Number of VPN downloads in Russia 2020-2022
Internet users in Russia downloaded virtual private network (VPN) services around 33.5 million times in 2022. To compare, less than 13 million VPN downloads were recorded in the country over the course of 2021. VPN usage in Russia sharply increased in 2022 during the invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent blocking of various websites by the Russian government. Among them were social media platforms Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. In total, nearly 23 percent of Russians were estimated to be using VPN in 2022.
