There are 392.5 million domain names registered worldwide as of Q1 2026. That number grew by 24.1 million (6.5%) in just one year. Behind those figures is a domain name industry valued at $10.49 billion in 2026 and growing toward $16.57 billion by 2035.
Whether you are buying your first domain, managing a portfolio of sites, or building a brand strategy, understanding domain name trends helps you make better decisions about extensions, registrars, and timing.
This page covers the most current and verified domain name statistics available, organized by total registrations, TLD breakdown, market size, new gTLD growth, and the domain aftermarket.
Every stat is sourced from official industry bodies, primary market research firms, and the industry’s own published reports.
Quick Stats: Key Domain Name Numbers for 2026
- Total registered domain names: 392.5 million (Q1 2026, DNIB)
- Year-over-year growth: +24.1 million (+6.5%)
- .com and .net combined: 176.1 million registrations
- Country-code TLDs (ccTLDs): 146.3 million registrations
- New generic TLDs (ngTLDs): 49.6 million registrations (+31.3% YoY)
- Global domain market size: $10.49 billion (2026)
- Projected domain market by 2035: $16.57 billion
- Total domains projected by 2030: 459.9 million
- Median domain aftermarket sale price at Sedo: $549
Key Takeaways
The domain name market is stable and growing consistently. Total registrations are up 6.5% year-over-year, driven by new business formation, eCommerce expansion, and rising internet access in emerging markets.
The most important trend to watch is new gTLD growth. New extensions like .io, .ai, .app, and .shop grew 31.3% year-over-year, which is far faster than .com or ccTLDs. While .com remains the dominant and most trusted extension by far, new gTLDs are increasingly viable for startups and tech brands.
The domain aftermarket is maturing into a recognized asset class. Sedo and InterNetX’s Global Domain Report 2025 shows strong growth in aftermarket sales activity, with .com names continuing to command the highest prices.
The median sale price at Sedo was $549, and high-profile individual sales regularly exceed $500,000.
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Total Registered Domain Names
Global Registration Numbers
The total number of domain names registered worldwide reached 392.5 million at the end of Q1 2026, according to the Domain Name Industry Brief (DNIB) Q1 2026 Quarterly Report, which is the official industry report published by Verisign.
This represents:
- An increase of 5.6 million domains from Q4 2025, or 1.4% quarterly growth
- An increase of 24.1 million domains year-over-year, representing 6.5% annual growth
The domain registration market has grown consistently over the past decade. By 2030, the total number of registered domain names is projected to reach 459.9 million, according to Research and Markets’ domain name industry analysis.
Active vs. Registered Domains
Total registered domains and actively visited websites are very different numbers. Of the 392.5 million registered domains:
- A significant share is parked domains, which are registered but do not host a live website
- Many are defensive registrations, where brands register multiple extensions to protect their identity
- A smaller share are actively maintained websites that generate regular traffic
The number of websites with meaningful content and real traffic is substantially below the registered domain count. Our article on what is a domain name explains the relationship between domains and web hosting for beginners.
Domain Name Market Size
Global Market Value
The global domain name market is valued at $10.49 billion in 2026 and is projected to grow to $16.57 billion by 2035, at a CAGR of 5.1%, according to Business Research Insights.
Note that the domain name market is distinct from the broader web hosting market ($149–$180 billion in 2025). The domain market covers registration, renewal, transfer, and resale activity specifically.
Domain Market vs. Web Hosting Market
| Market | 2026 Size | Annual Growth Rate |
| Web Hosting | $149–$180 billion | 10–20% CAGR |
| Domain Names | $10.49 billion | 5.1% CAGR |
Domain registration is relatively commoditized; most .com registrations cost $10–$20 per year at major registrars. The real value in the domain market comes from premium names, portfolio management, and the aftermarket, where sought-after domains sell for thousands to millions of dollars.
For guidance on whether to keep your domain registrar and web host separate, which is often the smarter approach, see our article on domain registrar vs. web host: why to keep them separate.
TLD Market Share Breakdown
The Three Main TLD Categories
All registered domain names fall into three main categories, each with different characteristics and growth trajectories.
.com and .net
.com and .net combined hold 176.1 million registrations as of Q1 2026, which is approximately 44.9% of all registered domain names globally, according to DNIB Q1 2026. Year-over-year, the category grew by 6.2 million registrations (+3.7%).
.com alone remains the most registered single TLD in the world by a wide margin. For most businesses and personal brands, .com is still the default first choice because:
- Users instinctively type .com when guessing a web address
- .com carries the strongest global brand recognition and trust
- Resale value in the aftermarket is highest for short, memorable .com names
For context on whether a specific extension matters for your brand, see our guide on domain extensions explained.
Country-Code TLDs (ccTLDs)
Country-code TLDs represent 146.3 million registrations, or 37.3% of all domains, as of Q1 2026, per DNIB. The category grew by 3.4 million registrations year-over-year (+2.4%).
ccTLDs serve two distinct purposes:
- Geographic targeting: .co.uk, .de, .fr, and .au signal local relevance to users and search engines in that country
- Creative repurposing: extensions like .io (British Indian Ocean Territory), .ai (Anguilla), and .co (Colombia) have been widely adopted as tech and startup brand extensions, far beyond their original geographic association
For guidance on when a ccTLD makes sense for your site, see our article on ccTLDs: when to use a local domain extension.
New Generic TLDs (ngTLDs)
New generic TLDs are the fastest-growing segment of the domain name market by far. As of Q1 2026, per DNIB:
- 49.6 million ngTLD registrations globally
- Year-over-year growth of 31.3%, which is the fastest growth of any TLD category
- Quarterly growth of +1.8 million from Q4 2025 (+3.7%)
The 31.3% YoY growth rate for ngTLDs is roughly eight times faster than .com and .net (3.7% YoY) and thirteen times faster than ccTLDs (2.4% YoY). This acceleration reflects growing comfort with non-.com extensions, particularly among tech startups and eCommerce brands.
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New gTLD Trends
Which New Extensions Are Gaining Traction?
The new gTLD category covers hundreds of extensions introduced since ICANN’s program launched in 2013. The extensions showing the most consistent adoption include:
- .io: adopted as a de facto extension for software products and developer tools
- .ai: growing rapidly with the AI industry; technically Anguilla’s ccTLD but treated as a tech extension globally
- .app: gaining steady adoption among mobile and web application developers
- .shop: one of the most popular eCommerce-focused extensions
- .co: widely used as a .com alternative by startups globally
- .dev: developer-focused extension from Google Registry
For analysis of which new gTLDs are worth registering versus which are not, see our article on new gTLDs: are they worth buying?
New gTLDs and SEO
A frequent question is whether new gTLD extensions affect Google rankings. Google has publicly confirmed it treats all new gTLDs equivalently to .com for ranking purposes; the extension is not a direct ranking factor. Brand authority, content quality, and backlinks matter far more than which extension you choose.
For a detailed look at how domain choices affect your site overall, see our article on the importance of a domain name.
Domain Aftermarket Statistics
A Maturing Asset Class
Premium domain names are increasingly treated as long-term digital assets rather than simple commodity purchases.
The domain aftermarket, where previously registered domains are bought and resold, shows strong activity and growth.
According to the Sedo and InterNetX Global Domain Report, which is the industry’s most comprehensive aftermarket data publication:
- The median domain sale price at Sedo was $549
- .com dominated Sedo sales at 59% of all transactions
- 69% of Sedo sales were completed through Buy Now listings
- Sedo’s biggest single transaction was bagel.com, which sold for $500,000
- .org and .net each accounted for approximately 4% of Sedo’s sales volume
High-profile domain sales regularly exceed six and seven figures. Short, memorable .com names with strong keywords remain the highest-value assets in the aftermarket.
Expired and Dropped Domains
When registrations are not renewed, domains expire and eventually become available for re-registration.
This creates a secondary market for expired domains that SEO practitioners sometimes use to acquire names with existing backlink profiles.
For a realistic look at what expired domain SEO claims are worth believing, see our article on the truth about expired domain SEO.
For practical guidance on recovering a domain you allowed to lapse, see our guide on how to recover a deleted or expired domain.
Domain Registration Practical Data
Average Domain Costs
Domain registration costs vary by extension and registrar. The following ranges are based on HostingGuider’s own review of major registrar pricing across active accounts:
| Extension | Typical Registration Cost | Typical Annual Renewal |
| .com | $10–$18/year | $14–$20/year |
| .net | $12–$18/year | $14–$20/year |
| .org | $10–$16/year | $12–$18/year |
| .io | $35–$60/year | $40–$65/year |
| .ai | $60–$90/year | $65–$95/year |
| .co | $25–$35/year | $28–$40/year |
| ccTLDs (e.g., .co.uk) | $8–$20/year | $8–$20/year |
| New gTLDs (varies widely) | $5–$100+/year | Varies significantly |
Pricing data: HostingGuider review data from major registrar accounts, 2025–2026. Promotional first-year pricing is common, so always check the renewal price before registering.
A common pitfall is registering a domain at a first-year promotional price of $0.99 or $1 and then being surprised by the standard $15–$20 renewal. For domain ownership lookup and WHOIS data, use our WHOIS lookup tool.
Domain Privacy Protection
When you register a domain, your contact information is stored in the public WHOIS database by default, including your name, address, email, and phone number.
Domain privacy protection (also called WHOIS privacy) replaces your personal data with the registrar’s proxy contact information.
Most major registrars now include domain privacy protection free of charge. For a full explanation of what privacy protection does and does not hide, see our article on domain privacy protection: what it hides.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many domain names are registered in 2026?
There are 392.5 million registered domain names worldwide as of Q1 2026, according to the Domain Name Industry Brief (DNIB) Q1 2026 Quarterly Report, which is the official industry data published by Verisign. This is an increase of 24.1 million (6.5%) compared to Q1 2025.
How many .com domains are registered?
.com and .net combined hold 176.1 million registrations as of Q1 2026, accounting for 44.9% of all registered domain names, according to DNIB data. .com alone represents the vast majority of that total.
What is the domain name market worth in 2026?
The global domain name market is valued at $10.49 billion in 2026 and is projected to reach $16.57 billion by 2035 at a CAGR of 5.1%, according to Business Research Insights.
Are new gTLDs (.io, .ai, .app) growing?
Yes, significantly. As of Q1 2026, new gTLDs have 49.6 million registrations globally, growing 31.3% year-over-year. That growth rate is roughly eight times faster than .com and .net combined (3.7% YoY), according to DNIB Q1 2026 data.
Do new gTLD domains rank as well as .com in Google?
Google has publicly confirmed it treats all new gTLDs equivalently to .com for ranking purposes. The extension is not a direct ranking factor. Content quality, backlinks, and brand authority matter far more than the extension chosen.
What is the domain aftermarket and what do domains sell for?
The domain aftermarket is where previously registered domains are bought and resold. According to the Sedo and InterNetX Global Domain Report 2025, the median sale price at Sedo was $549, with .com accounting for 59% of all sales. High-value domains can sell for hundreds of thousands; Sedo’s largest 2024 transaction was bagel.com at $500,000.
What is WHOIS, and do I need domain privacy?
WHOIS is the public database containing registration details for every domain, including owner name, address, email, and phone number. Without privacy protection, that information is publicly visible to anyone.
Most major registrars now include domain privacy protection free of charge. Use our WHOIS lookup tool to check the public record for any domain.
