Little known to many, regular Google users can only access a tiny portion of the internet.
All other is in the deep web–and lying in the farthest corners of this is the dark web.
Have you ever wondered how much of the internet is the dark web?
You are not alone.
As avid internet fans, it is our default to know what lies beyond Google.
In this article, you will know exactly what you will find in the most secretive nooks of the net.
How Much of the Internet is the Dark Web in 2025?
An estimated percentage of only 5% of the net is the dark web.
It may look like a small portion, but millions of relevant information can be found in this corner.
From the passwords of Forbes 100 executives to the latest conversations of state whistleblowers, the dark web is home to all these agendas.
How Did the Dark Web Start?
It may come as a surprise to you, but the dark web actually started as a good initiative.
If you know the concept of decentralization found in blockchain, you will be surprised to know that the dark web also started over the same concept.
In the 2000s, a University of Edinburgh student by the name of a certain Ian Clarke wanted to leverage a platform where he and other users can communicate anonymously and share files online without sharing their identities.
At that time, Freenet is beginning to see massive public adoption, making it a timely point to create a distributed and decentralized storage system that is accessible to all.
Dark Web and the Tor Network
Since the dark web diverged from the internet’s regular programming, users cannot use the usual dot.com domain when hosting their sites.
This is where the Tor Network came – it uses an onion routing under the “.io” extension to create its own unique and anonymous system that distinguishes it from “.com” sites.
Today, Tor is believed to be hosting 30,000 sites under “.onion” simultaneously active at one time.
Research shows that its usage saw a 300% increase from 2018 to 2021 which shows how popular it is becoming in recent years.
What Exactly Can We See on the Dark Web?
It also pays to stick our noses in what goes around in this highly-secretive corner of the internet.
Among the most common findings are illicit drugs, attacks such as malware and ransomware, personal credentials, customer data, and intellectual property, among others.
- File sharing – 29% of content accessed on the dark web fall under this category
- Leaked data – 28% of content accessed on the dark web fall under this category
- Financial fraud – 12% of content accessed on the dark web fall under this category
- News media – 10% of content accessed on the dark web fall under this category
- Promotion – 6% of content accessed on the dark web fall under this category
- Discussion forum – 5% of content accessed on the dark web fall under this category
- Drugs – 4% of content accessed on the dark web fall under this category
- Hacking – 3% of content accessed on the dark web fall under this category
- Pornography – 1% of content accessed on the dark web fall under this category
- Weapons – 0.3% of content accessed on the dark web fall under this category
2022 Dark Web Price Index
Here is the latest piece of information on the price threshold of each compromised data posted on the dark web in 2022.
- Credit card account credentials with a maintained balance of up to $5,000 – this product sells for an average amount of $120 in 2022
- Credit card account credentials with a maintained balance of up to $1,000 – this product sells for an average amount of $80 in 2022
- Compromised online bank account login credentials with a balance of at least $2,000 – this product sells for an average amount of $65 in 2022
- Hacked global credit card with the inclusion of CVV – this product sells for an average amount of $15 in 2022
- Cloned American Express (AMEX) with the inclusion of PIN – this product sells for an average amount of $25 in 2022
- Cloned Mastercard with the inclusion of PIN – this product sells for an average amount of $20 in 2022
Illicit Drug Trade in the Dark Web
Consequently, the illicit drug trade is a thriving business in the dark web, valued at $27 million in 2015.
Take a look at this data detailing the illicit drug categories sold on the dark web and their respective value for the period covering 2013 to 2015.
- Cocaine – the collective value of this drug’s dark web trade is at $5.2 million during the period
- Marijuana – the collective value of this drug’s dark web trade is at $5.7 million during the period
- MDMA and Ecstasy – the collective value of this drug’s dark web trade is at $7.7 million during the period
- Speed – the collective value of this drug’s dark web trade is at $2.3 million during the period
- Heroin – the collective value of this drug’s dark web trade is at $1.8 million during the period
- LSD – the collective value of this drug’s dark web trade is at $1.5 million during the period
- Crystal meth – the collective value of this drug’s dark web trade is at $1.4 million during the period
- Ketamine – the collective value of this drug’s dark web trade is at $800,000 million during the period
- DMT – the collective value of this drug’s dark web trade is at $400,000 million during the period
- Mushrooms – the collective value of this drug’s dark web trade is at $200,000 million during the period
Top Dark Web Users by Country
Which country is the most avid dark web user?
As of the latest data, Russia turned out to be on the top of the list with almost 10,000 daily active users.
- Russia – the country recorded 9,982 average daily dark web users in 2021
- United States – the country recorded 6,324 average daily dark web users in 2021
- Iran – the country recorded 3,324 average daily dark web users in 2021
- Germany – the country recorded 2,096 average daily dark web users in 2021
- Belarus – the country recorded 1,791 average daily dark web users in 2021
- Brazil – the country recorded 1,711 average daily dark web users in 2021
- India – the country recorded 1,487 average daily dark web users in 2021
- China – the country recorded 1,391 average daily dark web users in 2021
- United Kingdom – the country recorded 1,299 average daily dark web users in 2021
- Turkey – the country recorded 1,019 average daily dark web users in 2021
Conclusion
How much of the internet is the dark web? Although this part only takes about 5% of the entirety of the internet, it sure has a huge impact.
Nowadays, the dark web is a breeding ground for illegal activities such as selling illicit drugs, stolen credit card credentials, and hacking techniques.