• An average of 13 emails per day
• Only 1 percent of internet users do not have a private email address

Appointment confirmations for doctor’s visits, shipping information from your favorite store, or login codes for apps—emails are not only standard for most people in their professional lives, but also in their private lives. And their importance continues to grow: on average, internet users now receive 13 messages per day in their private mailboxes. Two years ago, the average was 10 private emails per day. These are the results of a representative survey of 1,002 people aged 16 and over in Germany commissioned by the digital association Bitkom, including 928 internet users.

According to the survey, one in five (20 percent) receive only 1 to 4 emails per day, 19 percent receive 5 to 9 emails, 28 percent receive 10 to 19 emails, and 26 percent receive 20 or more emails. “Although digital communication is constantly evolving, email remains a central part of everyday life for many people. It is straightforward, reliable, and completely independent of individual services. Precisely because private email is often used as a login or identification address for other services and contains sensitive information such as contract documents, it is essential to ensure that you have a good password for your mailbox,” says Dr. Sebastian Klöß, Head of Markets & Technologies at Bitkom.

And email seems to be equally important for all age groups: while 16- to 29-year-olds receive an average of 14 private emails per day, 30- to 49-year-olds receive 13 emails, those in the 50 to 64 age group receive 12 emails per day, and those aged 65 and older receive 13 emails. Only 1 percent of all internet users in Germany say they do not have a private email address.

Note on methodology: The information is based on a survey conducted by Bitkom Research on behalf of the digital association Bitkom. A total of 1,002 people in Germany aged 16 and over were interviewed by telephone, including 928 internet users. The survey took place between calendar weeks 41 and 46 of 2025. The overall survey is representative. The question asked was: “How many emails do you receive on average per day at your private email address?”