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, 240 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 2023.
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 life.
According to a March 2023 survey of office workers carried out in the United States, e-mails were the preferred communication method among office workers when interacting with their colleagues remotely, while direct messages were only preferred by 14 percent of remote workers. According to a survey conducted between September and October 2023, employees in the U.S. spent six hours on e-mails per week, making it the second most used online communication platform among working professionals in the country.
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. Despite the apparent lack of interest from the general workforce, 40 percent of U.S. and European marketers reported finding content generation the most interesting feature AI tools had to offer when writing marketing e-mails.
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. In the United States, nine out of 10 digital users use e-mails, either for personal or professional use. For remote workers, e-mails were 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 life.
User behavior: free time usage vs. work life
In April 2024, the United States was the market with the highest volume of e-mails exchanged, with 9.7 billion daily e-mails sent on average. The overall share of internet users in the United States who use e-mail grew to over 92 percent of the country’s digital population. Additionally, e-mail addresses have become a new type of digital currency as they unlock access to online services such as banking and shopping.According to a March 2023 survey of office workers carried out in the United States, e-mails were the preferred communication method among office workers when interacting with their colleagues remotely, while direct messages were only preferred by 14 percent of remote workers. According to a survey conducted between September and October 2023, employees in the U.S. spent six hours on e-mails per week, making it the second most used online communication platform among working professionals in the country.
Generative AI tools for e-mail writing
Working professionals in the United States spend approximately 20 hours weekly on writing tasks, with written communications to colleagues and clients occupying five and a half hours of their time on average. Given the amount of time that professionals spend on writing tasks during their workweek, generative AI platforms might soon become an irreplaceable everyday tool for the average American office worker.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. Despite the apparent lack of interest from the general workforce, 40 percent of U.S. and European marketers reported finding content generation the most interesting feature AI tools had to offer when writing marketing e-mails.
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 the country with the highest volume of spam e-mails sent on a daily basis. Spam or junk e-mails carry several potential threats, including phishing scams and online fraud. In 2023, one-quarter of all fraud cases reported to the Federal Trade Commission in the United States took place via e-mail, costing consumers over 200 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. In the United States, nine out of 10 digital users use e-mails, either for personal or professional use. For remote workers, e-mails were 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.
