 88% of the reported fires were accidental.

Experts estimate that the majority of fires that occur are preventable. This statement applies to any country in the world. According to data, 88% of the fires that were started in the UK last year were accidental, which probably means they were preventable.

48. There was no smoke alarm in 31% of the home fires that resulted in a death.

The British seem to be more fond of smoke alarms than Americans. One of the most basic fire safety rules for the home was skipped over by only 31% of the residences that caught fire and, sadly, led to a fatality in the UK.

49. On average, the smoke alarm is not operational in 19% of the fires resulting in a death.

However, the British are not paying as much attention as Americans do to the status of their smoke alarms. With 19% of deadly home fires in the UK happening in a house with a smoke alarm that wasn’t functional, they could take better care of their alarms and improve their national fire prevention figures.

50. The use of smoke alarms in the UK rose to 88% back in 2011.

Surveys conducted in 1988 showed that just 8% of UK residents had a smoke alarm in their home. In 2011, that number had, fortunately, significantly improved. With 88% of the population reporting that an operational smoke alarm was present in their home, several of the top causes of residential fires, such as cooking incidents, have been avoided.

Workplace Fires in the UK

51. 22,200 workplace fires were reported in 2015.

The UK had a fairly large rate of workplace fires during 2014/2015. During this period, 22,200 fires in the workplace were reported. What’s the picture like nowadays?

52. In 2017, the number of reported workplace fires went down to 15,815.

The most recent data available, from 2016/2017, shows that the number of yearly workplace fires in the UK has dropped significantly. World fire statistics for 2018 show the same number: 15,815 total workplace fires for the United Kingdom.

53. Most workplace fires in the UK occurred in retail distribution workplaces.

With 3,000 workplace fires last year happening in retail distribution, this seems to be the least safe industry in the UK, at least when it comes to fire. 2,500 fires occurred in industrial premises, while 2,200 were started in restaurants, pubs, and bars. How do you keep safe from a fire? Possibly by avoiding employment in one of these industries.

54. An alarm failed to sound in 3,700 workplace fires.

An alarm malfunction was reported in almost a fifth of all workplace fires in the UK. We are, once again, reminded how important proper maintenance of fire safety devices and systems is.

55. 17 deaths caused by a fire in the workplace were reported.

17 fatalities in workplaces that were affected by a fire were reported last year in the UK. One out of three workplace fire deaths had smoking-based causes, such as lighters and cigarettes. With this kind of data in mind, the question, Why is fire safety important? is a bit redundant.

Conclusion

Out of all five basic elements that Ancient China considered the bases of the universe, fire might be the most frightening and dangerous to humans. We hope that this list and its statistics helped you gain a little more insight on the danger it can represent to us, our loved ones, and our environment. Maybe you’ve even realized that a smoke alarm is a wise investment.
And if this list of fire safety tips hasn’t made an impact, there’s only one more that we can offer: stop, drop, and roll.

• Checkmate Fire
• Labelbar
• TIME
• Insurance Information Institute
• Federation of American Scientists
• Save the Children
• American Red Cross
• US Fire Administration
• Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition
• National Fire Protection Association
• Wikipedia
• Cal Fire
• Fireward
• FEMA
• III
• NYC.gov
• NFPA
• NSC
• FEMA
• NFPA
• NFPA
• NFPA
• NFPA
• Nationwide Childrens
• III

The cost, frequency, and sophistication of data breaches are on the rise. According to the latest data breach statistics, some high-profile companies have been targeted by major cyber attacks. As a result, data privacy and security have moved to the forefront of boardroom visibility. 

The result was new legislation in the US, Europe, and Australia, most of it coming into effect in 2018. Organizations must now adhere to new rules specifying user notifications and timeframes, business size applications, and reporting requirements. 

Even without the fines, the cost of data breaches was already high. Still today, there’s the cost behind updating data systems, hiring forensic investigators to look into the incident, briefing the legal department, and paying up settlements with dissatisfied customers. This also includes the potential damages from the worst hacks involving espionage and IP theft, where your competitors can learn about your business practices and future plans.

With all this in mind, what are the risks for you as a customer, as a social network user, or as a company?

What particular type of data breach might affect you, depending on the data you’re storing? And how can data breaches be prevented?

Check out these statistics and find out what you should be on the lookout for, as well as what steps you should take to minimize damage if you’ve been compromised.

Cybercrime Facts and Statistics

1. You have a 27.9% chance of experiencing a data breach of at least 10,000 records. 

With 6,466,440 records breached every day worldwide, this should come as no surprise. The threat is real and affects individuals and businesses alike. In both cases, the best steps to take are the following: act quickly, seek help, and stop the problem from spreading. The quicker the recovery, the less it will cost you, especially if you’re a small business. Unless you play it smart, you might not recover. 

2. It takes organizations around 197 days to detect a breach.

Cybersecurity statistics from 2018 by the Ponemon Institute provided this invaluable insight. The mean time to contain the breach (MTTC) was 69 days. Companies that contained a breach in less than 30 days saved over $1 million.

3. The average total cost of a data breach is $3.86 million, and the average total one-year cost increase is 6.4%. 

According to the Ponemon Institute, the overall cost of a data breach involves many more losses than you can imagine. There are the business disruption and revenue loss from system downtime, the lost customers that no longer trust your brand, the new customers you will fail to acquire, and finally, the lawsuits. 

Recent trends suggest that the consequences of company data breaches are only going to get worse. The average total cost of a data breach, the average cost for each lost or stolen record (per capita cost), and the average size of data breaches have all increased. 

4. The average cost for each lost record increased by 4.8%, from $141 to $148.

The United States, Canada, and Germany continue to have the highest per capita costs of cyber breaches at $233, $202, and $188, respectively. Turkey, India, and Brazil have much lower per capita costs at $105, $68, and $67, respectively. The increase isn’t too worrying, but the steady rise is still underway.

5. Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation fines for noncompliance may be as high as €20 million. 

Paragraph 5 of Article 83 of the GDCR states that infringements can lead to huge fines for companies that have been hacked in Europe. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) implemented the mandatory Notifiable Data Breach (NBD) Scheme in February 2018. This regulation requires organizations to notify the OAIC of data breaches likely to cause harm, while also notifying the individuals affected.

The Australian practice seems like a particularly good idea since it usually takes companies ages to admit to data breaches. In the Adobe hacking case, for example, the firm had originally admitted that 2.9 million accounts had been affected. It was later revealed that this figure amounted to 38 million. 

6. 73% of breaches are perpetrated by outsiders, 28% by internal actors, 2% by partners, and 2% by multiple parties. 

The scariness of this stat mainly originates from the fact that 1 in 4 data breaches was the fault of one of a company’s own people. And we don’t mean the ones who clicked on a dodgy link. The 2018 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) suggested that the insider attackers were mainly motivated by financial gain, espionage, and yes, honest mistakes. System admins are the top internal actors responsible for these recent data breaches, at 25.9% of the time.

7. 50% of data breaches were carried out by organized criminal groups, while 12% of the attackers were identified as government-related or those affiliated with a nation-state. 

The report also suggests that organized cybercrime is the new guy in a hoodie. They have resources, large botnets, and the inner-workings of a legitimate company. State-affiliated groups were involved in more than 1 in 10 hacks worldwide. 

8. 48% of breaches featured hacking, 30% included malware, 17% were social attacks, 12% involved privilege misuse, and 11% were physical actions, according to Verizon’s look into data breaches from 2018. 

Many of these types of attacks were used in a single breach, as is the case with malware and ransomware, as a diversion for data theft. It was therefore difficult to come up with the figure for every separate attack, so action varieties in breaches were introduced. The use of stolen credentials (hacking) took the lead, with RAM scraper (malware), phishing (social), and privilege abuse (misuse) trailing behind. 

9. According to Verizon’s cyber attacks statistics from 2018, 24% of breaches affected healthcare organizations, 15% of breaches involved accommodation and food services, and 14% were breaches of public sector entities.

The healthcare industry has the dubious distinction of being the only one that has a greater insider threat than an external one. This somewhat bleak finding is linked closely to the fact that there can be a large number of errors and employee misuse. Healthcare is almost seven times more likely to feature a causal error than other verticals in our dataset. 

So how can security breaches be prevented in healthcare? One huge step would be refusing to pay ransoms, not to mention securing the connected IoT devices. Paying ransom might seem like the best option to a healthcare organization. This act, however, is a guarantee that more attacks will follow, as criminals now see them as a paying client. Also, the industry’s huge number of IoT devices increases the risk of quick and easy breaches. 

10. 58% of the victims are categorized as small businesses. 

Organizations with fewer than 250 employees are considered small businesses. Most people are surprised to hear that small businesses are hackers’ primary targets, but according to data on recent cyber security breaches, it’s true. These incidents never hit the news, which is probably why they’re so invisible. Remember the Target breach when tens of millions of people lost their credit card details to hackers? 

Here’s what most people don’t know: Target’s network was infiltrated via a small HVAC company. The attackers then stole access credentials to Target’s network. Small businesses lack sufficient security measures and, most of all, properly trained personnel. They also neglect to back up their files or data (ransomware bait right there). And finally, they are often leveraged so that bigger companies can be hacked.

11. 60% of small to mid-sized businesses forced to suspend operations after a cyber attack never recover enough to reopen for business.

Within 6 months of a successful cyber attack, most businesses of this size never recover. Frankly, most small businesses lack the necessary resources to recover. Because of this, sometimes a cybersecurity breach can cost you everything. For this size of company, the IT department has to protect user identities, the devices used, their network, and their cloud services. This means they have to operate on 4 separate security platforms.

Additionally, they usually lack proper insurance coverage and the means to pay any ransom in case of ransomware. They also lack the resources and the infrastructure to handle any damage to their reputation. 

12. Over 6,500 incidents that resulted in compromised data were disclosed publicly in 2018.

How many data breaches were there in 2018? The number of publicly known data breaches has decreased when compared to 2017, despite harsher breach notification legislation. Two-thirds of these breaches targeted businesses, according to a report from security intelligence vendor Risk Based Security (RBS). 

13. A malicious email was the source of the installation of 49% of non-POS malware. 

Social engineering seems to be hugely successful at extracting data. One of the most significant takeaways from this report is that phishing and pretexting represent 93% of social attack-based breaches. Email breaches continue to be the most common vector for launching social attacks, with 99% of the actors being external to organizations. 59% of phishing and pretexting attacks are motivated by financial gain, with an additional 38% attributed to corporate espionage. 

14. 76% of breaches were financially motivated. 

According to Verizon’s report, 68% of breaches take months or longer to be discovered. This gives criminals a lot of leeway for putting your data up for sale on the black market. In his 2018 report for Bromium, Dr. Mike McGuire combined the data he found on the dark web with a McFee report. 

He devised the following data breach statistics: Credit card data is worth approximately $10 each (the average sale value per record in 2016/2017). With 1.5 billion pieces of stolen data available at $10, the total revenue is $15 billion. Banking or payment system data is worth $114 billion. Login credentials are worth approximately $495 million. Stolen cards have an estimated loss (in revenues) of $30 billion. And finally, the entirety of stolen data revenue amounts to $160 billion. 

15. 13% of these breaches were initiated to gain a strategic advantage (espionage). 

Some of the biggest cyber attacks show that advanced hacking groups are becoming bolder when conducting campaigns, with the number of organizations targeted by the biggest campaigns rising by almost a third. A combination of new groups emerging and attackers developing successful strategies for breaking into networks has seen the average number of organizations targeted by the most active hacking groups rise from 42 between 2015 and 2017 to an average of 55 in 2018.

According to recent data on these breaches, hackers associated with China’s Ministry of State Security breached the Hewlett Packard Enterprise and IBM, then accessed their clients’ computers. Their recent network attacks could indicate that China’s strategic plan to produce higher value products and services is taking off, and foreign intellectual property is of value for this. 

16. 68% of breaches took months or longer to be discovered. 

The longer it takes to both detect and contain these breaches, the costlier the repairs—and the angrier your users. With the new legislature in Europe, Australia, and the US, a failure to notify your users or your superiors about a relevant breach will result in immense fines. And yet, new data breaches list imply that things are going to get worse.

If you want to avoid sanctions in 2022, follow the prescribed security protocols, and notify the authorities as quickly as possible. Also, don’t be tempted to play along with the attackers or pay a ransom. This would put you on the “payer” list, thereby increasing your risk of repeated attacks significantly. 

Major Cyberattacks and How to Avoid Them

17. 97% of people are using their sensitive data on digitally transformative technologies.

If faced with a choice between safety and convenience, most people choose convenience and run the risk of cyberattacks. The 2019 Thales Data Threat Report concluded that people are using, and therefore exposing, a huge amount of confidential data entrusted to them by their users. The sensitive data includes client information, credit card info, payment or financial details, intellectual property, and even business databases or contract records. 

18. 44% of users consider the complexity behind data security as a perceived barrier to implementing it. 

For reasons of competitiveness and usability, more and more companies are moving to cloud or multi-cloud environments. The job of storing data is done either by the company or a third party, which is then even more difficult to secure, says the 2019 Thales Data Threat Report. Most organizations find it difficult to manage all these internet security breach challenges and implement proper safety measures. What’s more, when it comes to smaller and mid-sized companies, budget restraints and staff shortages make this task even more difficult.

19. IDG Research reports that 25% of companies don’t have a cloud-first policy. Security concerns played a big role in this. 

The ongoing migration of data to the cloud increases security risks. The data is available to multiple corporations in a shared space, and readily available to the companies’ employees. As always, if it’s there so you could have easy access, the black hat hackers will also have less trouble getting their hands on it. In one of the biggest data breaches in 2018, Facebook compromised 50 million accounts. All the platforms and third-party services that use the Facebook login feature are now vulnerable. 

20. 59% of companies in the UK and US experienced a data breach after going through a third party. Only 16% consider their third-party risk management systems effective enough. 

The results of the third annual Ponemon Institute’s “Data Risk in the Third-Party Ecosystem” study remind us that the worldwide data hack risks are beyond our control more than we realize. Even with proper employee training, antivirus software, and firewalls, our data is at huge risk. A company might use a third-party hosting service that again works with a fourth-party systems integrator. The oversight of suppliers isn’t something many companies can afford or manage.

To top it off, cyber attack regulations will hold your company accountable even if a third-party was at fault. Also, in the case of 2018’s US information security breaches, as many as 61% of companies had a vendor or third-party data breach. That’s up 5% from 2017, and 12% from 2016. 

21. In a 2018 Ponemon Institute survey, 52% of organizations that maintained IoT inventory said they had at least 1,000 IoT devices. However, the real study average was actually 15,000. 

Knowing exactly what type of data you are storing, where you are storing it, and what the potential liabilities might be is of vital importance when implementing data security. As AON’s 2019 Cyber Security Risk Report concluded, most people can’t even do that. What causes data breaches? Criminals and human error, naturally. But most of all, it’s the failure of organizations to mind the details and do a fair assessment of their disadvantages. Weak passwords, untrained staff, improper configuration, and an outdated OS are all on you.

22. In the last year, 21% of companies experienced an attack or breach because of unsecured IoT devices, and 18% said the attacks were caused by third-party devices.

In a more ridiculous recent cyber security breach, hackers stole a casino’s customer data via a connected fish tank. Attackers gained access to the casino’s high-roller database. Devices with simple functions and default passwords that are rarely changed (if ever) are particularly easy targets. An IoT attack is an easy way to gain a foothold into a network. 

23. Media reports surrounding 2018’s data breaches have speculated that each company involved could face a potential fine of at least $500 million if certain GDPR violations are discovered. 

Data breach statistics from 2018 and 2017 must have scared individuals and governments on a global scale to produce these regulations. In January 2019, Google was fined €50 million for their failure to disclose to users exactly how their data is collected across services, including the Google search engine, YouTube, and Google Maps. 

British Airways could lose £500 million over the 2018 data leaks.

24. Only 4% of breaches were “secure breaches” in which proper encryption was used and no stolen data could be taken advantage of. 

According to Breach Level Index, nearly 10 billion records have been stolen or breached since 2013, and out of said breaches, only the measly 4% mentioned above did its job. Here’s the deal: it’s a bother for most companies to use proper encryption, so they often end up switching it off. Every time you want to perform any type of data-focused operation, you have to decrypt the encryption. This makes data highly inaccessible, and, as the stats tell us, unattractive to users.

So how can you protect your customer data? Homomorphic encryption is one alternative that can help you work both quickly and safely. Homomorphic encryption gives companies an easy way to run analytics on their data while staying safe. Up until recently, this process was way too slow. However, BM’s homomorphic encryption now runs 75 times faster, according to a paper from the International Association for Cryptologic Research. 

25. 27% of all data breaches are unintentional or inadvertent in nature, according to the Verizon report.

So what percent of data breaches are caused by human error? Not many, and certainly less than there were in 2013. Back then, accidents were behind more than half of the data breaches that took place, according to the Information Commissioner’s Office. The figure covers human error and system glitches, including both IT and business process failures. 

26. 48% of data breaches involved a malicious or criminal attack. 

What causes the highest percentage of data breaches? Criminals, according to Verizon’s most recent report. They’re the bad guys with nasty intentions for organizations in all countries. The most common types of cybercrime include malware infections, criminal insiders, phishing/social engineering, and SQL (structured query language) injection.

However, there’s a solution to thwart inside jobs by checking employees using criminal background check services. This way you’ll know who has a history in criminal activities and can easily find the perpetrator.

Cyber Attack Statistics by Year

27. In 2014, 145 million eBay records became compromised in a major breach.

The attack, which took place sometime between late February and early March, allowed the attackers access to the names, encrypted passwords, email addresses, postal addresses, phone numbers, and dates of birth of eBay’s customers, ranking this event among the biggest corporate security breaches. eBay has come under fire over its handling of the breach, in which hackers accessed personal data of all 145 million of its users. 

28. Yahoo’s data breach was even more massive, with 3 billion of its users compromised. 

Yeah, that’s all of them—no user was left unbreached. The next biggest data breaches are the Marriott Hotel breach in 2018, with 500 million accounts hacked, and (you’re not gonna believe this one) another Yahoo hack from 2014. The 2014 breach also compromised 500 million user accounts. 

A simple spear-phishing email gave the attackers access to millions of accounts making this one of the biggest data breaches of all time, but they only generated cookies for about 6,500 accounts. They targeted an assistant to the deputy chairman of Russia, an officer in Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. Others belonged to Russian journalists, officials of states bordering Russia, and US government employees. 

29. In the 2014 Sony data breach, $8 million was paid to employees over hacked data 

The Sony Pictures breached data included personal information on employees and their families, employee emails, information on salaries, even copies of yet unreleased films. Soon after the breach, the hackers threatened another 9/11 attack if the movie The Interview, which portrayed an assassination plot against North Korea’s “Dear Leader,” was released in theaters. 

Careers were ruined, anxiety, fear, and stress were high for everyone involved, and no amount of money was requested. This is one of those data breach examples where causing damage and embarrassment are the sole motivation. Remediation costs were first estimated at $40 million to $100 million. The eventual losses amounted to $100 million.

31. In 2017, the Equifax data breach affected 143 million consumers.

The attackers gained access to names, social security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and driver’s license numbers when this credit company was hacked. As many as 209,000 credit card numbers were also compromised. Analysts at William Blair estimate that Equifax’s costs for this crisis could run between $200 million and $300 million. And that’s after the insurance steps in. 

32. The US Postal Service’s website exposed data on 60 million of its users.

It took the US Postal Service a year to fix this security weakness. In one of the more alarming famous hacks, anyone who had an account at usps.com could view account details for some 60 million other users, and in some cases modify account details on their behalf. Interestingly, this case happened back in 2014. 

33. In July 2016, WikiLeaks released 19,252 emails and 8,034 attachments that were stolen from the US Democratic National Committee.

This is one of the most famous recent government breaches. Nearly 20,000 emails were released by WikiLeaks, providing an embarrassing inside look at the Democratic Party’s operations on the eve of the Democratic National Convention.

34. Timehop, the social media app, had 21 million users’ data stolen.

Timehop collects your old photos and posts them from your iPhone, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Foursquare. They cash in on your nostalgia much like the memory feature on Facebook. This cloud data breach took advantage of an obvious flaw: the account was not protected by multifactor authentication. This attitude sometimes makes password-based breaches a breeze. 

35. The 2019 Have I Been Pwned data breach made 773 million emails and passwords vulnerable.

The world’s most wide-reaching data breaches (not counting Yahoo, of course, because nobody beats Yahoo), have found a challenger. In most more or less famous cyber attacks, a single site is affected. Nonetheless, this one contained emails and passwords from a number of breaches—a gargantuan compilation. Troy Hunt, the guy who discovered the breach, works with other security experts to record various data breaches on his database. Anyone can search an email on his website to check if they’ve been breached. 

In an amusing turn of events, this database has been hacked, and this is now one of the biggest data breaches to date. The final installment on this list of breached data ought to remind you: change all your passwords. Get a password manager. And finally, generate strong passwords based on word combinations impossible to figure out.

Conclusion

In 2018, relevant data breach notification legislation came into effect and changed everything for most of the developed world, including Europe, the US, and Australia. The first thing you’ll need to do if you want to stay safe and not pay immense fines is check out the new requirements in your region. 

Secondly, you need to assess what type of data you’re storing and where, along with any potential liabilities, like IoT devices you weren’t even aware you had. You remember the casino breach where attackers broke in via a fish tank, right?

The costs of data breaches have increased, and yet companies and individuals worldwide don’t seem inclined to advance their security protocols. So what could companies do to protect your data from data breaches? They can manage their security across platforms and providers, train their staff to recognize phishing attacks, get in with the newest anti-malware software, and apply multi-factored authentication. 

As an individual, you are advised to change your passwords regularly and get a password manager. Update your OS, and avoid downloading apps from dodgy sources. Data encryption is also a must, and if you’re a smaller company and work with your own device technology, make sure you check all your devices.

After all, you might be used as a foot in the door for an attacker to target a larger company you’re working with. Current data breach statistics are looking bleak, but if you follow the right protocol and make a fair assessment of your potential weaknesses, you’ll minimize potential risks. And remember, don’t go cheap with your security, or a particularly successful attack might cost you more than you can handle.

• Business Insider
• Trend Micro
• Global Sign
• INCE GD Law
• Internet of Business
• Business Wire
• Security Boulevard
• Symantec
• ABC News
• RiskBased Security
• Express Healthcare
• Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
• PrivazyPlan)(Breach Level Index
• Security Intelligence
• Ponemon Institute
• GDPR Report
• App Knox
• AON
• Verizon
• The Register
• JD Spura
• KrebsonSecurity
• Forbes
• INC
• Jazz Networks
• EDiscovery
• Data & Storage Asean
• PR Newswire
• Beta News
• The NY Times
• AP News
• Medium
• International Association of Privacy Professionals
• The Inquirer
• Information SecurityMedia Group
• Bank Info Security
• BBC
• Newsweek
• The Tech Wizard
• The Washington Post

Smart speaker statistics show just how popular smart speakers are becoming today. These devices are not only the new way to listen to music, but now that they have voice commands, they can be so much more.

All kinds of companies are trying to get their piece of this popular and lucrative market as more people catch onto this new technological trend.

Find out who’s selling them, who’s buying them, and how the pandemic changed the way we think about them.

Basic Smart Speaker Statistics for 2020

The smart speaker sphere is a booming (no pun intended) industry that continues to expand as new technology and design are implemented at affordable prices. The latest trends and stats show how smart speakers are becoming a staple in the average American home.

1. The global market for smart speakers is valued at $11.9 billion.

(Statista)

According to recent smart speaker statistics, the product market is worth billions of dollars, and its popularity will continue to grow in the upcoming years. Experts predict that the market will be worth $35.5 billion by 2025, more than double that in 2020. 

2. 25% of Americans own a smart speaker.

(Mindstream, MarTech)

One-quarter of U.S citizens over 18 years old have a smart speaker in their home, and current smart speaker trends show that approximately 40% of smart speaker users have more than one device. This amounts to over 157 million devices in use, with 54% using voice command options. 

3. With over 28%, Amazon has the biggest share of the global smart speaker market.

(Statista)

Amazon is currently dominating the smart speaker industry with their product Alexa, but Google comes in second with a smart speaker market share of 22.6%. Apple currently holds 7.8%. 

4. A report showed that 154 million smart speakers were shipped globally in 2020.

(Omdia)

Moreover, the global smart speaker market increased by almost 60% in 2020, with the total revenue reaching $3.2 billion globally. In particular, there was a 71% increase in North America’s shipments and a 48% increase in shipments in the Asian market.

5. Amazon shipped 10.6 million units of smart speakers in the Q2 of 2021.

(Statista)

On the other hand, Google and Baidu only shipped 6–7 million smart speakers each. 

There’s an increase in these shipments compared to the same period the year before. Then, Amazon shipped 6.5 million smart speaker units, Google — 5.1 million, and Baidu — 5 million units. 

At the end of 2019, Amazon had 15.8 million shipments of this smart listening device.

6. Google had 13.2 million shipments of smart speakers in the last quarter of 2020.

(Voicebot)

Smart speaker statistics for 2019 show that Apple only shipped around 4.6 million speakers, while Amazon and Google lead the sales market. Other popular speaker manufacturers, such as Alibaba and Baidu, also increased their sales, with almost 6 million combined shipments in the same period.

7. 69% of voice assistant users do their smart tasks via their speakers.

(Techradar, Mindstream)

Smart speakers are not just for easy listening and on-command song changes. Notably, smart speaker technology trends show that nearly three-quarters of owners use their smart speakers to access and control their voice assistants. 

Research shows that people still prefer doing more complex voice assistant tasks via their phones, but 65% of people report checking the weather with their speaker, and 5% reported online shopping. Other common tasks that users report are making grocery lists, turning lights on and off, and hearing the latest headlines.

Smart Speaker User Demographics

The use of smart speakers varies across age, economic class, and education level. While this is an expanding industry, not everyone uses these devices the same. There is one further category that changes whether people are using smart speakers or not: beliefs about privacy and security. 

8. 32% of Americans aged 18 to 29 have a smart speaker at home.

(Statista)

Recent trends in smart speaker technology show that one-third of younger generations own at least one smart speaker. Further, 28% of people aged 30 to 49 have this device at home, showing a correlation between age and likelihood of owning one, with just 20% of participants aged 50 and up reporting owning a smart speaker.

9. 30% of U.S. college graduates have a smart speaker in their house.

(Statista)

Stats on the smart speaker market for 2020 show that about 27% of college-educated Americans possess this device. Notably, less than 19% of Americans with a high school education or lower admit to owning a smart speaker.

10. 34% of Americans with an annual income of $75,000 or more own a smart speaker.

(Statista)

When it comes to smart speakers, economic status is a major indicator of use. Notably, 24% of those with an income of $30,000 to $75,000 have a smart speaker, compared to just 15% of U.S. adults with annual earnings of less than $30,000. 

Smart Speaker Usage Statistics

Even those that are only familiar with the basics of smart speakers are aware of their many uses. These smart devices can perform anything from regular everyday tasks to more complicated commands, making them a multi-functional tool for the average smart user. 

11. Over 73% of Americans use their smart speakers to listen to a music streaming platform monthly.

(Statista)

Using these devices to listen to music is among the most popular smart speaker trends. Nearly 48% of adults in the United States visit a streaming platform every day, and 88% of Americans have used their smart speakers to listen to music at least once.

12. 66.2% of U.S. adults use smart speakers to ask a question at least once a month.

(Statista)

Around 83% of Americans have tried to use their speakers for the purpose of asking a question at least once. In addition, voice assistant statistics show that 29% of U.S. adults ask a question via their smart speaker every day.

13. Almost 60% of Americans have used their smart speakers to set their alarm.

(Statista)

According to research, 64.5% of U.S. adults have tried to set a timer with the help of their smart speaker, and almost 60% of Americans have tried to listen to the radio on their smart device at least once.

Security: Smart Speakers Statistics

Ever since smart speakers were created, customer concern about the amount of information stored and shared on them has been growing and not without merit. Various brands have been outed with scandals about data collection, sharing, and use without permission resulting in increasing concern over privacy policies and security measures.

14. 7 in 10 smart speaker owners have privacy concerns about their speakers.

(MobileMarketing)

Hub Entertainment Research conducted a study on the smart speaker market and user privacy concerns. The study showed that, while the number of customers continues to rise, the concerns about privacy and security remain a pertinent issue.

15. 91% of users are worried that their speakers are listening to them without their knowledge.

(MobileMarketing)

The same study showed that the main concern of smart speaker customers is that their speaker is eavesdropping on them. According to smart speaker technology trends,

90% of consumers reported being afraid that their data is being collected without their permission, and their conversations in their home are being recorded. 

This concern isn’t without cause, either. As several cases with this new technology have indicated that the devices stay recording, even when a trigger word hasn’t been said. 

16. 55% of smart speaker owners claim they feel anxious about their speakers listening in on their conversations.

(SurveyMonkey)

Survey Monkey conducted an opinion study on Apple, Google, Amazon Echo, and Alexa user statistics. Almost 60% of participants reported that privacy concerns are the main reasons why they opted not to have one, while 30% reported expense as the main reason they don’t own one.

17. 63% of smart speaker non-users in America are afraid of hacking.

(Intrado)

Two years prior to this survey, just 41% of non-users had the same fear indicating an increasing level of unease regarding privacy and security with smart devices. Moreover, 40% of people that don’t have a smart speaker are afraid that the government is using these devices to monitor them.

The Effects of the Pandemic on Smart Speaker Statistics

The pandemic brought many uncertainties, but one thing we know for sure: technology became our greatest crutch and ally through this period. The pandemic influenced the way people use, buy, and think about technology in a major way. 

18. 36% of people in the U.S. listened to music and entertainment on their smart speakers more often during the pandemic.

(Statista)

The pandemic resulted in people being at home far more than at any point in history. Notably, 55% of those in the smart speaker market share said their user behavior didn’t change in 2020, while 9% reported listening to music on their smart speakers less often than before the pandemic.

Still, 52% of people in the US aged 18 to 34 listened to music on their smart speakers more often, while 39% of Gen Z and Millennials reported that the pandemic didn’t affect their usage at all. 

19. 35% of people living in the U.S. used their smart speakers for news and information more frequently.

(Statista)

A survey on smart speaker stats also showed that a certain number of people used their devices for getting information more frequently, while 9% of survey participants reported they used their speakers less. Ultimately, the majority of people used their smart speakers for news just as frequently as before.

20. 50% of people that are 18 to 34 years old listened to news via their smart speakers more during the pandemic.

(Statista)

According to stats on smart speaker demographics, both Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen Xers said they used their smart speakers for news more often during the pandemic. Just 16% of those aged 55 or older reported using smart speakers for this purpose.

21. 34% of people that didn’t own a smart speaker during the pandemic claimed they were likely to buy the device in the next six months.

(InsideRadio)

Smart speaker ownership stats showed that the pandemic signaled a call for all those that didn’t already have a smart speaker in their home to try it out. The numbers grew even more for those that use voice commands on their other devices like smartphones, and 52% of consumers said they plan to buy a smart speaker in the next six months, even if they already have one. 

Smart Home Speaker Statistics: Final Thoughts

The adoption of smart devices in the global population is dramatically growing every year. Smart speakers have the ability to aid in everyday tasks as well as perform more complicated assignments in a matter of seconds.

The market is currently dominated by three major companies: Amazon, Google, and Apple, but there are a few smaller brands that also are taking their share of the profits. The use of smart speakers varies based on several demographics such as age, educational, level, and economic status.

Still, smart speaker statistics show that the pandemic encouraged many to adopt this technology and employ its many different uses.

People Also Ask

• InsideRadio
• Intrado
• MarTech
• Mindstream
• MobileMarketing
• Omdia
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• SurveyMonkey
• Techradar
• Voicebot

The latest malware statistics show that 10% of all computers were attacked by malicious programs in the first half of 2021.

Cyberattacks are an everyday thing now, and we are all slowly getting used to the idea that there are dangers around us. But somehow, we still don’t act accordingly.

Installing an antivirus is not enough—we have to combine it with proper computer hygiene. 

What does that mean?

Take a look at the statistics we have collected here, and you will get the idea. In this article, you will find some incredible stories about how a simple oversight can cause billions in damages and how the losses could have been prevented.

Most Common Types of Malware and Their Impact

Malware is any piece of software that is created to harm electronic devices such as computers, smartphones, etc. The motives are mainly financial gains but could also be cyber warfare, and these two are often intertwined. There are many forms of malware out there, but the most common ones are worms, viruses, botnets, trojans, spyware, and phishing attempts.

1. New malware is discovered every 0.2 seconds on average.

(AV-Test)

The German AV-Test institute registers new malware every 0.2 seconds, which amounts to almost 432,000 pieces of malware every day. The malware analysis showed that nearly 95% is designed for Windows, 3,2% is for Android, and 0,11% is for macOS.

The macOS structure makes it unpopular amongst hackers because it is compartmentalized and doesn’t allow viruses to run freely across the sectors. But, of course, if you are a Mac user, this doesn’t mean you should stop being careful. Even though they are less likely to become a computer virus victim, MacOS users are still susceptible to phishing and brute force attacks.

2. The malware infection statistics show that 75% of all malware in the first half of 2021 had been delivered by email.

(HP Wolf Security)

Emails are still the most popular way of distributing malware. Around 49% of phishing emails used invoices and other business transactions as bait, while another 15% were created as replies to intercepted company or personal emails. This method is called email thread hijacking, and new employees are one of the most susceptible categories since they are still learning about company structure and other employees.

3. 52% of the ransomware victims pay the ransom.

(Mimecast)

Unfortunately, the malware attack statistics show that 34% of individuals and organizations who paid the ransom never got control of their data back. On average, ransomware incidents cause six days of downtime, but 37% of the companies reported more than a week.

4. More than 3 million new pieces of mobile malware were detected in the last quarter of 2020.

(McAfee)

This is a significant increase from the previous quarter when more than a million and a half were discovered. A large percentage of this malware was related to Covid vaccination. According to McAfee’s mobile malware statistics, more than 90% of all pandemic-related malware are trojans. They take complete control of the device, access the user’s data, and transfer additional malware.

5. An average company using Windows RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) receives more than 600 failed login attempts.

(Sophos)

Due to the pandemic, many companies had to turn to remote work, and Windrows RDP was one of the preferred methods. This, in turn, led to an increase in brute force login attempts. This is one of the most common types of unsophisticated cyberattacks. 

Hackers use a vast number of username and password combinations to gain access to the company’s RDP. Hacking statistics show that the most commonly used usernames are administrator, admin, user, ssm-user, and test.

6. 40% of large companies have more than 10,000 ghost users.

(Varonis)

Furthermore, 59% of financial companies have more than 500 passwords that never expire. These numbers are every hacker’s wildest dream. Ghost (inactive) users are an easy way for them to gain access to the company’s servers, especially if they are combined with passwords that never expire. 

It all comes down to the fact that the hackers are only as good as we allow them to be. Bad computer hygiene has led to some of the most famous data breaches, Colonial Pipeline being the latest.

Interesting Antivirus Statistics

7. Norton LifeLock is the most commonly used antivirus program, with more than 13% market share.

(Statista), (Security.org)

Around 12.7% of users prefer Avast, and the percentage of ESET users is not much lower – 11.65%. McAfee, the first antivirus program ever released, is in sixth place, with around 7.5% of the market share. According to studies, more than 30% of antivirus users have free versions.

8. The global endpoint security market size in 2021 was worth $9.51 billion.

(Statista)

The market will continue to grow and is expected to reach $15.6 billion by 2024. Endpoint security is made up of firewalls, antivirus, intrusion detection, and other tools that protect from different types of malware attacks. With the evolution of cyber threats, antiviruses have evolved as well. As a result, the best antivirus software brands now offer much broader protection and can be considered to be endpoint security software.

9. Banking Trojan activity has spiked in the second half of 2020, with a 141% increase.

(McAfee)

The notorious Cerberus source code and BRATA trojan are two of the main contributors to this increase. Thanks to their unique obfuscation features and processes, the hackers managed to slip them through Google’s screening. Android malware statistics show that McAfee found five apps containing this malware on Google Play in 2020.

10. Android’s incorporated malware protection offers limited safety, as it detected only 82% of threats during an independent test. 

(AV-Comparatives)

Tests conducted by an independent organization showed that built-in malware protection is not enough to protect Android users. With just under 82% detection rate, Android ranked at the bottom of the list. Antiviruses like Bitdefender, Avira, G Data, and Kaspersky have a 100% detection rate, some of which even with their free versions.

11. Smartphone malware statistics show that more than 57% of new mobile malware in 2020 was adware.

(Statista)

New Android malware appears at a rate of almost half a million per month, and adware is the most common type. It is designed to automatically show or download advertising material when you are online. The most common examples are banners or pop-ups.

12. More than 98% of mobile banking attacks target Android devices.

(Kaspersky)

When it comes to the eternal battle — iOS vs. Android — the malware statistics show that iOS is slightly more secure. This is probably due to its closed architecture. For instance, the software and the hardware are developed together and closely intertwined, unlike Android. 

Furthermore, the apps featured in the store are examined in detail and approved by Apple, and iOS doesn’t allow users to side-load software. Android is open-source software, which has its advantages but makes it more vulnerable.

Computer Viruses: Statistics

13. ILOVEYOU (LoveBug) was the first major virus in the world, and it had infected more than 10% of all computers at the time.

(Forbes)

The worm first appeared in 2000 in the Philippines. Even though its creator didn’t have any supervillain intentions (just wanted to steal some passwords to access the internet for free), it caused massive worldwide problems. The malware detection statistics show that it affected every tenth computer in the world.

The worm would infect a computer and then send ILOVEYOU emails to all contacts in the address book. The infection spread very fast, clogging the network with emails. At some point, even the Pentagon, the CIA, and the UK Parliament all shut down their email systems to protect them from the surge. Cybercrime statistics show that the overall damage is assessed to be around $10 billion. 

14. Viruses make around 15% of all malware.

(Statista)

When we compare computer virus vs. malware numbers, we can see that viruses are not the most common form of malware. They are in second place on the list, far behind trojans that take up more than 64% of all malware in cyberspace. Worms are in third place, with little under 8%.

15. Mydoom is the most destructive virus so far, with $52.2 billion in damages.

(HP)

Also known as Novarg, this worm appeared in 2004 and caused a massive shake across the internet. The global malware statistics show that, at one point, it was responsible for 25% of all emails sent. Computer worms are a type of virus that is self-contained – it has everything it needs to function. Once it lands in a new device, it starts replicating and infects other connected devices.

In this case, the worm’s objective was to send infected emails to all email addresses it could scrape from the infected device. Even though it was created 17 years ago, Mydoom is still around and generates 1% of all phishing emails.

16. Malware stats show that almost 10% of all computers connected to the internet encountered malware in the second quarter of 2021.

(Securelist)

According to Kaspersky, the global average of computers that come into contact with malware is 9.43%. However, the average numbers are just one part of the story. In countries like Belarus and Mauritania, the percentages are much higher, 23.65% and 19.04%, respectively. 

They are followed by Moldova and Ukraine, both with over 18%. The US and Canada are much better, with just 6.24% and 8.86%, respectively.

17. More than 83% of new malware is developed to target Windows systems.

(Malwarebytes), (AV-Test)

A recent study analyzing malware statistics by operating system shows that the percentage of Windows malware is gradually increasing, from 78% in 2019 to 83% in 2020. This is hardly surprising since Windows is the most popular OS in the world. However, there are fluctuations in the percentages over the years, with high spikes or drops. 

This is because whenever an effective malware tool appears, it leads to an increase in cyberattacks. For instance, cybersecurity statistics show that macOS had a significant threat increase of over 400% in 2019. In that year, it had almost two times more detections per endpoint than Windows.

Malware Trends and Forecasts

18. Almost 70% of cybersecurity professionals had under a week to set up security when companies turned to remote work during the pandemic.

(ISC)

Furthermore, 22% of cybersecurity professionals state that they had less than a day. It is evident that that’s not enough to set up security protocols and educate the workforce. Only 16% had more than a week to finish these crucial tasks. They were not given more time because 67% of businesses had just under a week to move their operations online. The cybersecurity experts just had to follow clients’ demands.

19. 34% of all security incidents that organizations have experienced in 2020 involved malware.

(SOPHOS)

According to Sophos’s 2021 study, around a third of all cybersecurity incidents involved malware. Malware statistics further show that exposed data and ransomware were involved in 29% and 28% of cases, respectively. 

With the organizations forced to use cloud infrastructure due to the pandemic and remote work, there are much more tempting targets for the hackers. As a result, around 70% of IT professionals state that the cloud infrastructure they support has suffered a breach in the last year.

20. 66% of cybersecurity professionals report shortages of dedicated cybersecurity staff in their organizations.

(ISC)

A lack of workers may be the reason behind the grim internet security statistics. But even though there is a shortage of qualified cybersecurity staff, the global workforce gap is actually decreasing. It fell from 4 million to 3.1 million in 2020. 66% of that gap is reported in the Asia-Pacific region, and 12% in the US. Europe contributes to the overall numbers with just 5%.

21. 52% of businesses reported a growing volume of cyberattacks in 2021.

(Mimecast)

Furthermore, 60% reported that the attacks and malware are becoming more sophisticated, which is more worrying. When it comes to malware, quality is more important than quality. The malware statistics lead us to conclude that the vast majority of cyberattacks are low-quality, and they can be spotted easily. But the sophisticated attacks are much more dangerous, especially when distributed to new and inexperienced employees.

22. Even though the overall number of ransomware detections declined by 40% in 2020, ransomware attacks are more dangerous than ever.

(Securelist)

The statistics show that 1.49% of all malware detected in 2019 was ransomware. If we compare ransomware vs. malware total numbers, we can see that the percentage dropped to 1.08% in 2020. These figures would make you think that the situation is improving, but unfortunately, it’s not the case. 

Ransomware statistics indicate that the hackers just shifted from conducting mass attacks to highly sophisticated and targeted attacks on large and important organizations because they bring more money. For instance, CNA Financial allegedly paid hackers $40 million to get control of its systems back from the hackers.

Conclusion

The latest malware facts and data show that the digital world is more dangerous than the real world. But, in a way, we are to blame. Most of us don’t take computer hygiene and cybersecurity very seriously. We look both ways before crossing the street but fail to change our passwords occasionally, even though we are more likely to be a victim of malware than a hit and run victim.

The bottom line is that if we were more persistent in maintaining proper computer hygiene, cybercriminals would have a harder time achieving their goals. As long as they view it as easy money with no possibility of getting caught, they will keep developing and marketing new malware.

People Also Ask

• AV-Comparatives
• AV-Test
• AV-Test
• Cybercrime Magazine
• Cyberhoot
• Forbes
• HP
• HP Wolf Security
• ISC
• Kaspersky
• Malwarebytes
• McAfee
• Mimecast
• Security.org
• Securelist
• Securelist
• Sophos
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Varonis
• Varonis

Ransomware attacks can quickly turn into a nightmare for unprepared IT admins. In the past, hackers mostly operated on a linear scale, making it easy to predict their next move. These days, it’s more complicated.

As you’ll learn from these ransomware statistics, attacks nowadays are more elaborate, targeted, advanced, and broader. Consequently, the impact is also more detrimental. Furthermore, cybercriminals are gaining so much control that they can sway even large organizations to dance to their tune and give in to their financial demands.

Despite the combined efforts to secure information systems, recent statistics reveal a rising rate of successful attacks. But unlike other types of malware, ransomware is usually easier to spot. We’ve compiled some important facts about this type of cyberattacks to help you detect potential threats and strengthen your existing security systems.

The First and the Biggest Ransomware Attacks in History

1. The first documented ransomware attack happened in 1989 and targeted the healthcare industry.

(Palo Alto Networks)

Did you know the first targets of a ransomware attack were healthcare professionals?

Three decades ago, Dr. Joseph Popp, an active AIDS researcher at the time, devised a plan to give out 20,000 floppy disks to his fellow AIDS researchers across 90 countries. He told them the disks contained a program that could assess a person’s risk of contracting AIDS in the form of a questionnaire. But they didn’t have any idea they were infected with malicious software. They were the first victims of what would later become known as the AIDS Trojan.

According to ransomware statistics, 24% of data breaches today occur in the healthcare sector.

2. WannaCry is the biggest ransomware attack in history.

(Raconteur)

Launched in 2017, WannaCry is considered the biggest and most widespread ransomware attack in history. It’s estimated to have crippled 200,000 computers in 150 countries, putting the world in a state of frenzy for four days.

The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK was most severely affected by this attack and is believed to have lost £92 million (almost $125 million). Cyence, a cyber risk modeling firm, assessed that the total loss caused by WannaCry was close to $4 billion.

General Ransomware Stats

3. The average cost of remediating a ransomware attack is a staggering $761,106.

(Sophos)

In 2020, Sophos conducted a survey among 5,000 IT managers across six continents. What’s shocking about its findings is that paying cybercriminals the ransom money is only one half of the cost involved. Companies also need to pay for all the working hours required to restore their systems, clean up the damage caused by the attack, and strengthen their cybersecurity.

The average ransomware demand globally is estimated at $761,106. Organizations that decide not to pay the ransom spend around $732,520 to recover their systems. Businesses that pay lose twice the amount due to all the additional costs, totaling close to $1.45 million.

4. Since 2016, more than 4,000 ransomware attacks have occurred daily.

(Federal Bureau of Investigation)

In the four years since January 2016, more than 4,000 ransomware attacks have been carried out daily, according to ransomware statistics from 2020 published by the FBI. The most common targets include private businesses, home users, and even government networks.

Experts believe that the sudden shift toward remote work caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to drive this number up. More than ever, it is crucial to have multiple layers of security, even for home networks.

5. Cybercriminals use bitcoin as a ransom currency because of its anonymity.

(ECPI University)

Some of the latest ransomware attacks show us how standard ransomware is slowly morphing into crypto-ransomware. Bitcoin is a widely used digital currency, and most cybercriminals nowadays demand ransom in this rather than some physical currency. 

Not only is bitcoin untraceable, but it also isn’t overseen by any banks or government bodies. Plus, sending, receiving, and converting it to cash doesn’t require hackers to reveal their personal information.

6. 1 in 3,000 emails that pass security filters contains malware, including ransomware.

(Fortinet)

According to email phishing attacks statistics, using a filter tool doesn’t entirely eliminate the risk of ransomware. Although it provides some level of security, 1 in 3,000 emails that pass through commonly used filters may still be infected with some type of malware, ransomware included.

Furthermore, 1 in 4,000 emails contains malware previously unknown to cybersecurity experts. To avoid falling victim to ransomware, employees should learn how to differentiate between legit and malicious emails. Investing in a reliable email encryption service is also a smart idea.

7. On average, targeted organizations pay a ransom of $233,817.

(Coveware)

Malware statistics from the third quarter of 2020 show that the average ransom payment was $233,817. This marks a 31% increase from the second quarter and a 47.8% increase from the first quarter of the year. For comparison, the average payment in the third quarter of 2019 was $41,198, which means that its value has gone up by a staggering 467.5% year-over-year.

8. The average downtime due to a ransomware attack is 19 days.

(Coveware)

According to ransomware attacks statistics, it’s not just the average ransom payment that increased over the past year — the average downtime caused by the attacks also saw a significant rise. In the third quarter of 2020, the downtime was 19 days, up 19.2% from 16 days in the second quarter. In the third quarter of 2019, the average downtime was 12.1 days, which translates to an annual increase of 57%.

9. Only 26% of targeted organizations pay the ransom, but not all get their data back.

(Sophos)

2020 ransomware statistics reveal that about one in four companies worldwide ends up paying the ransom to regain access to its files. However, in some cases, not everything goes according to plan. 

Sonos reports that 1% of organizations pay the ransom and never get their files back. Looking at country-specific statistics, India has the highest percentage of organizations that decide to pay the ransom (66%), while Spain has the lowest (only 4%).

10. Cybersecurity insurance pays the ransom 94% of the time.

(Sophos)

Cybersecurity insurance is one of the main anti-ransomware trends in today’s cyber world. In fact, 84% of organizations report having it. In times of security breaches, it can aid financially.

However, only 64% of organizations have policies that cover ransomware incidents, meaning that the other 20% aren’t protected in such cases. When organizations with anti-ransomware insurance are targeted by hackers and decide to pay the ransom, 94% of the time, it’s actually the cybersecurity insurance companies that cover the cost.

11. In 2020, 99% of organizations that paid the ransom received a functioning decryption tool.

(Coveware)

Ransomware stats from the first quarter of 2020 reveal that 99% of victims who pay the ransom receive a functioning decryptor and successfully regain access to their files. This is up from 97% in the final quarter of 2019. However, these statistics show that 1% of organizations permanently lose their data even after paying the ransom.

Ransomware is the primary income source for the so-called Ransomware-as-a-Service groups of hackers. For this reason, they’re careful that the data they’ve stolen doesn’t get corrupted beyond recovery; otherwise, they risk losing their profits. However, mistakes sometimes happen, so it’s crucial not to shell out a hefty sum of money before considering all your options.

12. According to ransomware statistics from 2019, organizations lost more than $7.5 billion due to ransomware attacks.

(Emsisoft)

In 2019, at least 966 government agencies, healthcare organizations, and educational institutions were on the receiving end of the worst sequence of ransomware attacks ever recorded. 

The impact was severe, especially for the healthcare industry. Medical records were inaccessible or even lost, which placed people’s lives at risk. The attacks also resulted in the cancellation of urgent surgical procedures and redirection of patients to other institutions.

13. In 2019, the FBI’s IC3 received 2,047 ransomware complaints with an estimated loss of over $8.9 million.

(Federal Bureau of Investigation)

In its annual ransomware statistics report for 2019, the FBI recorded 2,047 complaints related to ransomware. While the mere number of cases doesn’t look that worrying, the associated losses have a colossal value of over $8.9 million. 

This report only refers to the complaints filed to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and not directly to FBI agents or offices. Therefore, the actual cost and the number of attacks are probably much higher.

14. In 2020, there were 127 newly discovered ransomware families.

(Statista, Dark Reading)

This number is slightly higher than the year before, when there were only 95 new families detected. A typical ransomware attack today is more advanced than in the past. According to cybersecurity experts, hackers have learned they shouldn’t target thousands of victims at once and expect a few of them to succumb to their demands. 

Instead, cybercriminals now focus on specific organizations that are more likely to pay the ransom to have their data restored as soon as possible. That’s why their interest has shifted from home users to local governments, healthcare providers, and smaller businesses with outdated operating systems.

Industry-Specific Ransomware Statistics

15. The private sector suffers more ransomware attacks than the public sector.

(Sophos)

Contrary to what we repeatedly hear from the media, it’s not the public but the private sector that’s most often the target of cybercriminals. In 2019, only 45% of public sector organizations were victims of ransomware attacks. This is well below the 60% of media, leisure, and entertainment organizations that were also targeted, according to 2019 phishing statistics.

So why are the headlines claiming the opposite? That’s mainly because public organizations are financed from the public funds and obliged to report ransomware attacks. Private organizations don’t have such protocols, allowing them to keep any data breach or attack a secret.

16. New ransomware threats are mainly targeting the healthcare industry.

(Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency)

The FBI and the US Department of Homeland Security recently called a conference with healthcare executives to warn them of an imminent cybercrime threat to hospitals and care providers. Namely, the global pandemic has caused a significant disruption in the healthcare sector, making it susceptible to some of the latest ransomware threats.

Thankfully, after receiving intel, the FBI was able to give warnings on impending cyber attacks. This gives the healthcare sector time to strengthen its networks and systems. However, with the increased healthcare spending during the pandemic, providers might find it challenging to locate funds to invest in their cybersecurity.

17. The total loss caused by ransomware attacks against US healthcare providers has hit over $157 million since 2016.

(HIPAA Journal)

According to ransomware statistics, the healthcare sector was the target of 172 attacks since 2016. 74% of these attacks were aimed at hospitals, while the remaining 26% targeted secondary institutions like dental services and nursing homes. In all, the ransomware demand was $16.48 million, but healthcare providers only paid $640,000. The rest of the cost was associated with data retrieval, damage reparation, and improvements in cybersecurity.

18. Between the second and third quarter of 2020, there’s been a massive 388% increase in ransomware attacks in the education sector.

(Emsisoft)

Higher education ransomware statistics reveal that the number of targeted institutions spiked from 8 in the second quarter to 31 in the third quarter of 2020. But unlike other industries, ransomware attacks on educational institutions typically follow a specific pattern.

Namely, cybercriminals compromise a network in early summer and slowly exfiltrate data from the institution. 

On average, they spend 56 days on these networks, waiting for the “right moment” to commence a full-scale attack. For hackers, that moment is the beginning of the school year, after which, during the third quarter, they hit the targeted institutions with ransom demands. By following this pattern, they’re able to inflict the most damage to their targets.

Top Ransomware Trends in 2020

19. Experts reported one ransomware attack every 11 seconds in 2021.

(Cybercrime Magazine)

According to available data, almost six ransomware attacks occurred every minute in 2021. This is a significant increase from one attack every 40 seconds in 2016 and one every 14 seconds in 2019. These numbers exclude attacks on individuals and focus on businesses. That’s alarming as ransomware stats reveal that home users with insufficient antivirus software are more at risk of attacks than organizations that invest millions in cybersecurity.

20. The parcel and shipping sector could be the next big target of ransomware attacks.

(Nextgov)

Some analysts predict that, in 2022, the shipping and delivery industry could also become the target of ransomware attacks. Driven by people’s dependency on these services during the lockdown, hackers will most likely perceive it as a viable opportunity to extort more money.

21. The global cost associated with ransomware recovery exceeded $20 billion in 2021.

(Cybercrime Magazine)

Out of all the different forms of cybercrime, ransomware is by far the fastest-growing. In 2021, the total ransomware costs associated with data recovery had exceeded $20 billion, 57 times more than in 2015. As ransomware attacks become more targeted and sophisticated, organizations will have to invest lots of money to improve their cybersecurity.

22. By 2025, organizations will invest more than $1 trillion in their cybersecurity.

(Cybercrime Magazine)

According to industry estimates for the period between 2019 and 2023, based on FBI ransomware statistics, the cost of cybercrime could reach $5.2 trillion. The ongoing online threats organizations face will press them to invest more in cybersecurity.

One layer of security won’t suffice in repelling cyberthreats from sophisticated hackers. Businesses will have to use a combination of the best antivirus software, a firewall, email filtering programs, and other security tools to ensure optimum defense. As a result, this will push worldwide spending on cybersecurity products and services to over $1 trillion by 2025.

Conclusion 

The cyberworld isn’t that different from the world we live in. To protect your property and assets, you need to have a security system in place. Likewise, organizations that handle valuable customer data need to secure their networks and update their systems regularly.

Recent ransomware attacks show us that hackers aren’t going anywhere. What’s more, they won’t hesitate to take advantage of any difficult situation, even if it’s a global pandemic that affects us all. Organizations must arm their systems with the right tools to counter any possible attacks. A business’s loss is a hacker’s gain, so you must be proactive, now more than ever.

People Also Ask

• Coveware
• Coveware
• Cybercrime Magazine
• Cybercrime Magazine
• Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency
• Dark Reading
• ECPI University
• Emsisoft
• Emsisoft
• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Fortinet
• HIPAA Journal
• Nextgov
• Palo Alto Networks
• Raconteur
• Sophos
• Statista

According to rental statistics, 43 million rental homes were occupied in the US in 2020. Owning a home with plenty of room and a spacious yard is the ultimate dream for many families. Although there are more homeowners than tenants, the rising prices of residential properties have pushed people to rent instead. 

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with living in rented homes, but it might be prudent to test out if renting is really the more economical choice for you and your family. 

To help you determine which option is better, we have gathered some interesting statistics for you to take a look at. Read on to find out.

Worrying ​Rental Statistics in America

1. 62% of renters are anxious they won’t be able to make regular rent payments.

(Market Place)

The COVID-19 pandemic has dampened the nation’s general outlook. As a result, many people are wondering how they will cover even their basic living expenses, such as food and shelter, amidst rising unemployment rates. That said, 62% of renters are worried about the immediate future and the possible inability to pay rent regularly.

2. The average monthly rent in February 2021 was $1,124.

(Statista)

In the US, the average rent paid in February 2021 was $1,124. From 2017 to 2021, the average rent for all types of apartments has increased, but there is a subtle decrease compared to the figures before the pandemic. In other words, the average rent was $1,105 in January 2019. 

3. In the first 10 months of 2021, the national median rent has increased by an astonishing rate of 16.4%.

(Apartment List)

This increase is at least five times higher than the average rent increase percentage during pre-pandemic years (2017–2019). To compare, the rent increase during these pre-pandemic years only averaged 3.2%. That said, some cities are witnessing an incredible rent prices increase—rents in Tampa, Florida are up 36% compared to March 2020.

4. 66% of renter households earning less than $25,000 have used their Economic Impact Payments on rent payment.

(Forbes)

Rental payments are usually a top priority for any American household. However, rental market statistics show that rental households won’t be able to make regular rental payments given the current global health crisis that has affected the average American’s income. In addition, statistics show that a huge number of households won’t be able to make their monthly rental payments without any government aid. 

5. ​By the end of 2021, the average American household will likely spend more than 30% of its income on rent.

(Zillow)

Rental statistics show that the average household spent 25.8% of its income on rent between 1985 and 2000. Two decades later, the percentage is up by 4.4 points (30.2%). This is above the 30% threshold at which a person is classified as “housing cost-burdened.” 

The higher the percentage, the more people will struggle to make payments. However, this percentage is not the same across the nation. For instance, rental analysis shows that this percentage goes up to 39.3% for Miami renters and is expected to rise to 40.3% by the end of the year.

6. Americans paid $512 billion in rent in 2019.

(The Real Deal)

According to 2019 data, the total rental payments in the US reached $512 billion. This figure is 10% more than the average rental bill of the decade. Reports attribute the 2019 total rental bill increase to the rising number of renters and the soaring rental rates.

7. Rental market analysis shows that 15% of American renters were behind on their rent in August 2021.

(National Equity Atlas)

Recent research showed that 15% of all renters have unpaid rents. What’s worrying is the fact that 48% are families with children. An estimated 6.7 million children in these households are in danger of being evicted. This number is closely approaching the 2008 foreclosure crisis that caused 8 million households to lose their homes. 

8. Recent rental property analysis shows that ​single-family homes account for 39% of rental units in the US.

(ManageCasa)

This type of rental unit just recently became popular. Real estate investors used to view single-family detached home rentals as less profitable because of increased maintenance and management costs. 

However, the market is slowly shifting due to increased demand from older Millennials looking to relocate to safer suburban and rural areas but couldn’t afford to purchase a home. Nowadays, single-family detached homes account for a little over a third of all residential rental units in the US. Of course, the increased demand also caused a subsequent increase in the average monthly rent for a house. 

9. The District of Columbia has the highest rent in the US. 

(RentData)

According to the HUD, the Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom home in DC is $1,765 per month. Fair Market Rent is essentially the 40th-percentile of typical prices for new renters in a given region. For perspective, the median value is the 50th-percentile. 

When it comes to Fair Market Rent, DC is followed by Hawaii, where a two-bedroom home costs $1,798 to rent. California previously had the highest FMR, but it’s now fourth on the list. The average rent in California for a two-bedroom home is $1,526.

10. San Francisco saw the sharpest rent decline in Q1 of 2021. 

(JCHS)

As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, areas with high rents recorded the sharpest drop in rent prices. Due to job insecurity, many people moved out of the expensive apartments, and those who were considering renting a posh place decided to wait. 

This resulted in rent reductions in typically expensive cities. For example, San Francisco saw a 20% drop in rent prices in the first quarter of 2021. San Jose recorded a 16.5% drop, followed by New York (15%) and Boston (8%). On the other hand, rents have increased in lower-cost markets like Boise (11%) and Fayetteville (10%).

Homeowners vs. Renters Statistics

There are advantages to each. Firstly, you don’t need large amounts of money to start renting, and the market is well-regulated, protects both parties in the contract, and minimizes the chance of misunderstandings. Secondly, homeownership means you’re investing your money instead of just spending it on rent. 

11. 65.4% of households own the home they live in.

(Census Bureau, Pew Research Center)

According to homeownership vs. renting statistics released by the Census Bureau for the third quarter of 2021, there were 142.1 million households in the US. Moreover, 65.4% of these households own the home they live in, while the rest of these households rent their homes. 

However, the percentages are not evenly distributed among races and ethnicities, as 58% of African-American or Black and 52% of Latino or Hispanic households rent their homes. On the other hand, rent statistics show that only 27.9% of white households live in rental homes.

12. ​45% of renters regret renting rather than purchasing their homes. 

(The Mercury News)

In a survey conducted among 10,000 homeowners and renters from 20 of the largest metros in the US, 45% of those living in rental housing said they regret not purchasing their own homes. There are three identified reasons for this.

The first reason is the lost opportunity in building equity on a home. The second is their inability to customize a rented home according to their personality and preferences. Lastly, they couldn’t control the steep rental rates for homes that are increasing year on year.

13. 38% of renters in the US state list not having enough money for a down-payment as the main reason for not buying a home.

(Statista)

In a recent survey, people who were asked about the reasons for not buying a home listed not having enough money for the down payment as the top reason. Other factors included a bad credit score (32%) and the COVID-19 pandemic (31%). In this case, a government assistance program that would help people allocate the money for a downpayment could change renting trends.

14. Homeowners in Rockingham County, NH save an average of $2,000 a month compared to renters. 

(Rent.com)

In this second-most populous county in New Hampshire, the average mortgage rates per month are almost $2,000 less than the average rent. In general, the Northeast is best for people looking to buy a home instead of renting. Even though houses and apartments are not cheap there, it’s much more affordable to pay for a monthly mortgage than rent. 

This applies to nearly every major Northeastern metro area. Rental statistics by zip code show that Rockingham County, NH, New Brunswick, NJ, and Newark, NJ top the list of metro areas where home buying is cheaper than renting. In New Brunswick, homebuyers save up to an average of $1,825 per month compared to renters, while in Newark, they save up to $1,681. 

15. Renters in San Francisco, CA save nearly an average of $2,000 a month compared to homeowners. 

(Rent.com)

The Bay area is generally expensive, whether you are buying or renting a home. However, with house prices regularly going over $1 million, it’s statistically cheaper to rent there. The average rent in the Bay Area is the fourth-highest in the US. In San Francisco, the average rent is $3,218 a month, whereas the average monthly mortgage is $5,201. In San Jose, the average monthly mortgage is $4,614, while rent is an average of $3,104.

16. US renters paid $4.5 trillion in rent between 2010 and 2020.

(Zillow)

The rental market is one of the biggest sources of money for the economy. Zillow estimates that renters in the US paid a total of $4.5 trillion in the 2010s. This is a lot of money, considering that this amount is higher than Germany’s GDP in 2018. Moreover, in 2019 alone, Americans spent $512 billion on rent. 

Rental Vacancy Rate

The vacancy rate of rental properties is a helpful indicator of the rental market’s health. When the vacancy rate falls below 7%, the demand for rental properties is said to be high. Conversely, if the vacancy rate increases to 12%, the demand is said to be low.

17. In 10 years, rental vacancy rates in the US decreased by 15%. 

(Statista)

The US rental market has seen a decreasing trend in vacancy rates in the last 10 years. In 2009, vacancy was at an astonishing rate of 40%. However, in 2019, the rate decreased to 25%. This rental market trend reflects a growing demand for rental properties.

18. In the past five years, the apartment rental industry’s market size in the US has grown by an average of 2.7% annually. 

(IBISWorld)

In the past five years, the market size of the apartment rental industry in the US has seen a steady increase. The shortage of affordable rental units and a surplus of luxury units contributed to the average annual rental increase. Moreover, declining vacancy rates gave landlords more opportunities to charge higher rents. However, these trends were diminished in 2020 due to COVID-19 and the rise in unemployment that inevitably ensued. 

19. Renters occupied about 43 million housing units in 2020. 

(Statista)

The demand for rental units is on the rise. In 1975, there were only 25.66 million rented housing units. Experts believe that one of the reasons for the rental growth rate is that buying a home has become increasingly difficult in recent years. Subsequently, the increasing demand for rental properties has increased rent prices.

20. More than 15 million people are at risk of eviction.

(Aspen Institute)

To fight the effects of a pandemic-induced financial crisis, the United States federal government gave financial aid to a significant number of renters who lost their jobs. It also proclaimed a moratorium on evictions in cases of renters failing to pay rent. 

However, with the moratorium’s expiration and steady rise of average rent in the US, many renters are in danger of being evicted. Some estimates say it’s more than 15 million people.

21. US rental households collectively owe more than $20 billion in rent. 

(Aspen Institute)

The pandemic-induced economic crisis took its toll on the rental market. The average debt owed to rental property owners surpasses $3,000. Factors that contributed to this high average rental debt include the rising unemployment numbers and prioritizing other basic needs in the home. Nowadays, 15 million Americans, consisting of 6.5 million households and 7.4 million adults, are in danger of being evicted.

22. National eviction statistics show that West Virginia has the highest percentage of renters facing eviction. 

(Forbes)

There are significant differences in percentages of renters facing eviction between states during this pandemic crisis. For example, with 60% of renters facing eviction, West Virginia is now the hardest-hit state, whereas only 22% of Vermont renters could lose their homes. 

23. A prolonged eviction costs up to $10,000. 

(RentRedi)

There are many expenses involved in evicting a tenant. Property management statistics show that these expenses include lost rents, legal fees, cleaning costs, repair costs, etc. The worst-scenario evictions, where the landlords have to go to court and make substantial repairs, can result in losses of up to $10,000. Situations like these have made tenant screening services very popular. By doing proper background checks and choosing good tenants, the landlords can reduce risks and costs to a minimum.

24. 10.3 million Americans filed income tax returns with rental properties.

(IRS)

Based on the latest data on individual income tax returns it received, the IRS calculated that approximately 10.3 million people earn from 17.7 million rental properties. These renting statistics don’t include rental properties owned by companies. That said, we can say that the average landlord in the US has 1.7 rental properties.

25. Total revenue from vacation rentals in the US is projected to exceed $16.6 billion in 2021.

(Statista)

Vacations are considered essential for our mental well-being. This is why it’s considered a stable industry and why we continue to see year-on-year growth in vacation rental industry statistics. In fact, the US vacation rental market is expected to reach $16.63 billion in 2021. 

In comparison, the global revenue in vacation rentals is projected to be $59 billion. This growth is credited to the shift in the accommodation preference of vacationers from hotels to rental properties because of privacy and cheaper rates. These advantages are especially significant to travelers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

26. The apartment turnover rate fell by 5.4% from 2019 to 2020.

(CBRE)

The turnover fell from 47.5% in 2019 to 42.1% in 2020, and that’s the lowest turnover rate in over two decades. There has been a continuing long-term decline in apartment turnover rates in the past years, but it was accelerated further by the COVID-19 pandemic. This can be explained by people’s reluctance to move amid a pandemic and the economic downturn and financial insecurity it has caused.

​Renter Demographics

27. ​Almost half of the renters in 2019 were under 30 years old.

(Statista)

Statistics show that young people are the most common renters, and it’s hardly surprising. They just left their parents’ house or graduated college, and they are taking their first independent steps in life. Unfortunately, one of the first challenges they will have to face is the rising average renting price. As a result, 36% of them are late with their payments, especially in the midst of the pandemic. 

28. 11% of US rent-based households use government programs to find and pay for housing.

(USA Facts)

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has several subsidized assistance programs for people struggling to pay rent or find a home to rent. These programs include public housing, housing choice vouchers, and Section 8 programs. 

In 2019, around 5 million households used these benefits, constituting 11% of all rent-based households in the US. Furthermore, 32% of these households are headed by single mothers.

​Conclusion

With the average annual rent increase in the US of 3% to 5% in the past 10 years and the staggering 16.4% increase in median rent in 2021, renting has become a burden for many people. 

The question of whether renting is a better option than buying a home depends on a household’s stability. Buying a home doesn’t seem wise for households that expect to move a lot, especially for career advancement. With recent rental stats in mind, households can see renting as part of a season of transitions. 

Location is another thing to keep in mind. If you’re located in the Bay Area, you can save more by renting rather than paying a monthly mortgage. However, if you live in the Northeast, buying a home might make more sense.

People Also Ask

• Apartment List
• Aspen Institute
• CBRE
• Census Bureau
• Forbes
• Forbes
• IBISWorld
• IRS
• JCHS
• ManageCasa
• Market Place
• National Equity Atlas
• Pew Research Center
• Rent.com
• RentData
• RentData
• RentData
• RentRedi
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• Statista
• The Mercury News
• The Real Deal
• USA Facts
• Zillow
• Zillow
• Zillow