Lionel Sujay Vailshery
Research expert covering cloud computing and emerging tech industries
E-mail usage in the United States - statistics & facts
E-mail is one of the most widely used tools for communication, organization, and marketing. Every minute, over 251 million e-mails are exchanged among global users, approximately five times more than the number of instant messages exchanged during the same time at the end of 2024. In August 2025, the United States was the market with the highest volume of e-mails exchanged, with 9.8 billion daily e-mails sent on average.
Since the first electronic message was sent across computers in the early 1970s, e-mail has not only connected billions of people around the world, but it has also become an essential part of everyday professional communications.
While today’s internet users can choose from a broad range of online networking options such as instant messaging and social media, e-mail continues to defy its predicted demise. For remote workers, e-mails are still the most popular contact and communication method, despite the introduction of video platforms. While the introduction of artificial intelligence product features is bound to optimize the time spent among U.S. workers on writing tasks, many remain reluctant to use such tools in a professional environment.
Since the first electronic message was sent across computers in the early 1970s, e-mail has not only connected billions of people around the world, but it has also become an essential part of everyday professional communications.
Frequently used e-mail services
Yahoo! Mail and Gmail are the most frequently used e-mail services. A survey conducted between January 2023 and July 2024, Yahoo! Mail was used among 34 percent of U.S. adults daily to once a month. Gmail ranked second, with 33 percent, followed by Microsoft Outlook. Additionally, Apple's MPP had the highest market share among the e-mail clients, with 55 percent.Generative AI tools for e-mail writing
According to a survey of internet users in the United States conducted in March 2024, half of respondents did not use AI tools to write e-mails and were not considering doing so in the future. Only 15 percent of respondents reported they did use such tools to help with their writing, while 25 percent would consider the opportunity in the future. Furthermore, younger individuals, between 18 and 44 years old, were keener to use gen AI tools or would at least consider it.Spam and online safety
Malicious actions targeting e-mail accounts have become more sophisticated and aggressive. As of August 2024, approximately eight billion daily spam e-mails were sent in the United States, making it one of the two countries with the highest volume of spam e-mails sent daily, alongside China. Spam or junk e-mails carry several potential threats, including phishing scams and online fraud. In 2024, one-quarter of all fraud cases reported to the Federal Trade Commission in the United States took place via e-mail, costing consumers around 209 million U.S. dollars in financial damages during the year.While today’s internet users can choose from a broad range of online networking options such as instant messaging and social media, e-mail continues to defy its predicted demise. For remote workers, e-mails are still the most popular contact and communication method, despite the introduction of video platforms. While the introduction of artificial intelligence product features is bound to optimize the time spent among U.S. workers on writing tasks, many remain reluctant to use such tools in a professional environment.
