The recent email spam stats show the mind-blowing truth: we find ourselves in the era of the unprecedented number of undesired messages in all online channels. Whether it be the 160 billion spam emails that are sent every day or the advanced AI-based scams that even tech-savvy people fall for, there has never been a more important time to comprehend the reach and effect of spam.
A thorough study and research of the latest email spam statistics and overall spam trends in 2025 gives us an idea of where email and computer-related digital threats are heading, as well as their effects on the environment and their impact on individuals and companies. We will cover such topics as which countries produce the most spam and what psychological effects it has on the victims to provide a full image of the modern world of spam.
The Current State of Email Spam: Key Statistics That Matter
The starting point in developing an appreciation of the spam menace in the modern world is by evaluating the sheer magnitude of the unwanted messages that are being passed around the world. The state of modern email spam statistics creates the image of an issue that has never been of such magnitude, and practically every single owner of an email account has experienced it.
Daily Email Volume and Spam Distribution
It is estimated that nearly 347 billion emails are sent over the internet every single day, and this is one of the main digital communication methods used by mankind. Of this huge amount, an astonishing 160 billion emails will be spam, 46 percent of all email traffic daily. These email spam statistics reveal that email spam represents almost half of the entire email communication in the world, including unwanted and potentially malicious messages.
Global Email Volume and Spam Trends
| Year | Total Daily Emails (Billions) | Spam Percentage | Daily Spam Volume (Billions) |
| 2017 | 269 | 56.63% | 152.3 |
| 2022 | 333.2 | — | — |
| 2023 | 347 | 45.6% | 158.2 |
The most alarming thing about these numbers is the trend over the years. Although the proportion of emails identified as spam has declined, in absolute terms, the number of spam emails has risen as email usage overall has grown, with the percentage of emails identified as spam falling, in 2023, to 45.6% after being as high as 56.63% in 2017. The number of emails sent and received every day has increased by 299 billion (269 billion in 2017 to 333.2 billion in 2022) messages, which, due to the advancements in filtering technologies, means that we openly get more spam emails than ever.
Universal Impact: Nearly Everyone Affected
The first most remarkable thing about the present-day email spam statistics is probably the ubiquitous nature of the issue. Indeed, survey responses indicate that a massive 96.8 percent of individuals have experienced spam messages in either of the following ways: email, text messages, phone calls, and messaging apps. Such almost universal exposure makes spam not an issue that only some demographics or groups of users have to face – it is an issue that almost everybody who engages in any form of digital communication has to deal with.
The spread of spam through the various communication mediums indicates that email is in the lead, with 49 percent of the respondents citing email as their number one source of spam messages. Phone calls are next at 26.5 percent, text messages at 14.7 percent, and messaging applications, such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, at 9.8 percent. These email spam statistics prove that spam has dispersed in terms of platforms, but email is still the main one in terms of unwanted messages.
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Spam Distribution by Communication Channel
| Communication Channel | Percentage of Users Receiving Spam | Primary Spam Source |
| 96.8% | 49.0% | |
| Phone Calls | — | 26.5% |
| Text Messages | — | 14.7% |
| Messaging Apps | — | 9.8% |
Geographic Distribution: Which Countries Generate the Most Spam?
The geographical distribution of spam can tell us interesting stories regarding the cybersecurity prevalence in different locations, regulatory conditions, and the internationalization of spam businesses. Recent email spamming statistics indicate that there are great differences in spamming and receiving spam in various countries.
Top Spam-Generating Nations
The US is the absolute leader in the amount of spam emails, sending about 8 billion spam emails every day. This number means that the U.S. ranks first in the world in email spam statistics in terms of the total volume, closely followed by China with 7.6 billion spam emails daily. This is followed by Germany and Russia, which send 7.3 billion spam emails daily each, then Singapore, Japan, and France, which send 7.2 billion each day.
Top Countries by Daily Spam Email Volume
| Rank | Country | Daily Spam Emails (Billions) |
| 1 | United States | 8.0 |
| 2 | China | 7.6 |
| 3 | Germany | 7.3 |
| 3 | Russia | 7.3 |
| 5 | Singapore | 7.2 |
| 5 | Japan | 7.2 |
| 5 | France | 7.2 |
| 8 | Netherlands | 7.1 |
| 9 | Ukraine | 7.0 |
| 10 | Canada | 6.9 |
But the situation is different when analysing the spam-emitting IP addresses. China tops the list of spam-emitting IP addresses with 771,021, the United States is second with 677,067, and Brazil comes third with 253,248. These email spam statistics indicate that the U.S. originates the most spam emails, but China has the most spread spam infrastructure.
Countries with the Most Spam-Emitting IP Addresses
| Rank | Country | Spam-Emitting IP Addresses |
| 1 | China | 771,021 |
| 2 | United States | 677,067 |
| 3 | Brazil | 253,248 |
| 4 | United Kingdom | 139,085 |
| 5 | India | 88,042 |
| 6 | Netherlands | 83,587 |
| 7 | Vietnam | 79,848 |
| 8 | Italy | 79,326 |
| 9 | Germany | 56,728 |
| 10 | Morocco | 52,663 |
Regional Variations in Spam Reception
The nature of using spam differs greatly depending on the country that an individual is in, with some countries being plagued by a much more serious spam issue than others. Chile is leading the chart with 56.9 percent of all phone calls as spam, with 8.9 percent of fraud calls. Indonesia is a close second with 56.4 percent of spam calls, but fraudulent ones consist of only 1.4 percent.
Countries with the Highest Spam Call Rates
| Rank | Country | Spam Call Rate | Fraud Call Rate | Spam Calls Per Person/Month |
| 1 | Chile | 56.9% | 8.9% | 18 |
| 2 | Indonesia | 56.4% | 1.4% | 7 |
| 3 | Argentina | 56.0% | 31.0% | 7 |
| 4 | Hong Kong | 54.0% | 12.0% | 20 |
| 5 | Brazil | 46.4% | 9.4% | 25 |
| 16 | USA | 25.3% | 1.3% | 12 |
Such geographical differences in email spam rates and spam calls data are frequently aligned with the variations in the anti-spam laws, the capabilities of enforcement, and the cybersecurity levels. In those countries where the legal system is well developed and the enforcement mechanisms are in place, the spam level is generally lower, whereas those countries with a less developed regulatory regime often turn into places where spam business is concentrated.
The Evolution of Spam Content: What Scammers Are Targeting
Recent statistics on email spam have shown a tremendous change in the content and targeting approaches that spammers use. These trends are important to understand both by individuals and organizations that want to defend themselves against new threats.
Most Common Spam Email Topics
Recent statistics indicate that prizes and giveaways are the most prevalent spam email subject, being used in 36.7 percent of spam emails. This is closely trailed by false employment opportunities at 36.3 percent and banking-related scams at 34.6 percent. These email spam statistics underline that spammers use the most typical human aspirations and fears, the possibility of winning something of value, the necessity to find a job, and the fear of being poor.
Most Common Spam Email Topics
| Rank | Topic | Percentage of Spam Emails |
| 1 | Prizes and Giveaways | 36.7% |
| 2 | Job Opportunities | 36.3% |
| 3 | Banking/Financial | 34.6% |
The dominance of prize and giveaway scams in the statistics of email spam is associated with a psychological manipulation technique that has always been successfully used. They frequently impose artificial urgency and enthusiasm and pressure the recipients into taking actions without giving a second thought. In the same way, job opportunity scams target economic insecurity and careerism, and banking scams target human worries about the safety of their finances.
Industry-Specific Targeting
The spam relating to business differs in the patterns, as the email spam statistics indicate that the greatest number of emails are targeted at financial institutions. A whopping 27.7 percent of phishing messages aimed at businesses are targeted at banks and other financial firms, with Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and webmail providers coming in second at 17.7 percent and social media firms at 10.4 percent.
Industries Most Targeted by Phishing Scams
| Rank | Industry | Share of Phishing Messages |
| 1 | Financial Institution | 27.7% |
| 2 | SaaS/Webmail | 17.7% |
| 3 | Social Media | 10.4% |
| 4 | Logistics/Shipping | 9.0% |
| 5 | Payment | 6.0% |
| 6 | E-commerce/Retail | 5.6% |
| 7 | Telecom | 3.1% |
| 8 | Cryptocurrency | 2.3% |
| 9 | Other | 18.2% |
Such email spam statistics are strategically sensible when it comes to targeting as a criminal. Financial institutions deal with sensitive customer information as well as huge financial transactions, which make them prime targets. SaaS/webmail hosts provide access to business communications, customer data, and social media providers’ personal information, which can be used in identity theft or social engineering attacks.
Financial Losses from Scam Calls by Year
| Year | Americans Affected (Millions) | Total Losses (Billion USD) | Average Loss per Person |
| 2014 | 18.0 | $8.60 | $489 |
| 2015 | 27.0 | $7.40 | $275 |
| 2017 | 22.1 | $9.50 | $430 |
| 2018 | 24.9 | $8.90 | $357 |
| 2019 | 43.0 | $10.50 | $244 |
| 2020 | 56.0 | $19.70 | $351 |
| 2021 | 59.4 | $29.80 | $502 |
| 2024 | 56.2 | $25.40 | $452 |
Business and Economic Impact
The bigger picture is the effect on the economy that goes well beyond personal losses in terms of email spam statistics. At the start of 2023, text message scams alone were estimated to have cost people $13 billion in the first half of the year. A study by researchers at UC San Diego identified that certain spam businesses earn about 7,000 a day, or 2.5 million a year, proving that such illegal operations are quite profitable.
These high financial returns can be explained by the success rates disclosed in the email spam statistics. Average seekers of traditional phishing emails are 17.8 percent, and voice-enhanced phishing campaigns are 53.2 percent, three times more effective than email-only campaigns.
Environmental Impact of Spam Emails by Country
| Country | Daily Spam Emails (Billions) | Daily CO2 Emissions (Metric Tonnes) | Annual CO2 Emissions (Metric Tonnes) |
| United States | 8.0 | 240 | 87,600 |
| China | 7.6 | 228 | 83,220 |
| Germany | 7.3 | 219 | 79,935 |
| Russia | 7.3 | 219 | 79,935 |
| Singapore | 7.2 | 216 | 78,840 |
| Japan | 7.2 | 216 | 78,840 |
| France | 7.2 | 216 | 78,840 |
| Netherlands | 7.1 | 213 | 77,745 |
| Ukraine | 7.0 | 210 | 76,650 |
| Canada | 6.9 | 207 | 75,555 |
| Top 10 Total | 71.8 | 2,184 | 797,160 |
Resource Consumption
In addition to the carbon footprint, the statistics of email spam constitute a huge waste of computational resources. The servers, routers, switches, filters, storage facilities, etc., necessary to send, receive, filter, and store 160 billion spam emails a day use up a lot of electricity, bandwidth, and storage space that could be utilized by legitimate means.
This usage is spread across the whole email ecosystem, between the servers that spew out spam and the filtering systems that defend users, and is an enormous waste of digital infrastructure capacity enabled by crime.
Demographic Patterns: Who Gets Targeted Most?
Age and Gender Patterns
Spam call statistics indicate that the group of men that receives the highest number of spam calls is the 65+ group, with an average of 35.5 calls per month, whereas the group of men that receives the least number of spam calls is the 18-34 group, with 14.2 monthly calls. Women aged above 65 years almost equal their male counterparts in the number of spam calls received, with 35.4 calls per month.
Such trends in email spam rates and other statistics indicate that fraudsters tend to focus on elderly groups, which may be because of their perceived vulnerability or asset appreciation. Nonetheless, it also demonstrates in the data that women are targeted more than men in the 18-54 age brackets with scam calls, so there are complex targeting patterns.
Ethnic and Economic Targeting
Demographic research shows a huge variation in the rates of spam victimization. Hispanic Americans and Black Americans are also twice as likely as White Americans to lose money to phone scams, with 47 percent of Black Americans and 36 percent of Hispanic Americans reporting monetary loss compared to 25 percent of White Americans.
Spam content also differs across ethnic lines based on the statistics of email spam and studies conducted on these lines. The fraudulent communications involving deliveries, cars, and politics are more likely to go to white recipients, whereas Hispanic Americans get more spam related to student loans, indicating demographic-profiled campaigns.
Psychological and Health Impact: The Human Cost
The latest email spam rates and other studies have started investigating the psychological consequences of being bombarded with spam daily, and the results are worrying in regards to mental health and well-being.
- Mental Health Consequences: The survey data indicates that 68.8 percent of individuals receiving spam or phishing messages experienced some effect on their mental state, of which 41 percent deemed the effect as significant and 27.8 percent as moderate. These email spam stats reveal one of the most overlooked effects of spam: the psychological impact it has on the users.
- Social and Trust Implications: The huge amount of spam indicated by email spam statistics has a wider implication in several aspects, such as social trust and even patterns of communication. The problem that can arise in this situation is that, as individuals grow increasingly wary of unsolicited communications, genuine businesses and organizations will have an even greater challenge reaching and communicating with their customers.
Technological Countermeasures: The Arms Race Against Spam
The history of anti-spam technology can be discussed as the arms race between the criminals and security suppliers, and email spam statistics indicate some improvement, although it is clear that challenges still exist.
AI-Powered Filtering
In current email providers, advanced AI systems are used to fight spam. According to Google, its machine learning filtering system prohibits over 99.9 percent of spam, phishing, and malware downloads prior to entering Gmail inboxes, and performs almost 10 million spam messages per minute. These email spam statistics will impress you and show the magnitude of the protection that needs to be provided and is provided by contemporary filtering systems.
User Education and Awareness
In spite of the technological improvements that are indicated by email spam statistics, user education is very important. Although 95.9 percent of individuals consider themselves able to recognize spam messages, with 56.6 percent claiming to be able to recognize them without difficulty, the preceding success of spam operations indicates that this ability might surpass reality.
Industry-Specific Impacts and Trends
Industries are targeted differently by spam, and email spam statistics show the trends in regard to the value of various types of data and access.
Financial Services Under Siege
Current email spam statistics show that financial institutions are the most targeted by spam campaigns, as they receive 27.7 percent of all business phishing attempts. Such obsessiveness highlights the significant importance of financial information and access to financial systems.
The result is that banks and financial services firms have to spend a great deal of money on cybersecurity infrastructure and employee education to counter this steady rain of attacks. These defensive actions have a high price, that is, an operational cost caused by spam business.
Technology and Social Media Targeting
Email spam statistics show that SaaS and webmail providers are targeted with 17.7 percent of all phishing attacks, whereas social media companies are targeted with 10.4 percent. The concentration of personal information and communication channels on these platforms makes them appealing targets to criminals intending to increase the scope of their activities or collect personal information.
The attacks on technology firms are also a way of attempting to undermine security infrastructure itself, which would allow larger attacks should it be successful.
Future Trends and Predictions
According to the recent email spam statistics and new technology trends, a number of changes appear to become dominant in the world of spam in the future.
- Advancing AI Complexity: With the growing availability and capabilities of AI, statistics show that email spam will become more advanced and difficult to recognize and will be more emotionally exploitative. It is quite probable that voice cloning, deepfake videos, and custom content generation will become the new standard in spam operations.
- Changing Platform Consumption: With the trends in communication moving to new platforms and new technologies, spam activities will move as well. The modern spam email statistics indicate email is still dominant; however, the latest platforms, such as virtual reality environments, IoT devices, and new messaging technologies, will present new spam vectors shortly.
- Regulatory Response: Increased recognition of the cost of spam, both economically and socially, could lead to increased international regulatory cooperation, as well as harsher punishment of spam activities and businesses. But spam activities are global enterprises and thus enforcement is difficult and possibly necessitating new international structures.
Conclusion
The overall email spam rates and the general spam statistics considered in this report demonstrate the magnitude of the challenge on a new scale and a new level of sophistication. Spam is no longer a mere inconvenience; with 160 billion spam emails being sent every day and 96.8 percent of users of digital communication being prey to its effects, spam has risen to become an economic, environmental, and social menace.
The economic cost is also unbelievable, as billions of dollars are lost each year, and millions of people fall victim to this phenomenon globally. The mental burden causes continued stress and loss of confidence in online communications. This environmental impact is an enormous squandering of computing resources and energy. In the meantime, spam is becoming more advanced and difficult to recognize with the help of AI-powered attacks.
