Chart of the week: World’s appetite for data is insatiable

By 2028, the amount of data created and stored globally is expected to more than double

The world is generating and consuming data at an astonishing rate. By 2025, the total amount of data created, captured, copied and consumed globally is expected to rocket to 182 zettabytes. By 2028, that figure is forecast to more than double to 394 zettabytes.

The Covid-19 pandemic marked a pivotal moment in this trend. In 2020, data creation and replication surged, driven by an increase in remote working, online learning and home entertainment. This growth exceeded previous predictions, emphasising the increasing importance of digital solutions in everyday life.

To put this into perspective, one zettabyte (ZB) is equal to one trillion terabytes (TB). Downloading 182 zettabytes using today’s internet speed of 1 Gbps would take 46 million years.

Despite the staggering volume of data produced, only a small fraction is retained. In 2020, 2 per cent of the data created and consumed was saved into 2021. But the demand for storage continues to grow and, between 2020 and 2025, the installed base of global storage capacity is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 19.2 per cent. In 2020, the installed base of storage capacity reached 6.7 zettabytes.

Brief history of data and the internet

The story of mass data is linked to the advent of the internet. January 1, 1983, is considered to be the day the internet was born, emerging as a defensive tool for the US during the Cold War. The US Defence Department initiated ARPANET to ensure information sharing could survive a nuclear attack. The network became the building blocks of the internet, with commercial services first emerging by 1989.

Data storage milestones

• 1951: The first tape drive is launched for commercial computers.
• 1952: IBM’s magnetic tape unit to store 1.1 megabytes per reel.
• 1963: DECtape is introduced for use with Digital Equipment Corporation computers.
• 1978: LaserDiscs brings optical storage to consumers.
• 1980: Seagate’s 5.25-inch hard disk drive offers 5MB of storage.
• 1984: CD-ROMs hold 550MB of data, a breakthrough in optical storage.
• 1994: CompactFlash memory cards become popular in consumer devices.
• 2000: USB flash drives revolutionise portable storage, rendering floppy disks obsolete.
• 2007: The first 1TB hard drive is introduced.
• 2020: Global data is estimated at 64ZB.

From the first tape drives to flash drives, the evolution of data storage reflects our global appetite for data and the relentless quest for space to house its ever-growing digital footprint.