Passwords are needed for almost every account we create online.
But despite being essential for helping protect against breaches, many users need to pay more attention to the importance of creating strong passwords and keeping the details safe.
Below, you will find interesting facts, statistics, and trends that password users apply when keeping personal and work data secure.
Top 6 Password Statistics (Editor’s Pick)
- 2022 data shows that the average password has eight characters.
- 57% of people would prefer passwordless verification methods beyond 2022.
- Over 300 billion passwords were generated in 2022.
- More than 59% of Americans used relatives’ names in passwords in 2022.
- At least one-third of internet users experienced a data breach between 2022-2023.
- The most generated password in 2021 was “123456.”
Infographic
<a href="https://vpnalert.com/resources/password-statistics/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="https://vpnalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/top-6-password-statistics.png" alt="Top 6 Password Statistics" width="768" border="0" height="631.10254645561" loading="lazy" fetchpriority="low" srcset="https://vpnalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/top-6-password-statistics-768x631.png 768w, https://vpnalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/top-6-password-statistics-300x247.png 300w, https://vpnalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/top-6-password-statistics-1024x841.png 1024w, https://vpnalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/top-6-password-statistics.png 1453w" sizes="auto"></a>
General Password Statistics and Trends
57% of the users admitted sharing passwords with partners or family members, with 11% changing the passwords after a breakup. As many as 22% of these passwords are for Netflix or Hulu.
2. In 2021, 62% of people used the same password for multiple accounts.
62% of people used the same password or a slight variation for all their login credentials. 2022 saw improvement, with 41% of people using more intricate variations of similar passwords.
3. Six of ten internet users would prefer a passwordless form of verification beyond 2022.
57% of users would prefer to use a passwordless method of protecting their information. In the US, two-thirds of users already express their preference for biometric authentication.
4. Most people in 2021 admitted to storing passwords in their memory.
53% say they use nothing but memory to note a password. This resulted in 37% of internet users forgetting passwords at least once. Of other users, at least 32% said they use spreadsheets to store the data.
<a href="https://vpnalert.com/resources/password-statistics/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="https://vpnalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/memory-passwords-statistics.png" alt="Statistics on Using Memory to Note Password" width="768" border="0" height="411.58011049724" loading="lazy" fetchpriority="low" srcset="https://vpnalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/memory-passwords-statistics-768x412.png 768w, https://vpnalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/memory-passwords-statistics-300x161.png 300w, https://vpnalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/memory-passwords-statistics-1024x549.png 1024w, https://vpnalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/memory-passwords-statistics.png 1267w" sizes="auto"></a>
5. 2021 statistics reveal that most people keep their passwords unchanged after phishing attempts.
57% of internet users keep their passwords the same after breaches or phishing attacks.
6. A 2021 review shows that only 31% of people change their passwords regularly.
Over 60% of internet users don’t change passwords more than once a year, leaving them vulnerable to attacks.
7. Each internet user has an average of 38 passwords.
An estimated 300 billion passwords were generated in 2022.
This equates to around 38 passwords per person. The average number of passwords employees in large companies hold is estimated to be twice this amount.
8. 2023 sees fewer Gen-Z internet users worrying about password security.
76% of younger internet users aren’t concerned about password breaches or phishing attempts. This is because three-quarters of the Gen-Z generation use two-factor authentication to secure login credentials.
9. A typical password has eight characters or less.
2022 research shows that 30% of passwords feature eight characters.
Just under 20% of passwords feature six characters.
Most of these accounts belong to companies and brands, although personal accounts are susceptible, too.
US Password Statistics and Trends
11. 65% of Americans don’t trust password managers.
58% of Americans admitted to experiencing at least one data breach, but despite this, 65% of the surveyed users said they were still hesitant to use password managers in 2021.
12. In 2021, the average American was locked out of 10 online accounts monthly due to incorrect password submissions.
Of these internet users, 57% admitted to forgetting their new password directly after resetting it.
13. More than 59% of Americans used a relative’s name as a password in 2022.
More than 59% of American internet users used a person’s name as a password or part of a password. The names are most often those of a partner or family member.
<a href="https://vpnalert.com/resources/password-statistics/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="https://vpnalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/using-names-passwords.png" alt="Statistics on Using Names for Passwords" width="768" border="0" height="411.58011049724" loading="lazy" fetchpriority="low" srcset="https://vpnalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/using-names-passwords-768x412.png 768w, https://vpnalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/using-names-passwords-300x161.png 300w, https://vpnalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/using-names-passwords-1024x549.png 1024w, https://vpnalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/using-names-passwords.png 1267w" sizes="auto"></a>
14. 2021 saw less than half of the US population using password generators.
Only 27% of US citizens expressed using password generators to create passwords. 79% of survey candidates said they prefer to mix and match their own words and numbers, and 57% said they default to a variation of a previous password.
15. 14% of internet users use the “show password” option before submitting their login details.
2021 survey data found that 14% of internet users select the “show password” option before entering their password. 28% of the candidates said it was because they prefer not to expose their passwords on-screen.
Popular Password Statistics
16. The majority of people use their name or birthdate in their password.
In 2021, 59% of people used their names, birthdates, or parts thereof, to create passwords.
17. The most generated password in 2021 was “123456.”
The sequence “123456” was used an average of 103,170,552 times in 2021 to create passwords.
| Other Commonly Used Passwords | Number of Times Used |
|---|---|
| 123456789 | 46,027,530 |
| 12345 | 32,955,431 |
| qwerty | 22,317,280 |
| password | 20,958,297 |
18. It’s common for people to use the same password for their work and personal accounts.
2022 data shows that 51% of people don’t create different login passwords for personal and company accounts. The response was that it’s easier to remember a re-used password.
19. The year “2010” is the most popular year used in passwords.
Analyses in 2021 show that almost 10 million variations of the year “2010” are incorporated in passwords. The year 1987 takes second place with nearly 8.4 million variations used.
20. The most popular curse word used in passwords is “ass.”
2023 analytics found that an average of 152,933,335 passwords contained curse words, with “ass” being the most popular at 27 million usages.
This curse word is followed by “sex” at 5 million usages.
Password Breach Statistics
21. In 2022, 80% of online hacking occurrences were linked to password breaches.
Four out of five of these breaches involved using stolen or lost credit cards or were the results of phishing attacks and malware attacks.
<a href="https://vpnalert.com/resources/password-statistics/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="https://vpnalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/password-breach-statistics.png" alt="Password Breach Statistics" width="768" border="0" height="411.58011049724" loading="lazy" fetchpriority="low" srcset="https://vpnalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/password-breach-statistics-768x412.png 768w, https://vpnalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/password-breach-statistics-300x161.png 300w, https://vpnalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/password-breach-statistics-1024x549.png 1024w, https://vpnalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/password-breach-statistics.png 1267w" sizes="auto"></a>
22. 30% of internet users have experienced at least one data breach because of a weak password.
2021 to 2022 data shows that almost one-third of people have fallen victim to password breaches, while 23% admitted they were unsure if any of their accounts were ever breached. The remainder said they never experienced a breach because of a weak password.
Passwords for Work Statistics
2023 continues with a trend where 53% of IT specialists still use emails to share passwords despite it being an unsafe method of transferring data.
Other password-sharing methods include cloud sharing (43%), text messaging (41%), verbal communications (31%), and paper (21%).
Data also found that employees commonly use their partners’ names (34%) and children’s names (31%) to create work-related passwords.
69% of employees admitted to giving coworkers their password details for work-related accounts in 2022.
Wrapping Up
While the future looks to passwordless verification methods, most users still rely on passwords to secure information. Consider the statistics and trends above to ensure you follow the safest, most viable password practices at home and work.
Read Phisihing Statistics and Trends to see why passwords matter!
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