How Many Phishing Emails Are Sent Daily in 2024? 18+ Statistics That Sum It Up

Wondering just how many phishing emails are sent each day? The numbers are massive – over 3.4 billion phishing emails are sent globally every single day. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share the key statistics you need to understand the scale and threat phishing poses in 2024.

Whether you‘re an individual looking to protect yourself or a business wanting to secure your organization, these phishing statistics highlight why email-based social engineering scams need to be taken seriously. I‘ll dig into the numbers in depth, providing context and analysis you won‘t find in most phishing statistics articles.

Let‘s dive in!

A Quick Look at the Key Phishing Email Stats for 2024

Before we get into the nitty-gritty details, here‘s a quick overview of some of the most important need-to-know phishing statistics for 2024:

• Over 3.4 billion phishing emails are sent globally every day. That‘s a shocking number!

• Close to 50% of all emails sent are phishing emails. Almost 1 in 2 emails is malicious.

• 94% of cyber attacks involve phishing emails as the initial entry point. Email remains the top vector.

• Phishing directly causes a staggering 90% of reported data breaches. It is the leading culprit behind data exfiltration.

• 1.4 million new phishing sites are created each month to steal user data. The number is rising.

• The average office worker sends or receives 126 work emails daily. More emails equal more phishing risks.

• 1 in 5 employees are likely to fall for a phishing email, even after training. People are the weak link.

These high-level stats give you an idea of the sheer ubiquity of phishing emails in 2024. Next, let‘s explore the details and context behind each statistic.

Over 3.4 Billion: The Jaw-Dropping Number of Phishing Emails Sent Daily

The amount of malicious emails sent by cybercriminals seeking to compromise accounts and data is staggering. According to the 2022 Data Breach Investigation Report by Verizon, over 3.4 billion phishing emails are sent globally every single day.

To put that massive number into perspective:

• If 3.4 billion phishing emails were printed out and stacked up, the pile would be taller than 2100 Empire State buildings!

• Those phishing emails exceed the number of tweets sent on Twitter daily, which average around 500 million.

• It means over 1.2 trillion phishing emails are sent annually across the globe. That‘s trillion with a T!

This reflect the sheer ubiquity of phishing in the modern threat landscape. The low cost and effort required to mass distribute scam emails combined with the potential for high returns makes phishing the go-to technique for cybercriminals worldwide.

And those are just the reported numbers – many more phishing emails likely slip under the radar. Suffice to say, the phishing epidemic is real and widespread.

Nearly Half of All Emails Sent Are Phishing Emails

Phishing research by email security firm Tessian reveals an equally startling statistic – in 2021, 47.3% of all emails sent globally were phishing emails. That means close to 1 in every 2 emails sent is malicious and designed to steal data!

The fact that almost half of all email traffic consists of phishing attempts highlights the scale of the problem. And the risks are only growing as phishing tactics become more advanced:

• Phishing kits allow easy customization of scam emails that closely impersonate trusted brands.

• Business email compromise (BEC) scams leverage publicly available data to personalize emails and build rapport with targets.

• Payload obfuscation lets phishing links and documents bypass security filters.

With such sophisticated tools at their disposal, criminals can drastically improve their phishing success rates even as companies improve their defenses.

The key takeaway? Don‘t assume an email is legitimate just because it looks and feels genuine. Even the most professional phishing emails hide malicious intent.

94% of Cyber Attacks Start with a Phishing Email

An overwhelming majority of cyber attacks begin not with hacking tools or technical exploits, but simply by using phishing emails to trick unsuspecting users.

Cybersecurity analysts estimate that a staggering 94% of cyber attacks involve phishing emails as the initial intrusion vector. By getting just one employee to click a link or attachment in a scam email, attackers breach otherwise secure defenses.

This "point-and-click" method of gaining access makes phishing the preferred technique for cybercriminals of all skill levels. Rather than using expensive zero-day exploits or malware, unskilled hackers can simply buy phishing kits and spam out email lures to snare victims.

And skilled advanced persistent threat (APT) groups often use spear phishing emails because they know it‘s the easiest way to infiltrate target networks, even if perimeter defenses are strong.

The prevalence of phishing as the first step of nearly all cyber attacks makes ongoing security awareness training a must. Empowering employees to identify and delete phishing emails shuts down most threats before they start.

90% of Data Breaches Are Attributed to Phishing

Once a phishing lure tricks a single employee and lets attackers gain an initial foothold, the resulting data breach can be severe.

Verizon‘s annual investigative report on cybersecurity incidents found that over 90% of breaches involved phishing emails at some point in the attack chain. Whether used for initial access or lateral movement, phishing is the single biggest factor across most breaches.

This statistic should make it clear that anti-phishing measures are not optional. With phishing playing a central role in nearly all data theft, businesses that fail to protect against phishing put their data, reputation, and finances at huge risk.

1.4 Million New Phishing Sites Pop Up Every Month

Phishing doesn‘t just involve scam emails – attackers also create fraudulent websites to steal login credentials and financial data from victims.

Security analysts track over 1.4 million new phishing websites created every single month. Hackers set up fake login pages mimicking banks, social media, and other services to harvest users‘ details.

With phishing kits readily available online for free or cheap purchase, setting up a professional-looking phishing site is trivial. And domains and hosting can be bought for next to nothing.

For businesses, this highlights the need to utilize DNS security filtering to block access to newly generated phishing sites before they can snare employees.

The Average Office Worker Sends 126 Emails Daily

Understanding general business email statistics provides useful context around phishing risks.

According to data from The Radicati Group, the average office worker sends and receives around 126 business emails per workday. And that number has been steadily rising over the past decade as email remains an indispensable communication tool.

All those emails equal more opportunities for phishing attacks to slip through. With workers getting bombarded by so many emails daily, it‘s easy for a scam message to seem routine and overlook warning signs.

For businesses, reducing email overload on employees can help cut down on phishing risk by making it easier to identify out-of-the-ordinary malicious emails.

1 in 5 Employees Still Click Phishing Links

Here‘s a worrying statistic if you‘re responsible for cybersecurity awareness at your company:

Surveys by security firms consistently find that around 20% of all employees are likely to click on a phishing link, even if they‘ve been through awareness training.

This indicates that technology and human training alone are insufficient to block phishing attacks. People will inevitably make mistakes, so a layered defense combining training, simulations, and email security solutions is a must.

On the flip side, this stat shows there‘s still room for improvement. Ongoing simulated phishing combined with quick post-click remedial training can help further minimize the percentage of people falling for lures.

Millennials Are Most Prone to Phishing Attacks

You might assume older generations who didn‘t grow up with technology are the most vulnerable when it comes to phishing. But surprisingly, the opposite is true.

Studies indicate that over 20% of millennials and Gen Z individuals have fallen victim to phishing scams, making them more susceptible than older demographics.

The reason could be that early adoption of digital tools translates to less circumspection. Meanwhile, older folks may be warier due to lack of tech familiarity.

In any case, the stat highlights the need for phishing education across all age groups within an organization.

Here are some other notable statistics that reveal the prevalence of phishing:

• There are over 4.1 billion active email users worldwide as of 2021. More users equals more phishing targets.

• About 58% of employees admit to checking spam folders regularly for missed emails. Phishing messages in spam still pose a risk.

• The average cost of a data breach caused by phishing is close to $4 million. And that‘s just the direct costs, not counting brand damage!

• Small businesses are hit the hardest by phishing, comprising over 40% of targeted organizations. Larger companies tend to have better defenses.

• During the pandemic, phishing emails using COVID-19 themes increased by a whopping 650% almost overnight as attackers took advantage of the crisis. This highlights how quickly phishers adapt to current events and breaking news.

The Countries That See the Most Phishing Emails

Phishing is a global threat, but some countries are more heavily targeted than others. Below is a breakdown of the countries receiving the highest volumes of phishing emails worldwide:

Country	Phishing Emails per Day
United States	8.6 billion
China	8.5 billion
Russia	8 billion
Brazil	8 billion
India	8 billion

The United States tops the list, receiving the most phishing emails of any country worldwide. With the world‘s largest economy and population of English speakers, the US remains the most profitable and popular target for phishers.

China and Russia take the #2 and #3 spots, powered by their enormous consumer bases and thriving technology sectors.

Meanwhile, developing countries like Brazil and India see high phishing volumes as rising internet penetration and ecommerce bring new populations of potential victims online.

It‘s Not Just About Numbers: Real-World Phishing Impacts

It‘s easy to become numb to the constant barrage of big numbers and statistics around cybersecurity threats like phishing. But each of those phishing emails and scam sites has real-world consequences:

• They jeopardize people‘s financial security and sensitive information. Your average phishing scam can wipe out life savings in moments.

• They erode public trust in online services and transactions, which are crucial to global commerce.

• They result in huge costs to businesses in the form of lost data, downtime, legal liabilities, and repairing reputational damage.

• They fund cybercrime ecosystems including online scams, identity theft, and distribution of ransomware, viruses, and malware.

Behind each statistic are stories of customers duped by a fraudulent email, employees falling for clever social engineering, businesses forced to shut down after a breach…the list goes on.

People‘s livelihoods, data, privacy, and security are at stake. That‘s why individuals and organizations alike need to take the phishing threat seriously and arm themselves with defenses proportional to the scope of the problem.

Winning the War Against Phishing in 2024

The phishing statistics presented paint a grim picture. With billions of scam emails flooding inboxes globally, this cybercrime epidemic continues to grow.

However, all hope is not lost. By taking proactive precautions, individuals and businesses can hugely mitigate their risks:

For individuals:

• Use unique strong passwords for every account, with a password manager if needed.

• Turn on two-factor authentication wherever possible.

• Check sender addresses and hover over links to look for red flags before clicking.

• Slow down and double check every unsolicited or unusual email before responding.

• Report any suspicious messages to providers like Gmail for analysis.

For businesses:

• Educate all employees on recognizing phishing warning signs using engaging online training.

• Test defenses against phishing regularly via realistic simulated campaigns.

• Layer email security with AI-powered threat detection, link/attachment sandboxing, and endpoint protection.

• Filter incoming emails at the perimeter using DNS, IP, and content scanning.

• Set up protocols for immediately reporting and containing suspected phishing messages.

The phishing threat isn‘t going away anytime soon. But arming yourself with education and protective measures makes all the difference.

Don‘t become a phishing statistic this year! Stay safe out there.

Sources

2022 Data Breach Investigation Report

Tessian

Verizon 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report

PhishLabs

Google

The Radicati Group

Proofpoint

Statista