The DNIB Quarterly Report Q1 2024

Data and Analysis

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Editors’ Note: Starting with the Q1 2024 report, the Domain Name Industry Brief Quarterly Report adds new information and aligns the report’s content more closely to the DNIB.com dashboards. New information includes quarterly renewal percentages for TLD groups and each of the top 10 ccTLDs and gTLDs, when available, and summary information on other legacy gTLDs as a group. Analysis of new gTLDs has been expanded to include all gTLDs, adding analysis of the 10 largest gTLDs by number of reported domain names while continuing to offer key statistics on legacy and new gTLDs. Renewal percentages in the quarterly report are estimates based on information available at the time of the report’s preparation. See our methodology for more information.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The first quarter of 2024 closed with 362.4 million domain name registrations across all top-level domains (TLDs), an increase of 2.5 million domain name registrations, or 0.7%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. Domain name registrations increased by 7.5 million, or 2.1%, year over year.

The .com and .net TLDs had a combined total of 172.5 million domain name registrations in the domain name base at the end of the first quarter of 2024, a decrease of 0.3 million domain name registrations, or 0.2%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. The .com and .net TLDs had a combined decrease of 2.3 million domain name registrations, or 1.3%, year over year. As of March 31, 2024, the .com domain name base totaled 159.4 million domain name registrations and the .net domain name base totaled 13.1 million domain name registrations. New .com and .net domain name registrations totaled 9.5 million at the end of the first quarter of 2024, compared to 10.3 million domain name registrations at the end of the first quarter of 2023. The preliminary combined renewal percentage for the .com and .net TLDs is 74.0% for the first quarter of 2024.

Total country-code TLD (ccTLD) domain name registrations were 139.5 million at the end of the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 1.2 million domain name registrations, or 0.9%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. ccTLDs increased by 3.7 million domain name registrations, or 2.7%, year over year. Available data is insufficient to estimate a combined quarterly renewal percentage across ccTLDs.

Total new generic TLD (ngTLD) domain name registrations were 33.3 million at the end of the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 1.5 million domain name registrations, or 4.7%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. ngTLDs increased by 6.0 million domain name registrations, or 22.1%, year over year. The most recent combined renewal percentage estimate for ngTLDs was 39.0%.

Total other legacy generic TLD (gTLD) domain name registrations, not including .com and .net, were 17.0 million at the end of the first quarter of 2024, a decrease of about 13,700 domain name registrations, or 0.1%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. Other legacy gTLDs increased by about 23,000 domain name registrations, or 0.1%, year over year. The most recent combined renewal percentage estimate for other legacy gTLDs was 73.9%.

Top 10 Largest TLDs by Number of Reported Domain Names

As of March 31, 2024, the 10 largest TLDs by number of reported domain names were .com, .cn, .de, .net, .org, .uk, .ru, .nl, .br and .au. For the top 10 TLDs with available data, recent quarterly renewal percentage estimates ranged from 80.3% for .org to 73.7% for .com.

For each TLD, bar height indicates total registrations and circle diameter indicates quarterly renewal percentage estimate, when available. Source: ZookNIC, Q1 2024; Verisign, Q1 2024; Centralized Zone Data Service, Q1 2024. For further information on The Domain Name Industry Brief methodology, please see https://dnib.com/methodology.

Top 10 Largest ccTLDs by Number of Reported Domain Names

The top 10 ccTLDs as of March 31, 2024, were .cn, .de, .uk, .ru, .nl, .br, .au, .fr, .in and .eu. As of March 31, 2024, there were 316 global ccTLD extensions delegated in the root zone, including internationalized domain names (IDNs), with the top 10 ccTLDs comprising 59.0% of all ccTLD domain name registrations. For the top 10 ccTLDs with available data, recent quarterly renewal percentage estimates ranged from 83.4% for .fr to 75.0% for .uk.

For each TLD, bar height indicates total registrations and circle diameter indicates quarterly renewal percentage estimate, when available. Source: ZookNIC, Q1 2024. For further information on The Domain Name Industry Brief methodology, please see https://dnib.com/methodology.

Top 10 Largest gTLDs by Number of Reported Domain Names

The top 10 gTLDs as of March 31, 2024, were .com, .net, .org, .info, .xyz, .online, .top, .shop, .site and .store. As of March 31, 2024, there were 1,264 gTLD extensions delegated in the root zone, including IDNs, with the top 10 gTLDs comprising 90.5% of all gTLD domain name registrations and 55.6% of all TLD registrations. New gTLDs collectively accounted for 9.2% of all TLD registrations as of March 31, 2024. For the top 10 gTLDs, recent quarterly renewal percentage estimates ranged from 80.3% for .org, to 19.6% for .shop.

For each TLD, bar height indicates total registrations and circle diameter indicates quarterly renewal percentage estimate. Source: Verisign, Q1 2024; Centralized Zone Data Service, Q1 2024. For further information on The Domain Name Industry Brief methodology, please see https://dnib.com/methodology.

About DNIB.com

DNIB.com, sponsored by Verisign, builds on Verisign’s 20-year history of regularly providing global domain name statistics and analytical research to the DNS industry, analysts, media and businesses. DNIB.com continues and expands on this foundation, publishing the Domain Name Industry Brief Quarterly Report as a timely review of domain name trends, key performance indicators and growth opportunities, and providing new, comprehensive, monthly data dashboards and thoughtful articles analyzing key policy, security and technology trends impacting the DNS industry. The latest quarterly report, articles, interactive dashboards and previous reports are all available at DNIB.com.

Learn More

To access archives for the Domain Name Industry Brief Quarterly Report, please go to https://dnib.com/listing/report. Email your comments or questions to [email protected].

Methodology

For information about the statistical methodology used in creating the Domain Name Industry Brief Quarterly Report and DNIB.com’s dashboards, visit https://dnib.com/methodology.