52 Dark Web Statistics for 2026

The dark web (or net) is a hidden part of the internet you can’t get to through normal browsers and search engines. Instead, you need specialized browsers like Tor to enter it. While journalists and privacy advocates use the site for legitimate activities, cybercriminals can also use it to sell stolen data and get the latest malware. 

Below, we’ll take a closer look at key dark web statistics to help you understand the true scale and risk. We’ll also dig into some protection tips to help keep your sensitive information off the site.

Dark Web Size and Growth

The exact size of the dark web is estimated to be less than 1% of the internet, much smaller than the regular web (1.25 billion as of July 2025) and the deep web (rough estimates put it at 500 times larger). 

Here’s a closer look at some dark web size and growth stats

• Tor has seen a significant traffic spike of 20 million since September 2026, with numbers normalizing to around 5 million in April 2025. (Tor)
• Tor traffic (dark web traffic) is up from 2.5 million in the first third of 2025. (Tor)
• The dark web intelligence market will reach $1.99 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.3%. (The Business Research Company)
• The Tor Network has more than 1 million active “.onion” URLs (links to dark web sites) as of April 2026. (Tor)

Who Uses the Dark Web? 

Despite being developed by the U.S. Naval Research Lab (NRL) to hide military communications, Cybercriminals are the primary users of the dark web. This is followed by curious people and those who benefit from extreme privacy, such as journalists and activists in restrictive countries.

Here’s a bit more on their user profile:

• Typical dark web users are young, male and heterosexual. (Florida Atlantic University)
• Dark web users have higher levels of impulsivity and risk-taking, typically linked to real-world criminal behavior. (Florida Atlantic University)
• Those using the dark web have a higher level of education, but hang out with “cyber deviants” who teach them how to navigate it. (Florida Atlantic University)
• Users who use the dark web are associated with excessive online behaviors, gambling problems, and poor social relationships. (Science Direct)
• The majority of dark web users are cybercriminals who use the platform to converse, coordinate, and plan malicious activities with the reduced risk of detection (Congress)
• The dark web is a “de facto superstore” for cybercriminals, teaching newbies the basics of scamming and creating a “cottage industry” of amateur fraudsters worldwide. (LexisNexis)
• Journalists access dark web news sites like the BBC, ProPublica, and the New York Times from censored countries to communicate with anonymous sources (Deepstrike)
• Government and law enforcement professionals use the CIA’s Tor Site for secure, anonymous, and untraceable communication where needed. (CIA)

Where Do Dark Web Users Live?

Over the past year, the Tor Network found that most of its users live in the United States, with honorable mentions to European countries like Germany and France.

Here’s a table based on April 2025 to 2026 data from Tor Metrics:

Despite ranking fourth, India is the most curious about the dark web, with over 370,000 searches for “dark web.” The U.S. is closer to 300,000, with others trailing further behind. (Hosting)

How Much Do Dark Web Users Pay for Data?

Data prices range from $1 to well over $10,000. Values vary depending on whether you can use the information for criminal activities (such as identity theft) immediately and how fresh it is. Here’s how prices vary:

Source: Dark Web Data Pricing 2025: Real Costs of Stolen Data

The Impact of Dark Web Attacks

Cybercriminals exploit the dark web’s hidden nature to engage in hacking, doxing, fraud and ransomware. There are just a few examples of the different types of cybercrimes, with more seen below:

Financial fraud

• Cryptocurrency losses totaled over $11 billion in 2025, up 22% from 2024. (IC3)
• Investment fraud was the highest source of financial loss in 2025, totaling $8.6 billion. (IC3)
• There were over 75,000 complaints of sextortion, exploiting someone’s sensitive messages or images for sale on the dark web, in 2025. (IC3)
• Infostealers (malware that harvests login credentials) contributed to a rise in account takeover (ATO) fraud, costing over $350 million. (IC3)
• Cybercriminals target critical infrastructure to collect data for sale on the dark web, with notable targets including Healthcare (355 incidents), manufacturing (258) and government facilities (232) in 2025. (IC3)
• Public administration is the most targeted industry, accounting for nearly 13% of cyberattacks in 2025, resulting in government data leaks and extortion attempts. (SOCRadar)
• More than 140 million stolen credit card records appeared for sale on dark web marketplaces in 2025. (Recorded Future)
• Over 80% of card-not-present (CNP) payment card records came with a user’s personal information. (Recorded Future)
• Market disruptions have reduced the volume of card data for sale on the dark web, prompting the closure of smaller marketplaces like BidenCash. (Recorded Future)

Cybercrime and hacking

• There were over 3,600 complaints of ransomware attacks, which can end up on the dark web, costing over $30 million in 2025 (IC3)
• Criminals used underground, dark web workflows to acquire over 3,600 scam merchant accounts, tricking victims into using fake login pages. (Recorded Future)
• Threat actors use dark web forums to advertise one-time password (OTP) bots, like Evigingk, that intercept 2FA codes. (Recorded Future)
• The “Sniffer by Fieras” payment data theft kit is sold on the dark web and includes a web-based portal to manage data. (Recorded Future)
• Some new threats include a revenue-sharing model giving malware developers a cut of the stolen data in exchange for use of the tools (Recorded Future)

Dark web sales and marketplaces

• Dark web sales reached an estimated $2.6 billion in 2025. (Chain Analysis)
• Selling posts on dark web forums accounted for nearly 60% of crime on the platform in 2025. (SOCRadar)
• You can buy 93 million data logs and 67 million Google logs with a $15 monthly subscription. (SOCRadar)
• Darknet markets (DNMs) are a persistent enabler of the illicit crypto economy despite repeated law enforcement takedowns. (Chain Analysis)
• Crypto-enabled drug traffickers are transitioning from Fentanyl to Methamphetamine based on seizures at the Southern U.S. border. (Chain Analysis)
• Fraud shop activity has (and continues to) decline due to law enforcement pressure and a consolidation into higher-value operations. (Chain Analysis)
• Around 300 officers from Europol were deployed to take down a dark web marketplace with a transaction volume of 350 EUR in 2025. (Europol)
• FBI agents made over 270 arrests in Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, and more in Operation RapTor, seizing around 317 pounds of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics in 2025. (FBI)
• California resident Tenzin Orgil was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for drug trafficking under dark web vendor monikers including iEUROPA, iUSA, and iAMERICA. (DEA)

How to Protect Yourself from Threats on the Dark Web

While these stats may seem scary and difficult to comprehend, you can take steps to stay safe:

• Use dark web monitoring tools: Consider tools like Google’s discontinued dark web monitor to keep an eye out for exposures. For example, Panda’s Dark Web Scanner alerts you to exposed email addresses and passwords. 
• Strengthen account protection: Cybercriminals trade passwords and email addresses on dark web forums. With two-factor authentication (2FA) and strong passwords, you can protect the information hidden inside these accounts.

• Remove your information from the internet: Ask that people search sites remove your information through available opt-out forms. You can also use services like DeleteMe or Incogni to automate the removal of your info across multiple sites. 

• Hide your social media info: Keep your social media pages private, don’t overshare and only add friends that you know in real life. This three-layer approach keeps your social data off dark web marketplaces.

• Use a VPN on public Wi-Fi: Cybercriminals can hide packet sniffers that collect your data in transit through public Wi-Fi networks. A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts your connection data to keep this information off dark web forums.
• Be careful with links: Avoid clicking on suspicious links that point to unverified URLs, as they may contain malware that could infect your computer. Consider Panda Security’s free antivirus software to stop these infections with real-time protection.
• Keep your software updated: Malware can target vulnerabilities in outdated software to collect your data and automatically send it to a cybercriminal for sale on the dark web. Regular updates patch these vulnerabilities and help keep your information safe.

Browse Safely with Panda Security

The dark web is a mysterious and dangerous place. While not all sites are illegal, many are criminal supermarkets. Budding criminals can use these sites to buy the malware that targets your computer. 

To protect your PC from infostealing malware, use Panda Dome to protect against sophisticated cyberthreats. Its AI-powered, real-time protection helps spot and stop malware. Download it today so your data doesn’t end up like another product on a criminal superstore’s shelf.

Dark Web Statistic FAQs

What percent of the internet is the dark web

The dark web accounts for no more than 1% of the internet and could be as low as 0.005%.

How many cyber incidents begin on the dark web?

While it’s hard to be specific because criminals don’t share data, the dark web is a crime ecosystem where many cybercriminals start their journey. 

How do I know if my information is on the dark web?

Use dark web monitoring tools to find out whether your information was exposed in a data breach and is now on the dark web. 

Is it illegal to access the dark web in the U.S.?

No, using the dark web by itself won’t get you arrested. However, using it to buy drugs or steal information will get you in trouble.

What was the biggest dark web leak? 

The largest data breach that’s now on the dark web was a collection of 16 billion logins across various infostealers.

How is the dark web different from the deep web? 

The dark web requires the Tor browser to access, while the deep web requires that you know the URL. Both are hidden from search engines, so you still need some extra steps to find them. 

Is the dark web larger than the visible web? 

No. The dark web is 1% of the visible web and the deep web, making it much smaller than both of them combined.