Metaverse Statistics By Usage, Market Size and Facts (2026)

Introduction

Metaverse Statistics: While, in 2018, the term “Metaverse” was still part of sci-fi and innovative technology demonstrations, in 2025, it has become a living world where people buy houses, take classes, work, and interact with others in virtual settings. The Metaverse can be defined as an interconnected world with virtual economies that have multiple possibilities for application within different spheres, such as gaming, education, and entertainment. Despite the numerous benefits offered by the Metaverse, there are also some concerns about the privacy and security of the users of the virtual world.

Editor’s Choice

1. Approximately 54% of the experts expect the Metaverse to play a crucial role in the lives of 500 million people by 2040.
2. United States’ Metaverse market is observing high growth momentum, registering a value of nearly USD 34.4 billion in 2024, growing at 42.6% CAGR.
3. In 2022, 31% of American adults did not know about the existence of the metaverse.
4. In 2022, 26% of Americans saw the metaverse as “the future of technology.”
5. AR and VR devices in metaverse technology are forecasted to bring in revenue of USD 1.17 billion in 2023.
6. In 2021, 38% of the global population wished to play extreme sports in the metaverse.
7. North America stands ahead with 38% of metaverse users in the world, while Asia-Pacific is growing rapidly at 41% Year-over-Year.
8. Metaverse gamers from 51 to 60 years old have only a percentage of 4%.
9. Global investment in metaverse technologies in 2025 reached more than USD 98 billion.

• The Metaverse has about 600 million users worldwide. Approximately 51% of its users are below the age of 13, indicating high youth acceptance.
• The market size is estimated at USD 74.4 billion. In 2026, 25% of people will be spending at least an hour daily in the Metaverse.
• Approximately 54% of the experts expect the Metaverse to play a crucial role in the lives of 500 million people by 2040. Close to 24% of U.S. adults anticipate that the Metaverse can substitute social media.
• Roblox is the most popular platform of the Metaverse. It has 70.2 million daily active users, although some sources put the number at 55 million.
• According to the report in explodingtopics, by 2030, the Metaverse will add USD 5 trillion to the world’s economic output. Yet, awareness remains poor – only 31% of U.S. adults have heard of the concept.
• Nevertheless, 68% of tech experts are sure that the Metaverse will experience rapid growth over the next five years. Computer and IT sectors contribute 17% of all investments in the Metaverse.
• Besides, 60% of gamers engage in activities in the Metaverse unrelated to gaming.

• Metaverse Market Size across the globe is expected to attain a valuation of nearly USD 4,473.6 billion, rising from USD 110.4 billion in 2024, at a CAGR of 44.8% during 2025-2034.
• North America was observed to dominate the market in 2024, contributing more than 40% in market share, generating revenues of USD 44.16 billion.
• United States’ Metaverse market is observing high growth momentum, registering a value of nearly USD 34.4 billion in 2024, growing at 42.6% CAGR.
• Technologically speaking, Virtual Reality (VR) along with Augmented Reality (AR) technology constituted 34.2% of the market in 2024, owing to their significance.
• Considering Application, Gaming emerged as a dominant segment in 2024, accounting for nearly 25.3% of the overall market share, backed by multi-user gaming and user-generated content.
• In case of End-Use Segments, Aerospace & Defense industry made up 22.9% of the market, due to their extensive utilization for training and operations through metaverse technologies.

• During 2022, the market produced about USD 65.2 billion worth of business, which increased dramatically to USD 94.1 billion during 2023. This upward trend kept growing over time, leading the market to record USD 130.5 billion during 2024, and USD 203.7 billion in the following year 2025.
• 2026 was a significant year for the market as it achieved revenues of more than USD 300 billion, recording revenues worth USD 306 billion.
• The upward growth trend continued during the next few years, where the market managed to generate revenues of USD 424.3 billion during 2027.
• The future is predicted to bring more significant growth opportunities for this market. For instance, the Metaverse market will surpass the USD 1 trillion mark by 2030, reaching an estimated revenue of USD 2,346.2 billion in 2032.

• 39% of users liked that it allowed them to do things which could not be accomplished in the real world. Another 34% of users noted that it improved their tech skills and made them literate.
• In 2022, 31% of American adults did not know about the existence of the metaverse.
• Only 38% of American adults knew about the existence of the metaverse, with 14% declaring themselves very familiar with it. The rest of those polled were only aware of its existence.
• In 2022, 18% of Americans were enthusiastic about the metaverse.
• 33% of Americans expressed curiosity regarding the metaverse; of them, 16% considered its effects to be positive. At the same time, 27% were uninterested in the platform, and 23% found it very suspicious.
• In 2022, 26% of Americans saw the metaverse as “the future of technology.”
• According to a poll from January 2022, another 9% considered the metaverse as superior to real life, while 30% found it inferior. 20% thought it was a threat to personal privacy, whereas 18% regarded it as an excellent place for socializing and entertainment.
• 15% of the UK’s Internet users thought that brands should market in the metaverse.
• 22% of the US online population agreed in 2021.
• In addition, 13% of Americans and 19% of Britons argued that brands could use the metaverse for creating a more immersive brand experience.
• 47% of all Internet users across the world feared becoming addicted to virtual reality.
• 41% were sure it would trigger a rise in mental health problems and 41% were fearful of losing their privacy.
• Additionally, 55% expected that their personal data could be abused, 44% feared cyberbullying and abuse online, 38% were scared about sexual harassment, and 37% about inappropriate behaviors.
• As for censorship, 57% of Internet users favored banning animal abuse videos completely.
• Also, 52% agreed that hate speech and harassment videos need to be censored.
• Finally, 48% agreed on censoring any video with racist content.
• 49% and 53% supported imposing certain restrictions (not censoring) on sexually explicit and alcohol & drug contents, respectively.

People’s Views on Metaverse

Overcoming obstacles	39%
Enhancing creativity & imagination	37%
Traveling the world without moving	37%
Increasing technological literacy & skills	34%
Connecting with new people without feeling awkward	34%
Creating completely new job opportunities	30%
Meeting your loved ones anytime you want	30%
More possibilities in education	29%
Giving opportunities for self-expression	27%

• AR and VR devices in metaverse technology are forecasted to bring in revenue of USD 1.17 billion in 2023. By the year 2030, the compound annual growth rate of this market is forecasted to be at 15.36%, resulting in USD 3.19 billion in earnings.
• AR and VR headsets shipment is anticipated to amount to 23.22 million units in 2023, 32.76 million in 2024, and 43.87 million units by 2025.
• Market growth of AR and VR is forecasted to bring in USD 31.12 billion revenue in 2023 and USD 52.05 billion by 2027.
• In 2024, the number of VR headset installations across the globe will exceed 34 million.
• European AR/VR market revenues will increase from USD 2.8 billion in 2021 to USD 20.9 billion in 2025.
• Extended reality (XR) market globally, including AR, VR, and MR, will reach USD 100 billion by 2026.
• It is forecasted that by 2024, there will be more than 1.7 billion mobile AR global users, while in 2015, there were just 200 million.
• The mobile AR market, consisting of in-app purchases, advertisement placements, and visualization software, is forecast to surpass USD 36 billion by 2026.

• The largest number of individuals who showed curiosity was 33%, making it the dominant attitude among the surveyed individuals.
• A considerable percentage of 27% were not interested in the metaverse concept, implying that they did not find any relevance in it.
• Another notable attitude was suspicion, shared by 23% of the participants.
• Concern and indifference attitudes were recorded equally among 19% of the respondents.
• A small number of people were excited about the possibility of the metaverse, with 18% sharing such an attitude.
• Others felt optimistic, with 16% of the people sharing this perspective.
• 12% confessed to being confused by the whole metaverse idea, and there was a need to sensitize the population on this issue.
• 7% of the participants felt none of the above emotions about the metaverse.

• Even though these consumers wished to use the metaverse for networking and workspaces, 48% wished to join because of art and entertainment. 44% wanted to invest in NFTs and cryptocurrencies through the metaverse.
• 41% of the survey participants wanted to experience what they cannot in reality, 40% wanted to interact with others, and 28% joined simply for escaping reality.
• In 2021, 38% of the global population wished to play extreme sports in the metaverse.
• 24% wished to become another person, 23% desired to spend their money on collectibles, and 22% wanted to hunt for large game animals.
• On the other hand, 14% wanted to engage in hate speech, while 20% were interested in playing adult games.
• In 2026, 25% of the global users will spend one hour per day in the metaverse for work purposes.
• Also, in 2021, 42% of Americans felt that the metaverse could partially replace social media.
• Moreover, 27% of the millennials in 2022 would watch sports events held in the metaverse.
• Nevertheless, 41% of the participants irrespective of age did not have any interest. On the other hand, 32% of the Generation Z members had some level of interest, whereas 30% did not.

• North America stands ahead with 38% of metaverse users in the world, while Asia- Pacific is growing rapidly at 41% Year-over-Year.
• Three new emerging economies are India, Indonesia, and Vietnam where users have doubled in the last 12 months.
• In Europe, metaverse users have grown by 28% in 2025, with Germany and the UK leading the way.
• Latin American countries have registered a growth in adoption rates by 19%, which was possible because of mobile platforms.
• 45% of all metaverse users in the world belong to Gen Z (ages 10-25), while Millennials occupy second place with 34%.

• In 2025, women constitute 43% of all metaverse participation.
• Citizens living in cities use metaverse applications thrice as much as citizens who reside in rural areas.
• A user of the metaverse in 2025 is, on average, 28.7 years old.
• English and Mandarin continue being the two most widely spoken languages in the metaverse.
• Digital inclusion initiatives undertaken in impoverished regions have exposed 7 million users to metaverse education technology in 2025.

• Most American developers, when defining the metaverse in 2021, opted for a version that involved virtual reality, augmented reality, and video technology.
• Additionally, by 2021, another 35% of game developers expected that there would be possibilities of developing content and selling it in the metaverse.
• 10% of American game developers viewed non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and cryptocurrencies as important to the metaverse in 2021.
• By 2021, half of all developers viewed tech services, particularly those in entertainment, as important for developing a functional metaverse.

• The highest number of players in the metaverse gaming world is those between 10 to 20 years old, with a share of 38%. The fact shows the popularity of virtual spaces among Gen Z and teenagers.
• Next, gamers from 21 to 35 years old make up 36% of the total number of players. They represent millennials with technological proficiency and innovation.
• 22% of gamers belong to those between 36 to 50 years old, showing the high level of interest among people who can afford expensive games.
• Gamers from 51 to 60 years old have only a percentage of 4%.

• Global investment in metaverse technologies in 2025 reached more than USD 98 billion.
• Venture capital investments reached USD 36 billion, where seed-stage companies developing avatar technology and XR software made progress.
• Meta and Microsoft invested more than USD 23 billion in immersive R&D during this year.
• More than 60 SPACs and IPOs were filed worldwide in XR and metaverse segments in 2025.
• SoftBank from Japan invested USD 1.2 billion in virtual world ventures in Asia and the United States.
• Corporate M&A in metaverse technology saw an increase of 31% YoY, where deal size averaged USD 422 million.
• Metaverse startups based on blockchain technologies raised over USD 15 billion, particularly in gamified finance and identity management.
• Startups operating in the United States secured 47% of global investment capital for metaverse technology in 2025.
• Governments in Europe, such as France and Germany, allocated EUD 3.4 billion for government-funded R&D for immersive education and digital sovereignty.
• More than 1,200 funding rounds were recorded during Q1-Q3 2025, which is the most active funding round ever since 2021.

• NFT trading in the metaverse exceeded USD 42 billion in 2025.
• Avatar customization items such as skins and accessories make up 31% of the total volume of NFT transactions.
• More than 80% of Generation Z users of the metaverse have engaged in an NFT trade this year.
• Decentralized Identity (DID) tokens are held by 22 million metaverse users to confirm their identity online.
• Gaming NFTs constitute the highest transaction volume at USD 7.6 billion, led by projects like Illuvium and Star Atlas.
• Music and entertainment NFTs have seen a 49% increase in yearly growth rate, allowing fans to interact directly with artists and earn from their interactions.
• Virtual land deeds comprised 12% of all NFT trades, with blockchain-based proofs of ownership becoming legally recognized in certain jurisdictions.
• The average price of a metaverse-based NFT in 2025 is estimated to be USD 317, indicating higher affordability levels.
• The Ethereum and Solana blockchains lead the way in terms of dominance in metaverse-related NFTs, but the Polygon blockchain has experienced a remarkable 65% growth in usage this year.
• Corporate NFT releases have risen to 18% of the overall NFT marketplace.

• There are over 160 firms developing the Metaverse, with the majority of big firms having invested in it in one way or another.
• The business possibilities within the AR and VR spaces seem infinite.
• Epic Games, famous for its hit game Fortnite, managed to raise a hefty amount of USD 1 billion.
• However, Meta is busy working on the entire range of features that come under the Metaverse, covering software, hardware, and social aspects.
• Recently, Niantic, the creator of Pokemon Go, raised an eye-popping amount of USD 300 million.
• Another massive development saw Microsoft acquire Activision Blizzard for an unprecedented sum of USD 67.8 billion, putting it firmly on the map within the gaming industry.
• One interesting fact about Decentraland, established back in 2017, is that it sold one piece of land for a whopping USD 2.4 million.

• In 2025, Apple Vision Pro became part of the metaverse market by incorporating real- time mixed reality for work and leisure.
• Samsung has created a metaverse marketplace that allows users to stream VR experiences through 5G connectivity from their homes and stores.
• Tencent invested USD 2.5 billion in its metaverse creators’ fund.

Conclusion

Metaverse has quickly evolved into a revolutionary digital space characterized by a high market valuation, an active user community, and a thriving economy based on virtual property purchases, NFT trading, and virtual content creation. The technology associated with Metaverse has advanced significantly despite the issue of data privacy and cybersecurity that comes along. Games like Roblox and Fortnite have been instrumental in making significant strides towards realizing the full potential of Metaverse, especially among the younger generation.

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