ChatGPT usage is now big enough that small shifts in traffic, adoption, and behavior can signal real changes in how people learn, work, and search. Below are 35 user-focused statistics for 2026, grouped into sections with short blurbs, with no single source dominating.

User base and scale

These are the “how many people use it” figures. They are not perfect, but they anchor the rest of the conversation around reach and momentum.

1. ChatGPT (excluding Copilot) is estimated at 815 million unique users as of February 2026. Source: First Page Sage
2. Microsoft Copilot is estimated at 103 million users as of February 2026. Source: First Page Sage
3. ChatGPT has over 800 million weekly active users, according to an internal message reported by CNBC and cited by Reuters (Feb 9, 2026). Source: Reuters
4. OpenAI says ChatGPT is back to over 10% monthly growth (reported Feb 2026). Source: Reuters
5. ChatGPT receives 2.5 billion prompts per day globally. Source: TechCrunch
6. Of those daily prompts, about 330 million come from users in the U.S. Source: Axios

Web traffic and demand signals

Traffic is not the same as active users, but it is a useful, consistent “pressure gauge” for interest and habit formation.

7. ChatGPT logged 5.723 billion total visits in January 2026. Source: Similarweb
8. Those January 2026 visits were the 4th highest month on record for ChatGPT, per Similarweb’s reporting. Source: Similarweb
9. ChatGPT visits rose 3.73% month over month in January 2026. Source: Similarweb
10. Similarweb reports Direct traffic drove 76.14% of ChatGPT desktop visits (site overview). Source: Similarweb
11. Similarweb reports ChatGPT’s audience is 53.44% male and 46.56% female (site demographics). Source: Similarweb
12. Similarweb reports the largest age group visiting chatgpt.com is 25–34. Source: Similarweb

Market share and competitive context

These numbers matter because “default assistant” behavior tends to compound. Share shifts often show up before people feel them.

13. Worldwide AI chatbot market share (January 2026): ChatGPT 80.49%. Source: Statcounter Global Stats
14. Worldwide AI chatbot market share (January 2026): Perplexity 7.89%. Source: Statcounter Global Stats
15. Worldwide AI chatbot market share (January 2026): Google Gemini 7.18%. Source: Statcounter Global Stats
16. Worldwide AI chatbot market share (January 2026): Microsoft Copilot 3.5%. Source: Statcounter Global Stats
17. North America AI chatbot market share (January 2026): ChatGPT 76.59%. Source: Statcounter Global Stats
18. North America AI chatbot market share (January 2026): Google Gemini 8.65%. Source: Statcounter Global Stats
19. North America AI chatbot market share (January 2026): Microsoft Copilot 7.26%. Source: Statcounter Global Stats

Who is using ChatGPT

This section is about user composition and diffusion. It helps explain why certain use cases keep expanding beyond early adopters.

20. In OpenAI’s study, among users with names classifiable as feminine/masculine, the share with typically feminine names rose from 37% (Jan 2024) to 52% (July 2025). Source: OpenAI
21. OpenAI reports that non-work usage reached 73% in June 2025, up from 53% a year earlier (study summary). Source: OpenAI
22. In the U.S., 34% of adults say they have ever used ChatGPT (Feb 24 to Mar 2, 2025 survey). Source: Pew Research Center
23. Among U.S. adults under 30, 58% say they have used ChatGPT. Source: Pew Research Center
24. 20% of Americans told Pew they had heard nothing about ChatGPT. Source: Pew Research Center

What people use ChatGPT for

Use-case distribution is where “users” become a real behavioral map. It is also where content strategy can get specific.

25. General research accounts for 36.7% of ChatGPT use cases (Jan 2026). Source: First Page Sage
26. Academic research accounts for 19.0% of ChatGPT use cases (Jan 2026). Source: First Page Sage
27. Email composition accounts for 14.4% of ChatGPT use cases (Jan 2026). Source: First Page Sage
28. In Zapier’s breakdown (citing OpenAI’s analysis), intents split into 49% “asking,” 40% “doing,” and 11% “expressing.” Source: Zapier
29. OpenAI’s study describes “writing, seeking information, and practical guidance” as the top buckets that together make up the majority of interactions (reported as 78% in third-party summaries of the study). Source: OpenAI

Work usage and productivity signals

This is where adoption becomes budget-relevant. Even modest time savings can justify policies, training, and paid seats.

30. In the U.S., 28% of employed adults say they use ChatGPT for work. Source: Pew Research Center
31. Pew reports 69% of workers do not use AI chatbots at work (Feb 2025). Source: Pew Research Center
32. Among non-users at work, 36% say a major reason is that AI chatbots are not useful for their job. Source: Pew Research Center
33. OpenAI reports a randomized field experiment where AI access cut weekly email time by 31%. Source: OpenAI (PDF)

Referral and “traffic leaving the chat”

These metrics matter more in 2026 because people increasingly start inside an AI interface and then click out only when needed.

34. Statcounter found ChatGPT accounted for 79.8% of AI chatbot referrals to websites (May 2025 data, press release published June 2025). Source: Statcounter
35. The same Statcounter release lists Perplexity at 11.8% of AI chatbot referral share (May 2025). Source: Statcounter

In 2026, ChatGPT’s user story is no longer just rapid growth. It is scale, routine, and widening reach across both personal and work use. The clearest signals are the sheer volume of activity, the sustained traffic levels, and a market share position that still looks like a default choice for many users. At the same time, the data points to a more mature phase where competition is real, clicks out to the open web are more selective, and workplace adoption depends less on novelty and more on job fit, policy, and measurable productivity gains.

FAQ: ChatGPT user statistics

How many people use ChatGPT in 2026?
Reuters reports ChatGPT has 800+ million weekly active users (Feb 2026). Source: Reuters

How much traffic does ChatGPT get?
Similarweb reported 5.723 billion total visits in January 2026. Source: Similarweb

What is ChatGPT’s market share among AI chatbots?
Statcounter shows ChatGPT at 80.49% worldwide AI chatbot market share in January 2026. Source: Statcounter Global Stats

What do people use ChatGPT for most?
A Jan 2026 breakdown lists general research (36.7%) as the largest bucket. Source: First Page Sage

How common is ChatGPT use at work in the U.S.?
Pew reports 28% of employed U.S. adults use ChatGPT for work. Source: Pew Research CenterHow many prompts does ChatGPT handle per day?
OpenAI told Axios it is 2.5 billion prompts per day, with 330 million from the U.S. Source: Axios