How many IoT sensors are in the world ?
- hello593537
- 18 hours ago
- 2 min read
There are tens of billions of IoT sensors and devices globally, with estimates for 2024-2025 hovering around 20-22 billion connected devices, projected to reach over 40 billion by the mid-2030s, with a significant portion being sensors embedded in consumer goods, industrial systems, and vehicles, leading to a count of over 50 billion deployed sensors in total by some measures.
Internet of Things Statistics 2025: Devices, Security, and Adoption https://sqmagazine.co.uk/internet-of-things-statistics/#:~:text=Number%20of%20Connected%20IoT%20Devices,over%2062%25%20of%20IoT%20deployments.
Connected IoT device market update – Fall 2025 and 2026 – 2035 outlook https://iot-analytics.com/number-connected-iot-devices/#:~:text=numbers%20(Insights+%20exclusive)-,Connected%20IoT%20device%20market%20update%20%E2%80%93%20Fall%202025%20and%202026%20%E2%80%93%202035,than%2Dexpected%20demand%20in%20China.
Number of IoT connections worldwide 2025-2034 https://www.statista.com/statistics/1183457/iot-connected-devices-worldwide/#:~:text=Number%20of%20IoT%20connections%20worldwide,than%2017%20billion%20by%202033.
What are Internet of Things (IoT) devices? https://onomondo.com/blog/iot-devices-explained/#:~:text=How%20many%20IoT%20devices%20are,connected%20devices%20according%20to%20Cisco.
Key Figures & Projections:
~20 Billion Devices (2024/2025): Reports place the number of active IoT devices in the range of 17-20 billion for 2024/2025.
~50 Billion Sensors: With many devices containing multiple sensors, some analysts estimate over 50 billion sensors deployed alongside roughly 14 billion connected devices (as of a few years ago).
Rapid Growth: Projections forecast significant increases, with numbers potentially reaching 40.6 billion connected devices by 2034.
What's Included:
These numbers encompass a vast array of connected items, including:
Consumer: Smartphones, smart TVs, wearables, home appliances, smart speakers.
Industrial/Business: Connected vehicles, access control, smart meters, agricultural sensors, logistics trackers.
Why the Numbers Vary:
Estimates differ because of definitions (device vs. sensor) and different reporting timelines (some count connections, others devices, others sensors). However, the trend is clear: a massive, accelerating expansion of interconnected sensors and devices worldwide.
As of late 2024 to early 2025, there are approximately 18.8 to 21.1 billion connected IoT devices globally, with some estimates for all deployed sensors exceeding 50 billion. The number is forecast to grow to over 40 billion by 2030-2034.
Estimates of the total number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices vary because different sources use slightly different definitions of what counts as an active or connected device.
Current Estimates (2024-2025)
18.8 billion active IoT devices worldwide as of early 2025 (or end of 2024).
21.1 billion connected IoT devices globally as of 2025.
Over 50 billion connected sensors have been deployed in total, when considering that one connected "device" or gateway may aggregate data from many individual wired "end nodes" or sensors that do not have direct internet connectivity themselves.
Future Projections
The number of connected devices is projected to increase significantly in the coming years due to falling sensor costs and the rise of related technologies like AI and 5G connectivity.
24.2 billion by 2027.
39 billion by 2030.
40.6 billion by 2034.
Key Adoption Areas
IoT devices are used across various sectors, with the consumer market making up the largest share:
Consumer: Smart homes, wearables, and connected cars.
Industrial: Manufacturing, transportation, utilities, and agriculture, often focused on predictive maintenance and asset tracking.
Healthcare: Remote patient monitoring and hospital asset tracking.
Smart Cities: Traffic control, energy grids, and public transit systems.
