Tor Users: How Many People Use Tor in 2026?

Tor Isn’t all about dark webs and hackers anymore. This privacy-centric network has entered the mainstream, pulling in everyone from journalists to everyday internet users who just don’t want their browsing history sold to a bidder. The reality? Your data is being shared every day between companies and businesses. Your every click is tracked by companies, your activity is swept by ISPs, and your digital life is accessible by governments whenever they want. 

It’s no surprise that people are flocking to tools that promise true anonymity. Since its release in 2002, Tor has been nothing short of a sensation, ushering in a privacy revolution. From a small tool for the tech-savvy, it has grown into a high-tech prosthesis for millions of people craving online freedom from the grip of governments and corporations. But here’s something most people don’t realize: The Tor landscape is changing rapidly. 

The network has evolved, faced new threats, and adjusted to a more hostile internet. In the comprehensive guide below, we’ll dissect the raw numbers for Tor use in the year 2025, unmask some shocking truths, and most importantly, answer the mega-important question: How many people use Tor in 2025?

Let’s uncover it!

Key Statistics

• Tor hosts over 65,000 unique URLs with the .onion extension.
• The network reaches over 2 million daily active users (with an increase of up to 25% compared to the previous year).
• According to a report from Tor User Metric, the United States has an average daily user of 988,959.
• Bitcoin transactions on the dark web reached almost $1 billion in 2019.
• Russia has the biggest share of daily Tor users.
• Marketplaces accounted for only 3% of Tor Traffic.
• Of 200 domains marked as illegal on Tor, over 75% are marketplaces. 
• The FBI arrested roughly 350 suspects for child pornography using the dark net.
• Dark web crypto-transaction adoption (Chainalysis) reached $40.9bn in 2024 with Monero coin dominance in the dark web.
• One of Tor’s creators and funders is the US government.
• Tor’s operational budget funded by the US government was 53.5% (Tor Financial Report 2021-2022).

How Many People Use Tor in 2026?

1. Tor Currently Hosts More Than 65,000 URLs.

Let’s talk about .onion domains first. These aren’t your typical websites with fancy .com addresses. A .onion domain is basically a special web address that only works through Tor, creating an anonymous connection between you and the website. Here’s the thing everyone gets wrong: people assume .onion sites are automatically shady because they’re part of the “dark web.”

That’s like saying every person wearing sunglasses is up to no good. The user base of forums with .onion domains rose by 44% from 2020 to 2025, according to Bitsight Statistics. But here’s the surprising part: some of this growth is influenced by legitimate organizations, not criminal enterprises. Why the massive growth? Journalists and NGOs are creating secure messaging channels faster than ever.

Take SecureDrop, for example – it’s used by news organizations such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian to securely receive submissions from whistleblowers. Each install has its unique .onion address. But that’s only scratching the surface. Big businesses have been quick to join the .onion bandwagon, too:

Facebook launched its .onion address in October 2014, which means users can access Facebook securely with a Tor browser. facebookwkhpilnemxj7asaniu7vnjjbiltxjqhye3mhbshg7kx5tfyd.onion (is Facebook’s .onion address.)

Some of the Giant companies with .onion domains are:

• DuckDuckGo: Manages the .onion domain  duckduckgogg42xjoc72x3sjasowoarfbgcmvfimaftt6twagswzczad.onion to provide a privacy search engine while using the Tor browser. It is a unique search engine that comes with the Tor Browser.
• BBC: Uses bbcnewsd73hkzno2ini43t4gblxvycyac5aw4gnv7t2rccijh7745uqd.onion for the purpose of providing news to regions where access to news is censored.
• ProtonMail: Uses the domain name (protonmailrmez3lotccipshtkleegetolb73fuirgj7r4o4vfu7ozyd.onion) for secure email access.

These aren’t criminals lurking in digital basements — they are Fortune 500 companies serving people living under authoritarians, for whom browsing the open internet is punishable by prison. Want to check out these trusted .onion sites safely? Here’s how:

Step-by-step Guide to Accessing .onion Sites

1. Download the Tor Browser from torproject.org (never use a third-party version).
2. Install and launch the browser – It will immediately connect to the Tor network.
3. Type the .onion address in the address bar yourself.
4. Hold on for the connection to get established (It is usually slower than your regular browsing).
5. Make efforts to verify that you are always on the right website by checking the full URL onion address.

Pro tips: Use VPN + Tor Browser to enhance your privacy. When you enable VPN before using the Tor browser, your ISP will not be enable to detect that you are using a Tor browser.

2. Tor Has Over 2 Million Daily Users – Meet the Crowd Keeping the Dark Web Darker.

According to Tor browser user metrics, the 2025 data shows a 25% year-over-year increase. So, who are the people using Tor? The user breakdown looks like this: Based on 2025 Tor Metrics statistics, here’s how the users are spending their time on Tor:

• United States – 988,959 (29.75 %).
• Lithuania – 456,557 (13.73 %).
• Germany – 316,415 (9.52 %).
• India – 316,415 (9.52 %).
• Finland – 87,155 (2.62 %).
• Netherlands – 87,155 (2.62 %).
• United Kingdom – 71860 (2.16 %).
• Spain – 69,593 (2.09 %).
• France – 59,334 (1.78 %).
• Indonesia – 56,590 (1.70 %).

So, what is fueling this growth? Three major factors:

Privacy Laws are Working

The EU’s GDPR set a chain of events in motion, so people are beginning to realize that their data has value and they’re not so willing to give it away for free. When you figure out that Google knows more about you than your husband does, Tor becomes a comforting place to be.

State Surveillance Is Getting Scary

Russia’s “Sovereign Internet Law” and China’s Great Firewall have driven millions toward privacy tools. When Russia placed a ban on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, the number of Tor users in these countries soared greatly. In November 2019, the Russian government also enforced the int sovereign Internet law causing privacy-conscious internet users to use VPN’s and Tor browsers to evade state surveillance on their internet activities. During protests, Iranian users flocked to Tor after the government began throttling WhatsApp and Instagram.

Corporate Data Breaches

Do you recall in September 2017 when Equifax lost everyone’s credit data? Or when Facebook (Meta) had that humongous breach? Companies treating their personal information as disposable is something people are no longer putting up with. Tor provides a way to browse the web without feeding the machine that collects data. The Tor Browser itself has also improved a lot. It now includes:

• Tracker blocking: Automatically prevents tracking on many popular third-party sites. You might never want to trust them again!
• Enhance fingerprinting resistance: Makes it more difficult for websites to identify your device.
• Multi-hop encryption: Your traffic hops through multiple servers before reaching its destination.
• Auto clearing of Cookies: A new beginning each time you close your browser.

Here’s something you probably didn’t know: Politicians use Tor more than many people think. Congressional staff members commonly use it to research sensitive subjects, without recording a digital trail that could be used against them later.

3. The Dark Web Represents Only 3% of Tor Traffic – So What About Everyone Else?

This number surprises people every time. (The Tor Project transparency report from 2024 shows that only 3% of traffic makes use of .onion addresses connected with dark markets or illegal content. So what about the other 97%? Here is where this gets interesting:

• Academic Research (12% traffic): Universities such as Harvard, MIT, and Stanford use Tor in order for researchers in censorious countries to access the internet freely. Scholars researching political opposition or human rights abuses may require anonymity to shield themselves as well as their sources.
• Secure Communications (25% of traffic): It also includes tools for connecting securely via Tor, encrypting messages between people, etc., e.g., ProtonMail’s Tor gateway, Signal’s proxy feature, and encrypted messaging apps.
• News and Information Access (30% of traffic): Individuals living in countries with extremely oppressive censorship regimes use Tor to access BBC News, Wikipedia, and other blocked news outlets. Tor usage surged in China under that country’s COVID-19 lockdowns as people looked for uncensored news about the situation.
• Corporate Security Research (15% of traffic): Tor serves the needs of cybersecurity companies to keep an eye on threats, malware, and penetration testing without their actual IP address being revealed to the user.
• General Privacy Browsing (15% of traffic): Regular people who just want to browse the web without being tracked by advertisers, ISPs, and data brokers. The misconception that Tor is mostly for illegal activity is due to the media highlighting dramatic busts rather than routine uses. It’s the equivalent of saying all cash transactions are criminal because some drug dealers prefer cash.

Interested in using Tor for the right reasons? Here’s how to stay safe:

Tor for Research and Privacy Setup

1. Download Tor Browser from the official site only.
2. Don’t install additional plugins or extensions.
3. Run the browser window at the default size(Enlarging it makes it easier to identify you).
4. Do not download files over Tor unless you have no other alternative.
5. Whenever possible, use secure (HTTPS) websites (websites that begin with “https://” rather than “http://”) besides checking their certificate to confirm you are on the right website.
6. You may also consider using Tails OS for added security.

Speaking of security, is it a good idea to pair Tor with a VPN? Let’s break this down…

VPN + Tor Setup Guide

1. Sign up for a no-logs VPN service (we’ll give you some examples of the best ones below).
2. Connect to your VPN first.
3. Then launch Tor Browser.
4. Your traffic will move like this: You > VPN > Tor > Website.
5. This will keep your Tor usage secret from your ISP, but you must trust your VPN Company to have no nefarious intentions.

4. Bitcoin Transaction on The Dark Web Reached Almost $1billion in 2019

Bitcoin is at the heart of the cryptocurrency industry. It is one of the most promising cryptos in the market, with a market cap of over 816 billion USD. Billions of people around the world use Bitcoin as a means of payment. In 2018, total Bitcoin transactions on the Tor browser and the dark web hit $872 billion. This means in 2019, the total transactions reached almost $1billion.

5. Russia Has the Biggest Share of Daily Tor Users.

Russia has the largest share of mean daily users of Tor. This stat indicates around 12,194 daily users from Russia. The US bags the second place with an average of 10,792 daily users. This list goes on with Iran, Germany, Netherlands, France, India, Brazil, Belarus, China, Turkey, Ukraine, and the UK.

6. Crypto Transactions Register $53.2Billion on the Dark web in 2026. 

In 2022, transactions on the dark web hit $1.5 billion — but here’s the catch: according to Chainalysis, it’s dominated by privacy coins. Monero is popular. It employs ring signatures and stealth addresses, which obfuscate transaction amounts, senders’ addresses, and recipients’ addresses.

7. Of 200 Domains Marked as Illegal on Tor, Over 75% Are Marketplace

Marketplaces leverage the features of the Tor network and browser to host themselves. These marketplaces deal with products like recreational and pharmaceutical drugs. You can even find stolen identities, credit cards, and services like hacking and malware with cryptocurrencies as a common mode of payment. These are illegal marketplaces that comprise 75% of the total illegal domains on the Tor network.

8. 56.8% of the Dark Web Accounts for Illegal Content.

The wide claim that 75% percent of the dark web is made of the illegal market varies a lot due to law enforcement agencies shorting illegal domains and putting in the effort to reduce the rate of illegalities going on the dark web. However, according to Cyble, Nearly 57% of the dark web content is illegal.

Another source Panda Security also claims in an article published in May 2025 that illegal content amounts to 60% of the dark web. Since their values are closely related, a closer case study of these values shows that a greater percentage of them accounts for illegal content. The reports below outline the different 2025 cybercrime trends according to BitSight.

• Marketplaces: Although we are unaware of the percentages of domains that actually are marketplaces, they are still a substantial portion of the illicit activity.
• Leaked data: A very significant portion of the dark web content (28-29%) refers to leaked data (i.e. stolen databases, personal data, etc.).
• File sharing: This can also cover a significant amount of content (i.e. pirated software, copyrighted materials, etc.).
• Fraud: Stolen credit cards, banking information, and methods of fraud are included in this category.
• Drugs: Continues to be a large portion of the dark net market activity.
• Cybercrime as a service: Include hacking tools, ransomware, DDoS attack services, etc.

9. The FBI Arrested Roughly 350 Suspects for Child Pornography Using the Dark Net

In 2015, the FBI played a master stroke when they arrested a facilitator of child pornography who got sentenced to 27 years in Federal Prison for conspiracy to advertise child pornography. They also arrested over 350 suspects and 25 producers of child pornography.

10. One of Tor’s Creators and Founders Is the US Government.

No matter how complicated the Tor network might appear. It is one of the best methods to browse the internet anonymously. Billions of people, including illegal marketplaces, use the Tor Network. But there’s more to it. One interesting fact that surprises many is that the US government is one of Tor’s creators and funders. In the early 1990s and 2000s, the US government played a critical part in creating and funding the Tor network to keep its informants safe.

The Future of Tor: Quantum Threats and Blockchain Solutions

As we look down the road, Tor has real challenges that will change how millions of users will think about protecting their privacy online.

The Quantum Computing Threat

By 2026, Tor’s “Quantum Resistance Initiative” is designed to counter the possible NSA decryption efforts.  The Tor encryption, if quantum computers develop the required power (not that it is now), could be theoretically broken at some point, using the current Tor encryption. The Tor Project is already implementing post-quantum cryptography:

• New key exchange protocols are designed to avoid quantum attacks.
• Hybrid encryption combines normal and quantum attack-resistant approaches.
• Encryption audits by independent experts in cryptography.

Blockchain-Enabled Infrastructure

The most interesting development is TorCoin – a proposed blockchain system that would create less reliance on volunteer servers, and instead, allow users to mine Torcoin or earn cryptocurrency by providing bandwidth/server resources rather than depending on volunteers to host the Tor nodes. The benefits of this system would be:

• Cryptocurrency rewards would engage more server operators.
• Attract more powerful hardware while increasing the overall speed of the network.
• Decrease reliance on major hosting providers thus further decentralization of the network. 
• Create funds for improvements through a small transaction fee on each transaction, a very similar system can be found among other blockchains.

New Security Features in 2025-2026

• Better mobile apps resistant to fingerprinting, now with improved features.
• Built-in VPN integration for extra layers of security.
• Advanced bridge detection to bypass more advanced censorship.
• Machine-learning threat detection to identify malicious exit nodes.

The Regulatory Challenge

As Tor continues to grow in popularity, governments around the world are developing new strategies to regulate it:

• Deep packet inspection to identify any patterns in the Tor traffic.
• Bridge blocking, using machine learning to identify hidden entry points.
• Legal pressure on server operators/developers.
• Promoting alternative networks to fragment the user base.

What This Means for Users

The arms race of privacy tools and surveillance is picking up speed. Users need to remain aware of new threats to their use of Tor, and countermeasures.

Impact of Government Regulations on Crypto Use

In February 2021, Nigeria restricted the use of digital money, driving dark web sellers to use privacy coins. When governments clamp down on the use of traditional cryptocurrencies, people search for alternatives. Cryptocurrency regulations in South Korea have caused Monero usage on Korean Tor (dark web) to increase rapidly.

Restrictions don’t stop the activity — they simply drive it to less visible alternatives. But here’s what most people fail to notice: the vast majority of cryptocurrency use on Tor isn’t buying contraband. It’s for:

• Dissident donations in autocratic countries.
• Payments to journalists in hazardous areas.
• Backing outlawed political groups.
• Avoiding currency restrictions.
• In regions with financial instability.

If you’re thinking about using cryptocurrency with Tor, here’s what you need to know:

Crypto Privacy Setup

• Create a dedicated privacy wallet (Create a privacy wallet for privacy coins like Cake Wallet (Monero) for paper money received).
• VPN software is required when accessing wallet connections.
• Never associate your IRL with your crypto addresses.
• Try atomic swaps for more private conversions between cryptocurrencies.

Police Reaction to Cyber Crime

In 2021, Europol in conjunction with the U.S Department of Justice and multiple other countries’ law enforcement agencies ran Operation Dark HuTor, a major operation that targeted dark net marketplaces that engage in heroin trafficking, as well as other criminal activity and highlighted by a statement from Europol. 

Operation Sophisticated Owl focused on sellers and buyers who transact on illicit marketplaces on the dark web, a significant number of whom operated on The Onion Router (TOR) network – The overall effort was led by the huge success of previous global operations DisrupTor (2020), and the dismantlement of DarkMarket, the world’s largest illegal dark net marketplace at the time, in January 2021.

Even if you do not do anything that is at all suspicious on Tor, you might accidentally stumble on illegal material, which could end your use of the Tor Browser. Here’s how to stay safe:

Safe Tor Browsing Practices

1. Never click casual .onions links on forums.
2. Stick to vetted directories like the Hidden Wiki (and still, go carefully).
3. Do not save any files to your PC over Tor.
4. If you’re using Tor, do not disclose your details.
5. Wipe your browser totally after a session.
6. On the Safe Side Consider booting into Tails OS for maximum security.
7. For more secure browsing: Use Tor in combination with a VPN  (we recommend NordVPN), turn off JavaScript, and never open. onion links without HTTPS.

Sources