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Technology statistics: How fast is Tech advancing? [growth charts]

Technology statistics: How fast is Tech advancing? [growth charts]

Is technology advancing quicker than our population is ready for? It was just a few years ago that many of the current technologies were adopted.

The future of technology does not appear to be slowing down and only looks to be increasing.

The speed at which technology is growing: is 2x every 18 months when computing is measured. Over 89% of big data has been produced within the last 2 years.

At a Glance – Tech Statistics:

  • Net tech employment is responsible for 8% of the entire U.S. workforce
  • It is projected there will be 178,000 new tech jobs by Q4, 2022
  • There are over 43 different types of Technology, which work together to bring society benefits, but also significant fears due to AI.
  • The U.S. tech industry is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 5% by 2024 (Compound annual growth rate)
  • The Tech industry employs over 12.2 million Americans.
  • Email is used by 67% of businesses to communicate with their customers and clients

Within the last decade, everything from business productivity softwares and AirBNB’s, to gene editing, robotics, big data, and NFT’s have exploded in growth.

How fast is technology growing

Advances in Tech have grown at a what appears to be an exponential rate throughout the past 10 years. Let’s dive into the facts:

The technology industry is on pace to exceed $5.4 trillion in 2022. The tech industry sits at a 5-6% growth pattern year over year.

  • In 2022, the US is the largest tech market in the world (33% of the total, or an estimated $1.79 trillion).
  • Global tech spending reached $3,540 billion in 2022, with a projected $3,950 billion by the end of 2023.
    • A wide range of services are offered by the global technology market, including telecom services, technology outsourcing and hardware maintenance, consulting, systems integration, and computer equipment.

In this post, we’re going to cover the growth of technology, how fast it is changing, and technology statistics and facts that support this.

How Fast is Technology Growing? (Technology facts and statistics)

How fast is technology. gorwing advancing mooreslaw 2

Exactly how fast is technology growing? Technology grows by 2x every 18 months in processing capacity. Over 89% of Big Data has been generated in the past two years. According to the past 50 years technology is growing at a steady rate.

Is the speed of technology advancing too quickly? Let’s take a more in-depth look at the research & facts.

In this post we also cover technology statistics, these are up to date and are provided by various research teams. You’ll learn some very important statistics about technology.

At a Glance – Technology Growth Facts & Statistics

The future of technology chart
  • Computer chip cost: A computer chip with 2000 transitors had costed $1000 back in 1970. Today, the same chip costs $0.02 to manufacture.
  • Amount of internet users: There are 4.88 billion internet users as of the fourth quarter, 2021. The rate of internet adoption expects to exceed 61% in 2022.
  • More Data than ever before: 89.7% of big Data has been generated within the last 2 years.
  • How fast is AI growing?: By 2025, data center spending on AI processors will grow by over 4x. Global AI market is forecasted to hit $89.8 billion.
  • Cloud solutions increase: 69.2% of spending for tech is forecasted to be spent on cloud solution
  • Smartphone usage: Millennials unlock their smartphones 71 times per day, while Generation Z unlocked their phone an average of 82 (MediaPeanut 2021 survey).
  • Smartphone use reliance: Reliance of smartphones has increased by 16% over the past 8 years: 12% of young adults, and low income American’s said they relied on their smartphones and not broadband internet in 2013 – By 2022, this number has grown to 28%.
  • Internet Browsers: There are new ways to access a browsers on different devices. For example, a Roku internet browser is now possible via the new technology of casting apps. More smart TV’s and streaming devices have this in them. Even Tesla vehicles have an internet browser built-in now.
  • 50% of today’s tech growth derives from disruptive tech such as AR/VR, Robotics, SaaS, Artificial intelligence, robotics, and more. (see chart)
  • Fast Micro SD Cards: 1TB micro SD cards are now being used for storage on devices like Drones and Nintendo Switches. External storage technology has allowed an advancement in the storage of our phones and tablets. (Also see our research on how long tablets last)

Technology industry growth statistics

tech startup and internet adoption statistics

The U.S. tech industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5% by 2024. Our team has spent extended time and effort diving into tech industry statistics, what is changing, and how it has evolved. Below are a few key tech industry growth statistics:

  • Internet adoption increases: Amount of Internet users is expected to hit 5.3 Billion by 2023
  • Web hosting market value is only rising: In 2025, web hosting is expected to reach 77.78 billion
  • Number of Tech startups globally: As of Q4 2021, there is an estimated 1.47 million tech startups around the world. Fintech sits at the largest, making up roughly 7% of the total. This number differ geographically vastly based on several factors.
  • Companies are investing in Big Data: 92.7% of Fortune 1000 companies are deciding to invest further in AI & Big Data.
  • Data Collection increases: There are 21.5 billion connected smart devices as of 2021. Total smart devices gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data (interconnected) will reach an estimated 50 billion by 2025.
  • Global technology market spending
  • Global IT technology expenditures:
    • In 2021, the worldwide expenditure on information technology devices, including personal computers, tablets, mobile phones, printers, data center systems, enterprise software, and communications services, amounted to 4.26 trillion U.S. dollars.
    • The global IT expenditure for 2022 was 4.38 trillion U.S. dollars, which represents a 3% growth from 2021. Original projection was 4.5 trillion for 2022.
    • By 2023, the total worldwide IT spending is expected to be 4.6 trillion U.S. dollars, which represents a 5.1% growth from 2022.
    • There is an expectation that IT spending will decrease, but 82.5% of companies believe their expenditures will stay the same or increase.
  • Number of Technology companies in US: By the end of 2023, the US will reach over 620,000 tech firms (source). The United States’ businesses anticipate growing IT budgets in 2023 by more than 96%
  • SaaS will be utilized by 97.3% of companies by 2023, according to a recent survey (source).

Note: If you’d like to work with Mediapeanut, please read here.

timeline of tech statistics 2020 2021 2022

How Many Jobs Are Available in Technology

How Big of an Industry is Tech? Researchers expect there will be 178,000 new tech jobs by Q4, 2022, however experts are now showing us that there will be 190,000 new tech jobs.

  • By 2001, over 80.5 % of people used technology at their jobs (source).
  • By 2015, the percentage of households. grew to roughly 87%.
  • Over 96.3% of Americans use technology at their jobs. 95% of 3 – 18 year olds have some type of home internet access according to the American Community Survey.

However, it is interesting to note that 63.2 percent of the world’s total population used the internet in 2020. Which is clearly a far lower percentage than those in the U.S.

Are Tech Workers still in demand?

Yes, Tech workers are still in demand. In fact, the employment situation remains strong as 175,700 jobs have been added to the sector so far this year (a 46% increase).

  • Most hiring will occur as a result of attrition, rather than an expansion of the workforce.
  • A positive job market for IT professionals is predicted to continue into 2022, but perhaps not as broad as it was in the first nine months.
  • Even though the job market for tech remains growing, Technology stocks are experiencing their worst start to a year ever due to inflation and high interest rates in 2022.
  • When polled, it was shown that 9% of Tech workers felt confident in their job security. Compare this to 80% of tech works feeling confident in a past survey. (source)

Even in a challenging market, CIOs are continuing to hire staff and invest in technology to address blockchain applications.

Technology statistics by Demographics Report (Minorities)

  • More than 65% of 18 – 28 year olds reported feeling uncomfortable in the workspace due to their ethnicity, gender, background or other neurological related conditions. This includes blacks in tech, women in tech, as well as latinas.
  • In 2022, 68% of business leaders felt there was a clear lack of diversity in their workplace.
  • Over 50% of business leaders reported there is a challenge in diversifying the tech position that are considered entry-level.
  • Automation is projected to take over 45 million jobs from Americans by 2030.
  • Online Web Tool creations skyrocket. An example of this is a font generator.
  • Improvements: The average Re-skill training programs in the US have placed 35% female and 46% Black, asian, and other minorities to bridge the skills gap in tech in 2021.

In the technology industry, there is a clear lack of diversity. There is an approximate $8 Billion a year spent (collectively) on diversity training for business. This highlights the need for the engagement of the right persons within companies to create and move forward with updated practices.

Motivating children both and younger individuals to consider careers in tech could result in improved equality in society.

Technology Growth and Adoption: Business productivity

  • New way to sign: 38% of small businesses found security as the top motivation of eSignature adoption, while 36% said they adopted eSignature tools due to ease of use. The remaining 26% deemed document turn around time, improved storage and the ability to work remotely as their top motivator of adopting electronic signatures. Examples of this include, but are not limited to solutions such as signNow by AirSlate.
  • Marketing automation increases: More than 78% of high performing businesses have been utilize online forms and marketing automation for 3 years or longer. Businesses that can automate lead management see a 10% increase in revenue within a 26-39 weeks time frame. Due to technology increasing at such a fast rate, solutions such as Paperform.co and jotform provide it easier than ever for creating responsive web forms.
  • Security and storage: More than 81% of IT Professionals admitted managing the growth and security storage was a core pain point when surveyed by MediaPeanut’s IT audience. Additionally, data storage requirements are growing at 39.7% per year as of 2021. Examples of solutions that allow companies to keep up are that of Egnyte and other, highly secure google drive alternatives.
  • Adaptation: According to our survey, 81% of small businesses in particular have not fully capitalized on technology.
big data and tech charts and facts
  • Digital transformation: Businesses changed their business plans after Covid-19: 46.3% accelerated their digital transformation.
    • Digital transformation is essential to 28.3% of businesses, so you can’t afford to overlook IT infrastructure maintenance.
  • VoIP: It is forecasted that 93% of IT leaders will have stopped using on premise solutions by the end of 2023. Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, will become more popular as the internet develops and use rises.
  • IoT: Throughout the coming years, IoT will likely become a major part of both business and individual day-to-day lives in a more high-tech business environment.
    • A total of $157 billion is expected to be spent by consumers on smart home devices by 2023
    • It is estimated that 1.4 billion connected devices will be in use by 2023
  • Data Analytics: A large number of companies (24.5%) admit to using big data analytics software and big data systems for other aspects of their businesses as well. Examples include, content analytics, and predictive analytics.

How is Technology Changing?

With computing power doubling every 18 months, along with technology such as Drones, Artificial Intelligence, Metaverse/Virtual reality, Gene-Editing and Electric Vehicles – it is not a surprise when we learn the general population is increasingly concerned about how technology is advancing too quickly. 

Self driving cars and new drug discoveries as a result of deep learning and code written by data may feel like normal technology to us, until we take a step back and realize how quickly all of this knowledge is advancing due to the growth of technology and data. It can be scary for some to look at.

For example, Amazon devices such as the Kindle, has ad supported and no ads versions, where the cost of the device you buy actually varies based on this advanced technology. This type of tech is only growing.

The technologies that professionals in the technology industry desire range from serverless computing, 3d printing, blockchain, and cloud native development. According to recent studies, the most common technologies professionals discuss for the future include AI, IoT (Internet of things), and robotic processes.

According to our studies at MediaPeanut, it’s interesting to see that devices like the MacBook Air are lasting longer than ever before. Average lifespans of new devices appear to have increased significantly over a very small time period.

See below for the Growth of technology graph:

The future of technology chart

If you are one to deem Moore’s law invalid, you may find it difficult to argue the hard data; the amount of money spent on AI chips fueled by deep learning intelligence.

How has technology changed in the last 10 years? (Graph)

Starting at 2010, several technological advancements caused a significant shift in lifestyle, education, healthcare, communications, and farming. 

Due to the progression of technology and its increasing rates of change, there is a large gap of lifestyle changes constantly evolving. This gap technology between generations is most clearly observed between millennials, baby boomers, and younger generations. 

In 2012 the deep learning or “software 2.0” era began. Fast forward 10 years later – deep learning is powering nearly every large scale internet service.

This includes social, media, and even small applications, such as youtube recommendations. In fact, it is now easier than ever to find a good tablet for streaming at a very inexpensive price point, something that was not possible before.

How has technology changed in the last 5 years

How fast is technology growing speed of technology changing

Technology statistics have grown significantly in the past 5 years due to deep learning, which has resulted in self driving cars, social media (ex. snapchat, instagram), and even AI powered voice assistants and smart speakers powered by ‘Alexa’ and google.

It is no wonder there was a global chip shortage in 2021 – tech is exponentially expanding. Devices with emerging technology around note taking include Digital writing pads (Electronic notebooks) which behaves as a digital paper tablet.

What is the Future of Technology

Due to deep learning, the future of technology will grow by benefiting large internet companies and every industry in the economy.

This is due to what researchers deem a “deployment phase” for deep learning.

  • In 2016 the data center spending on AI processors was an estimated $1 Billion.
  • By 2020, data center spending on AI processors was an estimated $5 billion.
  • By 2025 the future will bring an estimated $22 billion AI chip market total based on Data sourced from company derived statistics .

This means technology will grow by 4x when AI chips are the focus in which we are measuring advancement. Even the leap between new device models is becoming drastic. For example, when comparing the apple pencil 1 vs 2 there are significant differences in technology.

By 2025, data center spending on AI processors will grow by over 4x. Tech statistics are only indicating more and more growth as time passes.

Millennials and Technology

How Quickly is Technology Growing tech statistics facts

A survey in 2019 shows us that 48% of adults in the United States, between the ages of 18 and 29, were online nearly every moment of the waking day with mobile device being the primary usage. This was referred to as ‘almost constantly’. 

Millennial research from 2019 reveals to us that they spend the following amount of time per day on the internet:

  • 211 minutes spent on internet or apps.
  • 31 minutes spent on daily desktop use.
  • More than 25% of millennials utilize a smartphone for content & video consumption, while Gen X sits at 17%, and baby boomers, 7%.
  • 70% of millennials own a laptop or iPad, while 57% owned a desktop device, making millennials the first generation found to use a laptop more than a desktop as their primary device.
  • A typical user of the internet spends 7 hours and 13 minutes on the internet each day

The amount has estimated to increase by 17%, a lot of this is hypothesized due to the heightened interest is technology trends for stocks through the usage of apps like Robin hood, Webull, and TD Ameritrade.

We ran a similar survey ran here at MediaPeanut (our audience) revealed to us similar results 2021:

  • Millennials unlock their smartphones 71 times per day, while Generation Z unlocked their phone an average of 82.

While the studies vary slightly, it’s difficult to say if the main driver that a growth of technology was the main driver and was statistically significantly causing a higher use of smartphone device.

One thing is for sure: Gen Z are using their phones slightly more than millennials. Both are using their phones a significant amount more than ever before. Not only are millennials editing photos on their phone, but they are using everything from a touchscreen to a drawing tablet for photoshop & illustrator.

While subjective, even baby boomer and technology are being observed as more casual than ever before. Many are quick to hypothesize technology growth is the cause, but is there more?

Technology use among Seniors

seniors and tech statistics
  • 60% adoption: six-in-ten seniors are smartphone owners (2021 Mediapeanut survey). Seniors still have lower rates of adoption and trail behind other age groups.
  • 62% of the seniors surveyed believe they lack access to digital health technology.
  • 82% of 65-69 year olds use the internet, two thirds of them claim they have access to internet via broadband.
  • 79% of people between 50 and 64 own smartphones.
  • 61% of seniors 65 and older own smartphones.
  • 49% of adults aged 65 and up use a streaming service like Netflix and Hulu.
  • 50% of adults are interested in using smart home technology, but only 10% admitted to using it regularly. 59% are motivated to use smart home tech to monitor their door bell, temperature, and to request help for emergencies.
  • 42% of Seniors pay a portion of their bills online via banking and merchant websites.
  • 7.3% of seniors use smart speakers or AI voice assistant a minimum of 1 time per month. The amount is estimated to be higher in 2021.
Seniors and technology adoption

The reason seniors are adopting smart phones is mainly due to the growth of technology. It is easy to see why seniors using technology is more common than ever before, yet still have challenges to access of certain digital health apps – it is hypothesized this is due to the learning curve.

Now, more than ever before, seniors have now adopted mobile phones and tech is nearly of regular use among older adults. The rate of senior technology adoption is steadily increasing over the past 10 years.

This is likely due to apps used for medication, audio books, shopping at home, nutrition, and video calling with younger family. Seniors are streaming content, using voice assistants, and surfing tablets in addition to smartphones.

Is Moore’s law still true & valid?

Moores law graph of how fast technology changes 1

Yes Moore’s Law still holds true, however its relevance has diminished due to new interpretations of the measurement of computing and processing power.

Experts believe that while Moores law is still valid, it is more challenging for processing technology to push the envelope, particularly due to expense and availability. Since tech statistics and information surrounding computers chips have become more prevalent, there have been more discussions on them with industry experts.

In short, Moores law is still alive, and is not dead or coming to and end, however it does appear to be slowing down.

  • Moore’s law was originally published in 1965 in electronics magazine. It was named after the Intel cofounder Gordon Moore. Beginning in 1970, computing power has doubled (2x) roughly every year or year and a half since then.
  • This means that technology grows every 18 months when processing power is the unit of measurement.
  • Moore’s law is a term for computing more than it is an actual law. Similar to the law of averages, which is more of a rule of thumb or practical way of thinking – rather than a law.

In recent years, technology growth has largely been driven by the need to reach new audiences, many of whom are affected by new technologies such as AI.

How Chat-GPT3 is advancing technology

Chat GPT-3 is advancing technology by pushing the boundaries of what is possible with artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP). It is an incredibly powerful tool that can understand and generate human-like language, allowing it to perform a wide variety of tasks, such as writing content, translating languages, and even some forms of coding.

With its vast database of knowledge and ability to learn and adapt, Chat GPT-3 has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with machines and automate many tasks that were previously thought to be exclusively in the domain of humans. It has the ability to understand context, recognize patterns, and even generate creative ideas, making it a highly versatile and valuable technology.

You can use Chat GPT-3 in a web browser or even on your smartphone. See our guide on How to get a chat GPT-3 app on your iPhone or Android.

By continuing to develop and improve AI and NLP technologies like Chat GPT-3, we are moving towards a future where machines can communicate and work with humans in a more intuitive and seamless way, creating more efficient and effective workflows and improving our overall quality of life.

What Is The Number Of Technology Jobs Available?

There will be 178,000 new tech jobs by 2022. Some experts are now predicting that there will be 190,000 new tech jobs by Q4.

The demand for tech workers remains high. The sector has added 175,700 jobs (a 46% increase) in 2022, resulting in a robust employment situation. 

What percentage of businesses use email?

Email is used by 67% of businesses to communicate with their customers and clients. 

Email is the primary technology channel small businesses use to acquire new customers.

Recent studies have shown that 81.5% of small businesses rely on email as their primary customer acquisition channel, and 79% for retention. Other online tools such as slack, google meet, and Skype are still used between co-workers in addition to email.

At what speed is Technology Advancing?

The speed at which technology is growing by 2x every 18 months when computing is measured. Over 89% of big data has been produced within the last 2 years.

Updates to this page will be completed by 6pm EST (Jan 30, 2023)

Resources:

  • MediaPeanut (Official survey statistics)
  • Trend Micro
  • Flexera
  • Datareporta: Q4 Internet users
  • Statistica: internet adoption, number of devices gathering data. Information technology stats.
  • WPforms: Form automation
  • Ark-invest: Future of technology
  • Aeris: Smart devices
  • AARP National survey – Seniors and tech adoption
  • ACI Worldwide – Seniors and online bill payment.
  • Aite Group – Seniors and online bill payment.
  • Mthree.com

About the author:

Photo of Paul Michael, Founder of MediaPeanut

Paul Michael

Paul Michael is a media and technology expert whose research reveals how technology and media are being used in the world today. He has expertise on computers, the internet, streaming, Roku, electronics, and education. He also enjoys graphic design & digital art. Paul has his Bachelors of Arts and Science(s) from Rutgers University-New Brunswick, NJ