After reaching nearly 60% in mid-2022, mobile web traffic declined throughout 2023, falling to 53%—a level not seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the trend reversed in 2024, with mobile browsing seeing unprecedented growth.
According to data from Stocklytics.com, mobile web traffic surged to a record-breaking 62.7% in Q1 2025, reflecting a significant 10% increase over the past year. This marks the second-largest single-year rise ever recorded, highlighting the growing dominance of mobile devices in online activity.
Mobile web traffic has skyrocketed over the past year, driven by several key factors. The rise of 5G networks and AI-powered search have made mobile browsing much smoother. Shopping and payments on mobile have also become so easy that desktops are hardly needed anymore. Meanwhile, social media giants YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram continue to flood users with an endless stream of short-form content, keeping them glued to their phones. This perfect storm of technological advancements and consumer behavior has made mobile the dominant force in web traffic, and the StatCounter data proves this.
After hitting a low of 53.4% in early 2023, down 6% from the previous year, mobile web traffic began a steady climb over the past seven quarters. By the end of 2023, it had inched up to 54.6%, but the real surge came in 2024, bringing one of the biggest growths in the market’s history. By mid-year, mobile’s share in web traffic had crossed the 60% threshold for the first time in history.
The upward trend has continued for the past three quarters, culminating in a record 62.7% of total web traffic in Q1 2025. This near 10% jump in just a year marks the second-largest annual increase this market has ever seen. Statistics show only 2016 saw a slightly higher rise in mobile web traffic, with a 10.5% increase that year, while 2022 and 2019 followed with 5% increases each.
Although the global mobile web traffic share has hit a record 62.7%, there are still significant regional differences, with Asia leading the charge.
Asia is home to some of the world’s most mobile-driven countries, including India, China, Indonesia, and South Korea, where the majority of people rely on their smartphones for practically everything. The widespread availability of fast 5G, affordable smartphones, and an app-centric digital culture have pushed the region’s mobile web traffic share far beyond the global average.
According to StatCounter data, mobile devices accounted for 71.3% of total web traffic in Asia in Q1 2025, nearly 10 times higher than the global rate. This figure also stands 20% above the mobile web traffic shares in North America and Europe, where usage remains closer to the 50% mark.
