Important WordPress Statistics You Should Know in 2023

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WordPress is a great content management system that has revolutionized how we interact with websites. Since its launch in 2003, WordPress has become steadily more powerful and widely adopted.

This isn’t just a regular milestone. Currently, the total number of WordPress sites worldwide exceeds 810 million, indicating that 42.7% of all websites are constructed using this platform. WordPress has a high level of distribution and usage, which leads to impressive statistics about user preferences and usage.

In order to give a better sense of just how powerful WordPress has become, here are some wild and interesting facts about its growth over time.

What is WordPress?

WordPress is a powerful, open-source content management system (CMS) that allows users to quickly and easily build and manage their own websites.

The platform is easy to use and has a wide range of features, making it suitable for businesses, bloggers, developers, and almost anyone looking to create an online presence. WordPress is also highly customizable with thousands of themes and plugins available for free or for purchase. 

How Popular is WordPress in 2023?

The software has reached multiple milestones since its initial release in 2003. It would be interesting to observe the development of WordPress statistics in conjunction with the tool's evolution.

Here are some statistics that prove WordPress's popularity:

WordPress is used as a content management system for 65.1% of all websites. This percentage represents 42.7% of all websites.

There are currently 810 million WordPress websites worldwide. This number is growing rapidly. In 2023, 500 websites that use WordPress are published every single day. On top of this number of websites using WordPress, to support this, the WordPress Plugin Directory hosts approximately 59,208 free plugins for WordPress. 

The most popular WordPress statistics How Popular is WordPress

A great number of people love using WordPress CMS Over 70 million new posts are published every month on WordPress. 

All these facts lead us to believe that even as the industry changes around us, WordPress will remain at its apex for years to come by offering seamless solutions for novice site owners as well as sophisticated technical infrastructure for webmasters who want more control over their sites’ design and functions.

As technology continues to advance, so too does our reliance on WordPress, and with powerful features and an ever-growing community of users, it’s no surprise that WordPress is still the number one choice for creating websites.

WordPress Usage Statistics

This data shows the prevalence of WordPress in terms of market share and usage:

1. Of all websites on the internet 42.7% of them use WordPress

Website using WordPress

WordPress powers 43.2% of all websites on the internet, marking it 65.1% of websites that use a CMS. This means that nearly half of all websites worldwide use WordPress, making it a dominant platform in the industry.

2. WordPress has seen a steady increase in annual use of 12% since 2011 according to W3techs.

WordPress usage growth rate

Since January 2011, WordPress has experienced a consistent annual growth rate of 12%, as observed by W3Techs in 2022. Starting with a usage rate of 13.1% in 2011, WordPress has steadily risen to 43.2% by 2022, becoming increasingly popular among website owners.

3. According to market share data, WordPress is the most commonly used CMS, accounting for 64.2% of websites using a CMS.

CMS Market Share

Of all Websites employing a content management system (CMS), WordPress claims an impressive market share of 64.2%. This share of the CMS market, which is more than 10x greater than its closest competitor firmly establishes WordPress as the leading CMS, with its market share significantly surpassing competitors like Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, and Joomla.

4. More than 500 websites are built with WordPress every day.

Websites built with WordPress daily

WordPress's dominance in the CMS market extends beyond its widespread usage. Not only is WordPress the most widely-used CMS, but it also boasts remarkable growth rates. Among the top 10 million websites worldwide, over 500 sites are built with WordPress every day. In comparison, managed platforms like Shopify or Squarespace see a daily creation rate of around 60-80 websites. This showcases the immense popularity and preference for WordPress among website owners and developers.

5. A little over 14% of the World's top websites use WordPress.

WordPress and top websites

WordPress powers a significant portion of the world's top websites. According to BuiltWith, approximately 14.7% of the world's top websites rely on WordPress as their chosen CMS. This demonstrates the trust placed in WordPress by high-profile and influential websites that seek a reliable and versatile platform to support their online presence.

6. WordPress is being used by 28.86% of the top 1 million websites.

Top 1 million websites

Analyzing the distribution of WordPress usage among the world's top websites, the statistics reveal its strong presence. Among the top 10,000 websites, 29.41% utilize WordPress, highlighting its prevalence and adoption in this elite segment. This trend continues among the top 100,000 websites, with 29.65% relying on WordPress as their CMS of choice.

Even within the broader scope of the top 1 million websites, WordPress maintains a substantial share, powering 28.86% of them. These figures signify the widespread acceptance and adoption of WordPress in various tiers of website popularity and traffic.

Prominent sites like Bloomberg, Nike, and The New York Times rely on WordPress for their online presence, emphasizing its widespread adoption by high-traffic and influential platforms.

7. Around 44% of WordPress users have English (US) as their primary language.

Primary language setting on WP

The language preferences of WordPress users provide insights into its global reach. Approximately 44% of WordPress users have English (US) set as their primary language or locale. This indicates the international appeal of WordPress as a CMS, accommodating a diverse user base across different countries and regions.

8. About 10 million websites adopt WordPress every 2 minutes.

WordPress Adoption

According to W3Techs in 2021, an estimated top 10 million website adopts WordPress every two minutes. This astounding figure translates to over 1,000 new WordPress sites within the top 10 million every day throughout the year, indicating its continuous growth and popularity.

9. About 20% of all WordPress Websites use the WooCommerce plugin.

A significant proportion of WordPress websites, specifically 20.4%, integrate WooCommerce, according to W3Techs in 2022. WooCommerce, an e-commerce plugin, stands as the most widely utilized subcategory within the WordPress ecosystem. Other popular subcategories include Elementor and WPBakery, utilized by 15.9% and 15.3% of WordPress websites, respectively, showcasing the versatility of the platform.

10. 17 blog posts published on WordPress per second.

There are some 17 blog posts published on WordPress per second, and if you ever doubt the popularity of WordPress, know that there are 37 million global searches made for the term “WordPress” every month. Furthermore, real-time WordPress activity data shows that each month, over 409 million people are viewing over 20 billion WordPress pages, with over 70 million new posts, and 77 million new comments.

WordPress Plugins Statistics

The WordPress statistics are centered around plugins, which enhance the core features of the WordPress CMS and allow users to customize it according to their requirements. Numerous free and paid plugin alternatives are accessible in the market, enabling users to modify WordPress according to their budget.

The WordPress Plugin Directory currently offers more than 55,000 plugins, with new options being added regularly. The plugins available on the Directory have received a combined total of over 1 billion downloads. 

11. About 57% of plugins have never been rated (they have no reviews).

A significant portion of the plugins available in the official WordPress plugin directory has not received any user reviews. It could be due to various reasons, such as the plugin being new, not widely used, or simply overlooked by users. The lack of reviews doesn't necessarily indicate the quality or usefulness of a plugin, but it may make it more challenging for users to evaluate its reliability and effectiveness.

12. 76% of plugins have a homepage link.

A majority of plugins in the WordPress plugin directory provide a homepage link. A homepage link typically directs users to a website or page where they can find more information about the plugin, access documentation, contact the plugin developer, or get support. Having a homepage link can be beneficial for users as it allows them to explore additional resources related to the plugin and potentially gain a better understanding of its features and functionality.

13. 47% of plugins have a donate button.

Almost half of the plugins in the WordPress plugin directory offer a donate button. The presence of a donate button indicates that plugin developers are open to receiving voluntary financial contributions from users who find their plugins valuable and wish to support further development and maintenance efforts. Donations can help motivate plugin developers to continue improving their plugins and may provide them with additional resources to enhance the user experience.

14. There are almost 60,000 free plugins in the official WordPress plugin directory. (WordPress, 2023)

In addition to the freemium choices, Visual Composer and Slider Revolution are among the top-selling paid plugins. One possible explanation for this is that they are prepackaged with various themes that can be found on Envato Market.

CodeCanyon is the division of Envato Market that specializes in plugins. CodeCanyon offers a selection of over 6,000 premium plugins for sale. The majority of searches on the platform concentrate on functionality, with users searching for plugins that provide features such as sliders, calendars, and forms. It also shows that only 3% of the plugins in the WordPress plugin directory have been updated since 2016. That is of the 18, 262 plugins published since then.

WooCommerce Statistics

Another popular WordPress plugin is WooCommerce, which adds ecommerce functionality to your WordPress website.

15. WooCommerce powers over 70 million ecommerce shops on WordPress.

The widespread adoption and popularity of WooCommerce as an ecommerce platform is seen through these nbumbers. With over 70 million ecommerce shops running on WordPress, WooCommerce has established itself as a leading choice for businesses looking to create online stores. The flexibility, scalability, and extensive range of features offered by WooCommerce contribute to its dominance in the ecommerce space.

16. About 22% of the top 1 million sites use eCommerce technologies.

It simply emphasis the significant presence of ecommerce technologies, including WooCommerce, among the top 1 million websites. A considerable portion of these high-traffic sites recognizes the importance of implementing ecommerce solutions to facilitate online transactions and sales. The fact that 22% of the top 1 million sites use ecommerce technologies showcases the wide adoption and trust placed in platforms like WooCommerce.

17. The WooCommerce plugin on WordPress.org has 3,190+ five-star ratings.

There is a high level of user satisfaction and positive feedback received by the WooCommerce plugin on the official WordPress plugin directory. With over 3,190 five-star ratings, users have expressed their appreciation for the features, functionality, and performance of WooCommerce. Positive ratings can serve as a reliable indicator for potential users to gauge the quality and reliability of the plugin.

18. According to WooCommerce stats, the strongest active installation growth of 0.8% was recorded on February 28, 2021.

WooCommerce continues to grow and is to be adopted as an ecommerce solution. On February 28, 2021, WooCommerce experienced a notable surge in active installations, with a growth rate of 0.8%. This growth reflects the increasing popularity and the preference of businesses to choose WooCommerce as their ecommerce platform of choice.

19. If all the WooCommerce stores formed a single country, its revenue would be greater than 35% of the world’s countries.

There is significant economic impact and revenue generation potential for WooCommerce-powered stores collectively. The cumulative revenue generated by all WooCommerce stores is estimated to exceed that of 35% of the world's countries. This statistic underscores the substantial role played by WooCommerce in enabling businesses, both small and large, to thrive in the online marketplace and contribute to the global economy.

20. Studies show that WooCommerce grows faster than any other eCommerce platform at the rate of 13-15% every four months.

 According to studies, WooCommerce experiences a growth rate of 13-15% every four months, demonstrating its ability to continuously attract new users and expand its user base. This rapid growth further solidifies WooCommerce's position as a leading ecommerce solution. This impressive growth rate of WooCommerce makes the platform a giant, compared to other ecommerce platforms.

21. The WooCommerce forum on WordPress.org is a pretty big and busy community and the forum has over 39,000 topics for discussion.

There thriving community surrounding WooCommerce on the official WordPress.org forum. With over 39,000 topics for discussion, the WooCommerce forum serves as a valuable resource for users seeking support, sharing knowledge, and engaging in discussions related to WooCommerce. The active participation and vast number of topics demonstrate the strong community support available for users of WooCommerce.

WooCommerce, similar to WordPress, is available free of charge, but there is a fee for utilizing any of the 300+ extensions that offer additional features like product variation swatches and subscription sales.

BigCommerce has entered the WordPress ecommerce market, offering a headless commerce solution and competing with established platforms like WooCommerce and Shopify. For more information, refer to the article titled "Intro to Building Websites with Gatsby and WordPress." As of its publication, the BigCommerce WordPress plugin has over 600 active installations and is experiencing daily growth.

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Nonofo Joel
Passionate blogger with expertise in Branding, Website Design, Content Marketing and SEO. Engaging content, unique perspective, and over a decade of experience. Join me on Global Tech Stack for captivating insights, reviews and inspiration.