Ultimate Guide to Online Freedom

Countryvpns is the Ultimate guide for all those who want to circumvent geo-restrictions to unblock their favorite online services, do torrenting without being bothered by the surveillance agencies, and surf online, ensuring their privacy and security.
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Here we will help you select the best VPN services that fit your needs and help you access your desired content while providing you online privacy and security. You just need to follow our expert opinion to regain your online freedom

VPN usage across the globe

Do you know that 25% of internet users around the world are using VPN to access the web each month? Whether they aren’t satisfied with the range of content or online services their ISPs offer them access to or they want to bolster the online security or privacy, as a matter of fact, VPN usage is increasing at a high rate.

Below we have discussed the growth of the VPN market over time, why people use them, and the top markets regarding its usage.

VPN market growth over time

The number of VPN users is increasing over time, and so is the market value of it. 

  • The global business share of the VPN industry was $15.46 Billion in 2016.
  • It increased to $18 Billion in 2017
  • In 2018, its market value reached $20.60 Billion
  • Next year in 2019, it exceeded $25 Billion, although it was predicted to be worth $23.60 by the end of the year.
  • This year(2020), it is expected to reach $28 Billion.
  • In 2021, there are chances that the market share of the VPN industry will go past $30 Billion.
  • By the end of 2022, we are anticipating to see the VPN industry achieving a staggering $35 Billion industry worth globally.

vpn-market-growth-over-time

VPN usage region-wise

When we look at the VPN usage region-wise, Asia Pacific seems to be the clear winner as the highest percentage of VPN users resides there whether you talk about all users or you just take into consideration people aged 16-34.

Percentage of all internet users

  • 30% of all internet users are using a VPN while accessing the web in the Asia Pacific.
  • Second comes in this list Latin America where 23% of all internet users are using VPNs.
  • Then comes the Middle East and Africa, where the percentage of VPN users among all internet users is 19%.
  • Finally, the percentage of VPN users among all online searchers in Europe and North America is 17% each.

Percentage of internet users aged 16-34

  • Asia and Pacific – 35%
  • Latn America – 25%
  • Europe – 21%
  • North America – 21%
  • Middle East & Africa – 19%

vpn-usage-region-wise

Top 10 countries with respect to VPN usage

Talking about top 10 countries with respect to VPN usage, you won’t be surprised to know that Indonesia(41%) and Thailand(39%) are the top two among the countries where the percentage of VPN usage is the highest amongst all as they belong to the Asia Pacific, so it’s quite logical for a country from this region to be number one in the list.

Have a look at the complete list below:

  1. Indonesia – 55%
  2. India – 43%
  3. UAE – 38%
  4. Thailand – 38%
  5. Malaysia – 38%
  6. Saudi Arabia – 37%
  7. Philippines – 37%
  8. Turkey – 36%
  9. South Africa – 36%
  10. Singapore – 33%  

top-10-countries-with-respect-to-vpn-usage

VPN usage by age

If you look at the statistics, you will get to know that most of the VPN users aged between 16-24 as the young generation uses the internet most.

  • 35% of the VPN users aged between 16-24 years.
  • 33% aged between 25-34 years.
  • People aged between 35-44 use the internet quite less as compared to the younger ones. They account for only 19% of the total VPN users.
  • Then comes a huge drop. Only 9% of the VPN users aged between 45-54.
  • 4% fall under the age bracket of 55-64

vpn-usage-by-age

VPN usage by gender

When it comes to the gender of the people who use VPNs, 62% of all the VPN users are male, whereas 38% are female.

vpn-usage-by-gender

VPN usage frequency with respect to devices

The break down of the VPN usage frequency with respect to devices is as follows:

  • Daily – Desktop 35% and Mobile 42%
  • 4-5 times a week – Desktop 15% and Mobile 13%
  • 2-3 times a week – Desktop 14% and Mobile 11%
  • Once a week – Desktop 10% and Mobile 9%
  • 2-3 times a month – Desktop 7% and Mobile 6%
  • Once a month – Desktop 6% and Mobile 4% 

vpn-usage-frequency-with-respect-to-devices

Top reasons for VPN usage

Top reasons for VPN usage are as follow:

  • To access restricted entertainment content – 50%
  • To access social networks and news services – 34%
  • To Keep anonymity while browsing – 31%
  • To access sites/services at work – 30%
  • To access restricted sites – 27%
  • To hide web browsing from the government – 18
  • To access Tor browser – 17%

top-reasons-for-vpn-usage

Reasons for VPN usage region-wise

When we talk about the reasons for VPN usage region-wise, following statistics come up:

  • 55% of people use VPN in the Asia Pacific to access better entertainment content, whereas 29% use it to browse anonymously.
  • In Europe, 38% of people use a VPN to access better entertainment content, and 37% use it to keep their browsing anonymous.
  • Percentages of people in North America, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa who are using VPNs for accessing better entertainment content are 29%, 47%, and 43%, respectively.
  • Similarly, percentages for these regions for keeping one anonymous while surfing online are 37%, 32%, and 36%, respectively.

reasons-for-vpn-usage-region-wise

Accessing better entertainment contentKeeping anonymity while browsingAccessing restricted download/torrent websites
ArgentinaCanadaRussia
AustraliaFrance
BelgiumGermany
BrazilJapan
ChinaSouth Africa
EgyptSpain
Hong KongSweden
IndiaUnited States
Indonesia
Ireland
Italy
Malaysia
Mexico
Netherlands
Newzealand
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
South Korea
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Vietnam

We have analyzed the VPN usage statistics in detail, now we need to talk about the most important reason for VPN usage that everyone should be aware of, and that is cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity breach Statistics

In January 2020, 1.5 billion record breaches have been reported, which is something everyone should be worried about, whether it’s an individual or an organization. Cyber-goons are targeting from individuals to large organizations using all possible means. 

To make you understand how devastating a cyber breach for a large organization can be, we have compiled some data in the form of charts so you can have a look at it and realize how much financial loss it can inflict on an organization. 

Below, stats are taken from IBM security’s cost of data breach report 2019.

Cost of a data breach highlights

cost-of-a-data-breach-highlights

Cost of a data breach by country or region

cost-of-data-breach-by-country-or-region

Cost per record by country or region

cost-per-record-by-country-or-region

The average number of records per breach by country or region

average-number-of-records-per-breach-by-country-or-region

You must have known by now how critical cybersecurity is and what cost an organization has to pay if its cybersecurity is compromised.

List of Countries with respect to their level of commitment towards the cybersecurity

Below are the lists of the countries which have high, medium, and low levels of commitment towards cybersecurity.

High level of Commitment Towards Cyber Security
UKGeorgiaSwitzerland
USAFinlandIreland
FranceTurkeyIsrael
LithuaniaDenmarkKazakhstan
EstoniaGermanyIndonesia
SingaporeEgyptPortugal
SpainCroatiaMonaco
MalaysiaItalyKenya
CanadaRussian FederationLatvia
NorwayChinaSlovakia
AustraliaAustriaBulgaria
LuxembourgPolandIndia
NetherlandsBelgiumSlovenia
Saudi ArabiaHungaryRwanda
JapanSwedenVietnam
MauritiusUnited Arab EmiratesUruguay
Republic of KoreaThe Republic of North Macedonia
OmanThailand
QatarNew Zealand

 

Medium level of Commitment Towards Cyber Security
UzbekistanBelarusBotswana
MoldovaBrazilGhana
UkraineCzech RepublicZambia
AzerbaijanRomaniaCameroon
South AfricaColombiaDominican Republic
CyprusJordanMorocco
NigeriaLiechtensteinJamaica
PhilippinesTunisiaPakistan
SerbiaGreeceArgentina
TanzaniaBangladeshPeru
IranArmeniaBurkina Faso
MontenegroBeninPanama
AlbaniaCubaSamoa
MexicoMaltaEcuador
Brunei DarussalamChileVenezuela
UgandaSrilanka
ParaguayMongolia
KuwaitCôte d’Ivoire
BahrainIceland

 

Low level of Commitment Towards Cyber Security
GabonLiberiaSierra Leona
State of PalestineBosnia and HerzegovinaEswatini
SenegalMadagascarGuyana
SudanLaoPapua New Guinea
The GambiaFijiNicaragua
EthiopiaGuineaBelize
MalawiTrinidad and TobagoNamibia
TajikistanZimbabweEl Salvador
IraqLebanonTurkmenistan
AlgeriaAfghanistanAndorra
NepalBarbadosSuriname
SeychellesMyanmarMauritania
KyrgyzstanSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesNauru
GuatemalaCongoChad
Antigua and BarbudaCambodiaVanuatu
The Syrian Arab RepublicMozambiqueAngola
Costa RicaBahamasSaint Lucia
TongaGrenadaMali
LibyaBoliviaTimor-Leste
San MarinoMarshall IslandsSomalia
South SudanSaint Kitts and NevisSao Tome and Principe
DjiboutiSolomon IslandsTuvalu
Guinea-BissauCabo VerdeLesotho
HaitiHondurasMicronesia
The central African RepublicEquatorial GuineaKiribati
VaticanEritreaDemocratic People’s Republic of Korea
DominicaYemenComoros

List of Countries which have partially or completely banned VPNs

CountryReason
ChinaTo put their citizen’s online activities under stringent scrutiny
IranTo put their citizen’s online activities under stringent scrutiny
IraqTo undermine the activities of ISIS
UAETo increase the telecommunication companies revenue
TurkeyTo limit the use of social media
OmanTo stop people from circumventing the ban on specific kind of content
SyriaTo deal with 2011’s uprising
EgyptTo deal with the Egyptian revolution of 2011
BelarusTo restrict the use of banned services in the country
RussiaTo stop people from accessing websites which are blocked in Russia

Best countries to connect with using a VPN

Below we have discussed 5 best countries that you should connect to using a VPN as they have the finest laws to protect the online privacy of its citizens.

CountryData Privacy LegislationThe extent of Online CensorshipOnline Freedom according to Freedomhouse.org5/9/14 Eyes Alliance Member
SwitzerlandStringent – FDPALow96/100(free)No
RomaniaStringent -GDPRLow83/100(free)No
IcelandStringent -GDPRLow94/100(free)No
MalaysiaStringent-PDPAMedium52/100(Partly free)No
SpainStringent -GDPRLow92/100(free)No

Top 10 Countries with Least Internet Freedom?

CountiesRestricted Websites
ChinaTinder, Reddit, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Flickr, Line, SoundCloud, and Periscope
UAEFacebook, Facetime, Skype, Discord, Zoom, WhatsApp, and Line
Saudi ArabiaWikipedia, Google Translate, Skype and Snapchat
IranYouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and Instagram
RussiaFacebook, Instagram, YouTube, Open Russia, and LinkedIn
IndiaReddit, Telegram, Rawpoint.biz, Sterlingbioscience
BangladeshFacebook, WhatsApp, Viber and TikTok
North KoreaFacebook, Twitter, and YouTube
TurkeyFacebook, Twitter, and YouTube
United KingdomDisqus, RadioTimes, TorrentFreak

FAQs 

Why do you need a VPN?

You need a VPN to spoof your online locations. By doing so, ISPs, online hackers, and other unwanted personnel are unable to trace your online browsing activities. Here is the list of different objectives you can achieve by using a VPN:

  • Bypass geo-limitations imposed on various streaming services like Netflix and Hulu
  • Secure your online whereabouts while using public Wi-Fi networks
  • Protect your logging information when downloading your desired torrents

How does a VPN work?

A VPN works by routing your device’s online traffic with the help of a secure tunnel. Thus, no one can interfere with your internet connection because when you use a VPN service, it redirects your web traffic through your selected VPN server.

Is using a VPN legal in all the countries of the world?

 It is legal and safe to use a VPN in most of the countries in the world as long as you are using it for all the right reasons. You should not use a VPN for illegal purposes like hacking, cybercrimes, and cyberbullying. 

Certain countries in the world have banned VPN services partially or completely. The list of those countries has been given below:

  • Belarus
  • China
  • Russia
  • Turkey
  • Uganda
  • UAE
  • Oman
  • Iraq
  • Iran
  • Venezuela

Which country has the best privacy laws?

There are only a handful of countries in the world that have strong privacy laws for their citizens. Here is the list that consists of:

  • Switzerland
  • Seychelles
  • Romania
  • The British Virgin Islands
  • Panama

How can I change my country/location with a VPN?

You can change your location with a VPN after following these simple steps:

  • Download and install a VPN service
  • Sign-in to the app through your credentials 
  • Connect to a VPN server of your desired country
  • Once your VPN service connects, your device’s IP address will be changed 
  • It will look as if you reside in that particular country 

You must visit IP leaks sites like IPleak.org or IPleak.net to see if your local IP address has been masked with VPN’s IP address or not. 

Is it safe to use a VPN server located in my own country?

It is safe to use a VPN server even if it is located in your own country since it will help you secure your online whereabouts. However, you will not be able to access foreign geo-blocked content. 

How does Google know my location even with a VPN, no matter which country I am residing in?

Google relies on automated bot systems, also known as VPN-detection bots, to discover if a person is using a VPN’s IP address or surfing the internet through a home connection.

Easy Steps to use a VPN?

You can use a VPN by following these simple steps:

  • Subscribe and download a VPN service on your preferred device
  • Sign-in after installing the VPN app
  • Choose your desired server from the servers’ list
  • Start surfing the web anonymously 

Does a VPN work on mobile data?

A VPN works on mobile data since the mobile data is passed through your mobile service’ server before it reaches the VPN server eventually. 

Can you be tracked if you use a VPN?

A VPN encrypts your whole internet traffic; therefore, a person who tries to access your network traffic from the same network cannot trace your online activities. However, your VPN service should not leak your actual IP address; otherwise, you can be easily tracked online. 

Which VPN is best for streaming?

ExpressVPN is the best VPN for streaming as the service offers an excellent MediaStreamer feature that allows you to unblock geo-blocked content without encrypting your web traffic. 

Does a VPN mask your country/location? 

Yes, a VPN masks your actual locations/Country by hiding your IP, DNS, and webRTC information. 

Can your internet service provider (ISP) see your history with a VPN?

When you use a VPN, your ISP cannot keep an eye on your online activities. If you do not connect to a VPN service before using the internet, your ISP can see anything you send over the web.

Can VPNs be hacked?

VPNs cannot be hacked because they use robust tunneling protocols alongside industry-standard military-grade 256-bit encryption. In case, hackers hack them; they can only access encrypted information.

What is the benefit of having a VPN in another country?

If you are residing in another country for studies or work, you can easily access channels and online services of your own country, which are blocked for the outside world as well as can access world-famous services like Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iplayer from the country you are dwelling in.

Which is the best country to connect to using a VPN as far as privacy is concerned?

When it comes to protecting your online privacy, Switzerland is the best country to connect to using a VPN because their privacy laws are the finest in the world. They don’t disclose personal data of their residents to anyone at any cost.

Which country VPN is the best to use in the USA?

After testing several VPNs on many different parameters like performance and speed, privacy and security, features and services, ease of use, and pricing, we found ExpressVPN to be the best VPN to use in the USA.