How much data is generated on the internet every minute?

Have you ever wondered how much happens in one minute on the internet? Well, it's a lot. According to our research, in just the last ten years, digital engagement through social media, online purchases, streaming sites, and other online activities has increased exponentially.

From over 5 million Google searches to more than 12 million iMessages sent, the amount of data generated on various digital platforms in just one minute is truly staggering.

One way many businesses try to manage the amount of data being generated is through a CRM like Salesforce, a cloud-based software platform designed to support customer journeys.

Given how complex the data management of a customer journey can be, many businesses use a tool like Sweep, for Salesforce configuration to help decipher the data and streamline processes within the platform.

Salesforce plays a significant role in the optimization of business processes. Not only does this enable online businesses to tailor their platforms to their specific needs, but it also helps streamline processes by driving growth and efficiency.

As a result, this improves data generation and management but also enhances user experience through the Salesforce ecosystem which aids the continuous growth of digital platforms.

Moreover, the increasing number of connected devices has contributed greatly to the expansion of data generated over the years. With online demand higher than ever, the amount of data generated within one minute will only continue increasing with time.

That’s why to find out what truly happens across the internet, we decided to take a closer look at how much activity the most popular digital platforms generate in one minute. From how much shoppers spend on Amazon to the number of Tinder swipes, we will reveal how much data is generated every 60 seconds online.

We'll also look at how much big brands are making every year and how much money they would lose if their website went down for just one minute.

Digital platforms that generate the most data in one minute

Though our daily online activities may seem rather mundane, it is quite the contrary. In today’s digitally connected world, the generation and utilization of data can be extraordinary.

With approximately 5 billion internet users worldwide, it is truly astonishing how much information can be created in only 60 seconds.

Each passing moment spent on digital platforms essentially represents a treasure trove of data, capturing our preferences, behaviors, and interactions. For instance, in 2021, 5.7 million Google searches were made within one minute, and this figure went up to 5.9 million by 2022.

Online shopping saw an average of 6 million people shopping in one minute, whilst Facebook received an average of 44 million live views in 2021.

Twitter experienced a rise in the number of tweets shared in 2013, an estimated 100,000 to 347,000 tweets per minute. However, after the controversy regarding its now CEO, Elon Musk, the popular social media app witnessed a drastic decrease of -39.62% in its number of tweets within the last year.

How much happens in an internet minute?

In today’s digital age, the amount of activity happening at any given minute can generate an outstanding amount of data from online users.

As the world becomes increasingly data-driven, it is said that the amount of time, data, and information in the digital universe doubles every two years on average. This means that as the digital landscape continues to evolve, we’ll most likely experience further growth in the next few years.

Looking back on the most recent year of data, we wanted to see how much one minute of data has changed in one year.

1. Amazon Amount spent by customers in one minute (2021): $283,000 Amount spent by customers in one minute (2022): $443,000 % Difference: 57%

The corporate giant, Amazon, takes the lead as the online business with the most increase when it comes to its expansion of digital activity within just one minute.

In 2021, the multinational e-commerce company received as much as $283,000 from its online shoppers in a single minute. This more than doubled a year later to an impressive $443,000, highlighting an increase of 56.54%.

2. Venmo Amount spent by users in one minute (2021): $304,000 Amount spent by users in one minute (2022): $437,600 % Difference: 44%

This American mobile payment service, Venmo comes in second place having experienced a growth of 43.95%. In 2022, it was reported that its users spent $437,600 in just one minute, this is considerably higher than the amount spent the year before which was $304,000, showcasing an increase of $133,600.

3. Snapchat Number of snaps sent in one minute (2021): 2,000,000 Number of snaps sent in one minute (2022): 2,430,000 % Difference: 22%

The popular social media app, Snapchat completes the top three. This multimedia instant messaging app saw 2 million snaps sent in 60 seconds back in 2021. By the next year, this figure increased to over 2.4 million snaps sent at the same time, a growth of 21.50%.

How much has an internet minute changed in a decade?

Over the last decade, digital engagement has experienced an astounding amount of change. With constant turbulence in the global economy, there’s been an increased emphasis on the use of digital tools to support our personal and business needs as a society.

Research suggests that around 4.65 billion people are social media users; with so much success in the digital world, there has been an acceleration in how much data can be generated in just one minute.

1. Instagram Photos shared in one minute (2013): 3,600 Photos shared in one minute (2022): 66,000 % Difference: +1733%

It comes as no surprise that over the last decade, the rate of digital engagement has continued to grow, especially within the social media landscape. Hence, Instagram grabs the top spot as the digital platform to have seen the most growth over the last decade.

Showcasing a staggering difference of 1733%, Instagram’s popularity has skyrocketed over the years. Back in 2013, the social media app saw 3,600 photos shared within one minute, by 2022 this figure has soared to 66,000 per minute.

2. YouTube Hours uploaded in one minute (2013): 48 Hours uploaded in one minute (2022): 500 % Difference: +942%

The well-known video-sharing platform, YouTube follows behind after experiencing a growth of 942%. In 2013, it was reported that approximately 48 hours of videos were uploaded to the site, this is no match to the 500 hours of video uploads that occur in just one minute recorded in 2022.

3. Twitter Tweets shared in one minute (2013): 100,000 Tweets shared in one minute (2022): 347,000 % Difference: +247%

The online social networking app, Twitter ranks in third place with an increase of 247% in online engagement in just one minute.

Despite the controversy surrounding the app in the last few years, Twitter has witnessed a growth of 247,000 tweets shared in 60 seconds, going from 100,000 in 2013 to 347,000 by 2022.

How much could the world’s wealthiest companies lose if they went offline for one minute?

In a world driven by high-tech and interconnectedness, even a slight disruption to the flow of digital services can have an extraordinary impact.

From multinational companies to tech giants, there's no denying that some of the richest businesses in the world have amassed an extraordinary amount of wealth. However, with the increasing demand for digital services, there’s plenty to lose if a corporate giant goes offline even for a few minutes.

So, if you’ve ever wondered how much the world’s wealthiest companies could lose if they went offline for just one minute – you’d be surprised how much was really at stake.

1. Walmart Country: USA Annual Revenue: $611.28B Revenue per minute: $1,163,014

The retail corporate giant, Walmart tops the list as the wealthiest company with the most to lose if it went offline for as little as one minute. Raking in a hefty $611.28 billion a year on average, Walmart could lose as much as $1,163,014 million on the internet in 60 seconds.

2. Saudi Aramco Country: Saudi Arabia Annual Revenue: $604.17B Revenue per minute: $1,149,486

The Saudi Arabian company powerhouse, Saudi Aramco takes second place as one of the wealthiest companies in the world. On average, the petroleum and natural gas company receives a healthy $604.17 billion in revenue. This means that if the company went offline for one minute, it could face a potential loss of $1,149,486 million.

3. Amazon Country: USA Annual Revenue: $524.89B Revenue per minute: $998,649

Amazon ranks in third place with a revenue of $524.89 billion. Specializing in e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and more, Amazon has a lot to lose if the company went offline for one minute. The tech corporation could lose $998,649 every minute that it remains offline.

Methodology

Using information from Domo and Visual Capitalist, we looked at the amount of data generated within one internet minute across a decade (2013-2022), as well as within one year (2021-2022) using the most recent data available. A comparison was made only for the digital platforms that occurred more than once. This data was collected on 05/12/2023.

The section on how much the world’s wealthiest companies could lose in one minute used figures from CompaniesMarketCap. To calculate the revenue loss per minute, the overall annual revenue figures were divided by the number of minutes in a year. This information was collected on 05/15/2023.