Binge-Watching by the Numbers: How Much Data Does Netflix Use?
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Netflix revived video and movie streaming in the 21st century as many users prefer the platform over old-school Blockbuster film rentals. However, Netflix users rely on WiFi or data subscriptions to stream content.
On average, 1GB of data is needed for an hour’s worth of Netflix use. Watching movies on Netflix consumes around 1GB and 684MB. At the same time, a 42-minute Netflix episode costs around 701MB and 7GB to complete 10 episodes per season.
This article lays down the latest Netflix data consumption statistics. If you want to peek at how much data the world consumes on Netflix and overall collective data spending habits, look at these numbers.
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- A Netflix user spends about 1GB of data when streaming videos for an hour in standard resolution, 3GB for HD, and 7GB for Ultra HD.
- Downloading a 1GB film incurs the same amount of data when streaming.
- 30 minutes of Netflix data usage sustains a Co2 footprint equivalent to driving 100 meters.
- Netflix is responsible for 15% of internet traffic in the world.
- With over 232 million subscribers worldwide, Netflix is still the leading subscription-based streaming platform.
- 47% of Americans prefer Netflix over other streaming platforms.
- The Netflix mobile app has been downloaded 18.63 million times in 2022.
- The most-watched film genre on Netflix is Comedy at 22.1% and Drama at 20.2%.
How Much Data is Spent On Netflix?
If an average Netflix user streams for about 3.2 hours daily, they sustain 96GB of data in just a month and 1.152TB annually. However, these numbers aren’t absolute.
Factors such as the geographical location of Netflix catalogs, the type of device used to stream, various data usage, setting controls, and internet connection speed play a role in Netflix data usage.
Netflix Usage Statistics
Do you know that people are more glued to their streaming screens than ever? This phenomenon spurred in 2006 when Netflix started hauling subscribers as big as 6.3 million.
Enhanced by the pandemic in 2020, Netflix usage is still on fire even with the advent of competing platforms such as Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney, HBO, and more.
Know the latest usage statistics on Netflix below and get an insight into the world’s data usage, spending habits, and the latest revenue.
1. The average data usage per hour of Netflix streaming is 1GB.
(Netflix)
Account users consume approximately 1GB of data under Standard Definition, 3GB for HD, and 7GB for Ultra HD and 4K streaming, per one hour of streaming. However, these are only estimates as actual data usage varies and would depend on two of the most important variables: length of streaming time and resolution.
Users with a limited plan are encouraged to stream at a lower video resolution to curb accidental data overages. Enabling “Data Saver” can also reduce data consumption by 75%.
2. Netflix accounts for 15% of internet traffic worldwide.
(Sandvine)
At the height of its popularity, Netflix is responsible for 14.9% of internet usage worldwide. With 220 million subscribers, Netflix still commands the global streaming market at 16.9%: Besting Amazon Prime Video, Disney, and HBO Max.
With good marketing, Netflix offers various original content, making the platform among the most undisputed forms of entertainment and relaxation for many.
3. The most-watched film genre on Netflix is Comedy at 22.1% and Drama at 20.2%
(What’s on Netflix, Netflix)
There’s an ongoing trend in which viewers are more keen to watch comedies than any film genre. Here is the latest segmentation between genres in Netflix’s film category:
| Rank | Genre | Percentage |
| 1 | Comedy | 22.1% |
| 2 | Drama | 20.2% |
| 3 | Animation | 19.2% |
| 4 | Other Genres | 18.4% |
| 5 | Action | 9.5% |
| 6 | Thriller | 8.1% |
| 7 | Romance | 7.4% |
| 8 | Sci-fi | 4.9% |
In Netflix’s tally of the Global Top 10 Film for May 2023, comedy dominates the list by three films.
| Rank | Movie | Genre |
| 1 | The Mother | Action |
| 2 | 2 Hearts | Drama |
| 3 | Missing | Thriller |
| 4 | The Son | Thriller |
| 5 | The Great Wall | Fantasy Action |
| 6 | Victim/Suspect | Crime |
| 7 | Ted | Comedy |
| 8 | Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me | Biographical documentary |
| 9 | The Boss Baby | Comedy |
| 10 | A Man Called Otto | Comedy |
In Netflix’s Global Top 10 Series, Drama genres comprise 7 of the top 10 series.
| Rank | TV Show | Genre |
| 1 | FUBAR: Season 1 | Comedy Action |
| 2 | XO, Kitty: Season 1 | Romantic comedy |
| 3 | Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story: Series | Drama |
| 4 | Selling Sunset: Season 6 | Reality TV (Drama) |
| 5 | S.W.A.T.: Season 1 | Drama |
| 6 | All American: Season 5 | Drama |
| 7 | Firefly Lane: Season 2 | Drama |
| 8 | Maid: Limited Series | Drama |
| 9 | The Night Agent: Season 1 | Thriller Drama |
| 10 | Bridgerton: Season 2 | Romance |
Netflix users prefer drama and comedy for emotionally complex scenes, light-hearted, feel-good plots, and storylines.
4. Downloading a 1GB show incurs the same data when streaming.
(Netflix)
There is no difference in data usage when you download or stream videos on Netflix. Users should be aware that downloading videos on the Netflix app depends on the speed and resolution of the video.
One way to save data is to choose low-resolution options when downloading smartphone videos securely. The resolution will be less noticeable compared to watching on big screens.
5. Streaming Netflix for 30 minutes equals a Co2 footprint emission of a 100-meter drive.
(IEA)
The updated 2020 report on Netflix’s sustainability is a far cry from 2018’s exaggerated carbon emission report stating a half-hour Netflix show is the same as driving for 4 miles.
The relatively small impact of streaming Netflix today on the world’s digital carbon footprint is in part due to Netflix’s effort to improve its data center’s efficiency. However, there’s still more work to ensure internet providers do their part in renewable energy.
Netflix Revenue Statistics
As per Statista, the first quarter of 2023 has earned Netflix a total revenue of nearly $8.16 billion. It’s a 3.73% step up from the last quarter of 2022’s $7.9 billion. The impressive year-on-year growth of Netflix is a testament to the growing subscriptions of the streaming giant.
Here are the latest and must-know revenue statistics of Netflix as of 2023.
6. Netflix leads the video streaming subscription-based industry by amassing over 232 million subscribers worldwide.
(Demand Sage)
In the first quarter of 2022, Netflix took a hit, losing its 1.170 million subscribers to rivals; However, Netflix challenged the streaming market by producing 891 original series and film productions.
The double-time effort in producing multiple originals rewarded Netflix with $31.61 billion in revenue, $4.49 billion in net sales, and the most subscribers worldwide.
7. Europe, the Middle East, and Africa are Netflix’s largest volume viewing audience, accounting for over 77 million subscribers.
(Statista)
Netflix’s latest earning disclosure revealed that the streaming giant hauled in 7.66 million subscribers during the last quarter of 2022. EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) quietly stood out regarding Netflix’s volume of paid subscriber shares.
By the end of 2022, Netflix gained about 2.4 million more subscribers in EMEA than in North America.
8. 47% of Americans prefer Netflix over other video streaming platforms.
(News 10, GameRant, HighspeedInternet)
A survey of 500 people asking about their optimum streaming service revealed that 47% chose Netflix as their primary video streaming platform over similar services.
Gamerant says Netflix has several edges against competing rivals (Netflix, Disney, Hulu, Apple TV, and Amazon, among others), such as user-friendly UI, monthly rotation of shows, an abundance of genres, original content, and promoting diversity-friendly movies.
9. Netflix’s mobile application for both iOS & Android has been downloaded 18.63 million times in 2022.
(Statista)
Netflix leads the pack as the most downloaded video streaming application for both iOS & Android mobile systems. It shows Netflix’s popularity, not just in smart TVs but with mobile devices as well.
Disney+ follows with over 15.16 million downloads, and Amazon with 12.45 million downloads.
Conclusion
For the first time, streaming platforms like Netflix overtake cable TV by a record-breaking 34.8% of total television share. People are cutting traditional cable cords over streaming services that can be conveniently stopped, replayed, and forwarded anytime, anywhere.
The spike in data required for streaming, however, was unexpected. The majority of data packages have caps and are not infinite. As a result, you must budget your data appropriately.
To limit data usage on Netflix, opt for WiFi over cellular data, connect to wireless hotspot data, choose suitable data plans, turn off running apps in the background, and download instead of streaming videos.
