How Many People Shop Online? Key Statistics to Know

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Article Summary

In 2025, online shopping continues to rise worldwide. An estimated 2.77 billion people are expected to shop online this year, making up around 21% of all global retail sales. In the U.S. alone, over 273 million people shop digitally. Gen Z leads adoption, with 74% shopping online at least once a month, often through mobile apps and social platforms. For ecommerce and POD entrepreneurs, this shift highlights a massive opportunity to reach global buyers with optimized online stores, mobile-friendly experiences, and products that align with digital-first consumer behavior.

Millions of people around the world now buy almost everything online.

In 2025, more shoppers are choosing to stay home and shop on their phones or laptops instead of visiting stores.

This shift is a big chance for print-on-demand business owners. It’s now easier than ever to reach more customers and grow your brand online.

But to do well in online shopping, you need to pay attention to the data. This will help you make smarter decisions about things to make and sell online.

In this guide, we’ll show you how many people shop online in 2025. We'll provide insights by region and shopper demographics.

How many people shop online worldwide in 2025?

According to eMarketer, 2.77 billion people around the world are estimated to shop online in 2025. That’s more than 1 out of every 3 people.  

Online shopping keeps growing because it’s super convenient, especially on phones. With things like automated dropshipping and faster delivery, it’s easier than ever to buy things online.

And it’s not just big cities anymore. People in small towns and growing countries are also getting better at knowing how to market products online to customers around the world. 

Big shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday have also helped bring more people to shop online. These facts about online shopping shows that shopping online is becoming more popular than going to regular stores.

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How many people shop online in China?

In China, most people prefer shopping online instead of going to stores. In 2024, about 974 million people in China shopped online. That’s almost 70% of the whole country’s population.

Recent data show that an estimated 974 million people in China shop online in 2024. This is nearly 70% of the country’s population engaging in digital buying.

People in China often use big websites like Alibaba and JD.com to buy things like electronics, clothes, and home items.

Image via Alibaba

How many people shop online instead of in person is more than convenience. China’uses advanced technology to make shopping online easy. 

People use mobile payment apps like Alipay and WeChat Pay to pay for almost everything. Just a quick scan or tap, and you're done. 

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How many people shop online in the United States?

Online shopping is a big part of everyday life in the United States shopped with many retailers tapping into various profitable niches

So, how many people shop online in the US regularly? 

As of the latest data, approximately 273.49 million people shop online in 2024 in the United States. 

People love shopping online because it’s fast and easy. Some stores even deliver the same day. You can buy almost anything like clothes, electronics, groceries, or stuff for your home.

Americans shop on websites like Walmart, Target, and other smaller online stores. But Amazon is still the most popular place to shop online.

Image via Amazon

Shopping online is super easy, and there are tons of products to choose from. Because of this, people in the U.S. keep shopping online more and more.

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Final Thoughts: + Summary

Online shopping is growing across all demographics and regions. As more people around the world get access to the internet, even more people will start shopping online.

For entrepreneurs, especially those in dropshipping or ecommerce, this is a huge opportunity. More people shopping online means more chances to sell products to customers all over the world.

Knowing how many people shop online helps business owners understand what buyers want and how shopping is changing. The future of shopping is online, and now is a good time to take advantage of it.

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