Internet Access

Percentage of U.S. adults online, with broadband at home, and owning smartphones (2000–2025)

Last updated: Jan 8, 2026
Internet Users (2025) ↑
96%

Nearly all U.S. adults now report using the internet, up from 52% in 2000

Home Broadband (2025) →
78%

About eight in ten adults subscribe to high-speed internet at home

Smartphone Owners (2025) ↑
91%

Nine in ten adults own a smartphone, up from 35% when first tracked in 2011

Broadband in 2000 ↑
3%

Only 3% of adults had broadband at home in 2000, when 34% still used dial-up

Internet Access Over Time

Comparative Dataset

Date Internet Use (%) Home Broadband (%) Smartphone Ownership (%) Source
2000 523— [1]
2001 556— [1]
2002 5911— [1]
2003 6116— [1]
2004 6324— [1]
2005 6833— [1]
2006 7142— [1]
2007 7447— [1]
2008 7455— [1]
2009 7663— [1]
2010 7666— [1]
2011 79—35 [1]
2012 836646 [1]
2013 847056 [2]
2014 84—— [2]
2015 —67— [14]
2016 —7377 [1]
2018 —65— [1]
2019 907381 [3]
2021 937785 [4]
2023 9580— [5]
2025 967891 [6]

Context

Internet adoption among U.S. adults grew from 52% in 2000 to 96% by 2025. The fastest growth occurred between 2000 and 2012, when usage rose by roughly 30 percentage points. Since 2013, adoption has continued climbing more gradually, approaching near-universal levels among working-age adults while gaps persist among those 65 and older and in lower-income households.

Home broadband subscriptions followed a different trajectory, rising steeply from 3% in 2000 to 66% by 2010 as cable and DSL replaced dial-up. Broadband adoption plateaued in the mid-2010s, dipping from 70% in 2013 to 67% in 2015 before recovering to 80% in 2023. The slight decline to 78% in 2025 may reflect increased reliance on smartphone-only internet access among some households, as well as changes in survey methodology.

Smartphone ownership grew rapidly from 35% in 2011 to 91% in 2025. The spread of mobile internet access has narrowed some digital divides by providing connectivity without requiring a fixed broadband subscription. Pew Research Center's shift from phone-only surveys (2000–2021) to mixed-mode surveys incorporating web and mail (2023 onward) may affect direct comparisons across some data points.

Related Entities

Social Media PenetrationSmartphone AdoptionFacebookYouTubeTwitter / X

Citations & Data Sources

  1. 01.

    Pew Research Center. Demographics of Internet and Home Broadband Usage in the United States. Internet and broadband fact sheet with historical trend data

    www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/internet-broadband
  2. 02.

    Pew Research Center. Americans' Internet Access: Percent of Adults 2000–2015. Historical internet use data for 2000–2015

    www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/06/26/americans-internet-access-2000-2015
  3. 03.

    Pew Research Center. Mobile Technology and Home Broadband 2019. Survey of U.S. adults on broadband and smartphone use, 2019

    www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/06/13/mobile-technology-and-home-broadband-2019
  4. 04.

    Pew Research Center. Mobile Technology and Home Broadband 2021. Survey of U.S. adults on broadband and smartphone use, 2021

    www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/06/03/mobile-technology-and-home-broadband-2021
  5. 05.

    Pew Research Center. Americans' Use of Mobile Technology and Home Broadband. Survey of 5,733 U.S. adults, May 19–Sep. 5, 2023

    www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/01/31/americans-use-of-mobile-technology-and-home-broadband
  6. 06.

    Pew Research Center. Internet use, smartphone ownership, digital divides in the US: What we know. Overview of 2025 data on internet use, broadband, and smartphone ownership

    www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/01/08/internet-use-smartphone-ownership-digital-divides-in-u-s
  7. 07.

    Pew Research Center. Broadband vs. Dial-up Adoption Over Time. Historical data on dial-up vs. broadband home connections, 2000–2013

    www.pewresearch.org/chart/broadband-vs-dial-up-adoption-over-time
  8. 08.

    Pew Research Center. Home Broadband Adoption 2005. Reports 30–33% broadband adoption in early 2005

    www.pewresearch.org/internet/2005/09/21/findings
  9. 09.

    Pew Research Center. Part 1: Broadband Adoption in the United States (2006). Reports 42% broadband adoption in early 2006

    www.pewresearch.org/internet/2006/05/28/part-1-broadband-adoption-in-the-united-states
  10. 10.

    Pew Research Center. Home Broadband Adoption 2007. Reports 47% broadband adoption in 2007

    www.pewresearch.org/internet/2007/07/03/home-broadband-adoption-2007
  11. 11.

    Pew Research Center. Home Broadband 2010. Reports broadband adoption trends 2008–2010

    www.pewresearch.org/internet/2010/08/11/home-broadband-2010
  12. 12.

    Pew Research Center. Digital Differences. Reports 66% broadband adoption in April 2012

    www.pewresearch.org/internet/2012/04/13/digital-differences
  13. 13.

    Pew Research Center. Home Broadband 2013. Reports 70% broadband adoption in May 2013

    www.pewresearch.org/internet/2013/08/26/home-broadband-2013
  14. 14.

    Pew Research Center. Home Broadband Adoption: Modest Decline from 2013 to 2015. Reports 67% broadband adoption in July 2015

    www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/12/21/1-home-broadband-adoption-modest-decline-from-2013-to-2015
  15. 15.

    Pew Research Center. Nearly Half of American Adults Are Smartphone Owners. Reports 35% smartphone ownership in 2011 and 46% in February 2012

    www.pewresearch.org/internet/2012/03/01/nearly-half-of-american-adults-are-smartphone-owners
  16. 16.

    Pew Research Center. Smartphone Ownership 2013. Reports 56% smartphone ownership in May 2013

    www.pewresearch.org/internet/2013/06/05/smartphone-ownership-2013
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