Data Privacy Statistics Worldwide for 2026

Data has been called “the new oil”, but for the people to whom it belongs, its value is a source of concern as much as opportunity. As organisations collect, combine and increasingly feed personal information into artificial intelligence systems, individuals are paying closer attention than ever to who holds their data, how it is used, and whether they can control it.

This 2026 report is built on research published in 2026: the Cisco 2026 Data and Privacy Benchmark Study (a survey of 5,200 professionals), the Thales Digital Trust Index 2026 (a survey of more than 15,000 consumers), Deloitte Digital Consumer Trends 2026, the Identity Theft Resource Center’s Q1 2026 breach data, the Verizon 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report, and the 2026 privacy-regulation landscape from the IAPP and FIDO Alliance. Where a figure shows a trend, we show the year-on-year movement; otherwise, each statistic reflects the latest 2026 research. All sources are attributed inline and listed in full in the References section.

Download the Data Privacy Statistics Worldwide 2026 Report

Key Findings

• Trust in AI is the defining privacy issue of 2026. In the Thales Digital Trust Index 2026, a survey of more than 15,000 consumers found that just 23% trust companies to use AI responsibly with their data, and 77% are concerned about AI agents acting on their behalf online.
• Organisations are investing heavily in AI. The Cisco 2026 Benchmark Study found 90% of organisations have expanded their privacy programmes, with AI the primary catalyst; 38% now spend at least $5 million a year on privacy, up sharply from 14% a year earlier.
• The AI governance gap is real. Three in four organisations now have an AI governance body, but only 12% describe it as mature, and 95% say privacy is essential to building customer trust in AI-powered services (Cisco, 2026).
• Breaches remain relentless. The Identity Theft Resource Center recorded 780 data compromises and around 140 million victim notices in the first quarter of 2026 alone, roughly 45 million more victims than the same quarter of 2025.
• How attackers get in has shifted. The 2026 DBIR found the human element in 62% of breaches and, for the first time, vulnerability exploitation (31%) overtaking stolen credentials as the leading initial access vector, while unsanctioned “shadow AI” tripled, featuring in 45% of breaches.
• The world keeps regulating. Three more US states, Indiana, Kentucky and Rhode Island, brought comprehensive privacy laws into effect on 1 January 2026, taking the total to 19 states covering more than half the US population.
• Passwordless is going mainstream. The FIDO Alliance’s State of Passkeys 2026 reported five billion active passkeys worldwide, with 49% of consumers using them regularly where available.

Trust, AI and the Consumer in 2026

The central privacy story of 2026 is the collision between rapid AI adoption and a deep deficit of consumer trust. The Thales Digital Trust Index 2026, one of the largest current consumer studies with more than 15,000 respondents across 13 industries, found that only 23% of consumers trust companies to use AI responsibly with their personal data, and that 77% are concerned about AI agents acting on their behalf online. Trust is not evenly distributed: banking is the most-trusted sector at 57%, up from 44% in 2025, and remains the only industry where more than two in five consumers feel comfortable sharing personal data.

Consumers are also signalling that they value protection over convenience. In the same study, 45% said they prefer stronger security checks even if sign-up takes longer, against just 22% who favour faster, lighter protection. Deloitte’s Digital Consumer Trends 2026 reinforces the picture, with 70% of consumers worried about data privacy and security when using digital services. The message to organisations is clear: in 2026, visible, robust data protection is a trust signal, not a friction to be minimised.

Business Investment in Privacy

Organisations are responding to this environment by investing, and increasingly framing privacy as a driver of value. The Cisco 2026 Data and Privacy Benchmark Study, a survey of 5,200 security and privacy professionals across 12 markets, found that 90% of organisations have expanded their privacy programmes over the past year, with AI cited as the primary catalyst, and that 38% now spend at least $5 million a year on privacy, up from 14% a year earlier. Looking ahead, 93% plan to invest more.

The business case is compelling. In the 2026 study, 99% of organisations reported at least one measurable benefit from privacy investment, from agility and innovation to customer loyalty, while 96% said robust privacy frameworks help unlock AI agility and 46% identified clear communication about data use as the single most effective way to build customer confidence. Privacy has moved decisively from a compliance cost to a recognised enabler of trust and growth.

The AI Governance Gap

If 2026 has a warning sign, it is the distance between AI adoption and AI governance. Cisco found that while three in four organisations now have a dedicated AI governance body, only 12% describe it as mature, and 65% still struggle to access the high-quality data their AI ambitions require. At the same time, 95% of organisations say privacy is essential to building customer trust in AI-powered services.

The tension runs both ways. Employees and organisations want the productivity gains AI offers, but the same tools open new routes for personal data to leak or be misused, a risk the 2026 DBIR quantified when it found unsanctioned “shadow AI” tripling to feature in 45% of breaches. The organisations pulling ahead in 2026 are those treating AI governance as an extension of their privacy programme rather than a separate, later problem.

Data Breaches in 2026

Breaches remain the backdrop against which all privacy concerns play out. The Identity Theft Resource Center recorded 780 data compromises and around 140 million victim notices in the first quarter of 2026 alone, roughly 45 million more victims than in the same quarter of 2025, even though the number of individual compromises was slightly lower, because a handful of very large events dominated. For context, 2025 saw a record 3,322 US data compromises across the full year.

The Verizon 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report, the largest edition yet, analysing more than 22,000 confirmed breaches, found the human element in 62% of breaches and, for the first time, vulnerability exploitation (31%) overtaking stolen credentials as the leading way in. Customer personal information continues to be the data most often exposed. For individuals, every breach is a fresh reminder that their data is held, and often mishandled, by organisations they may barely remember interacting with.

The Global Privacy Regulation Landscape

The regulatory map continued to fill in through 2026. In the United States, which still lacks a single federal privacy law, three more states, Indiana, Kentucky and Rhode Island, brought comprehensive privacy laws into effect on 1 January 2026, taking the total to 19 states with laws in force and covering more than half the US population (IAPP). California also switched on major new provisions at the start of 2026, including its Delete Act “DROP” deletion platform and new rules on automated decisionmaking,
risk assessments and cybersecurity audits.

Globally, data protection and privacy laws are now in effect in around 144 countries, roughly three-quarters of the world, making “we’re not in scope” an increasingly untenable position for any organisation that operates internationally. Privacy compliance has become a baseline expectation almost everywhere.

Best Practices Going Mainstream: The Rise of Passkeys

The clearest bright spot in 2026 is the shift away from passwords. The FIDO Alliance’s State of Passkeys 2026 reported five billion active passkeys worldwide, with 75% of consumers now recognising passkeys and 49% using them regularly where they are available.

Consumer awareness and use of passkeys (FIDO Alliance State of Passkeys 2026). Passkeys, which replace passwords with device-based cryptographic credentials, directly address the weak-credential problem that underpins so many breaches, and their rapid adoption is one of the most encouraging security-behaviour trends of the year.

For organisations, the takeaway is practical: enabling passwordless authentication and multi-factor authentication is now both expected by security-conscious consumers and materially effective at reducing risk. The human layer remains where most organisations have the most to gain.

About This Research

This report consolidates authoritative privacy research published in 2026, current to July 2026. Primary sources include the Cisco 2026 Data and Privacy Benchmark Study (5,200 professionals), the Thales Digital Trust Index 2026 (15,000+ consumers), Deloitte Digital Consumer Trends 2026, the Identity Theft Resource Center (Q1 2026), the Verizon 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report, the IAPP US State Privacy Legislation Tracker, and the FIDO Alliance State of Passkeys 2026. Prior-year figures appear only to show a trend. This report is informational only and does not constitute legal advice.

References

• Cisco, 2026 Data and Privacy Benchmark Study (January 2026). https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en_us/about/doing_business/trust-center/docs/cisco-privacy-benchmark-study-2026.pdf
• Cisco, AI Fuels Surge in Data Privacy Investments (press release, January 2026). https://investor.cisco.com/news/news-details/2026/AI-Fuels-Surge-in-Data-Privacy-Investments-and-Redefines-Governance-Cisco-Reports/default.aspx
• Thales, Digital Trust Index 2026 (April 2026). https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/news-centre/press-releases/thales-digital-trust-index-2026-ai-adoption-grows-when-enhancing
• Thales, Digital Trust Index 2026: AI skepticism and identity/access friction. https://cpl.thalesgroup.com/about-us/newsroom/digital-trust-index-2026-ai-skepticism-identity-access-friction
• Deloitte, Digital Consumer Trends 2026. https://www.deloitte.com/uk/en/Industries/tmt/research/digital-consumer-trends.html
• Identity Theft Resource Center, Q1 2026 Data Breach Analysis. https://www.idtheftcenter.org/podcast/weekly-breach-breakdown-q1-2026-data-breach-analysis/
• Verizon, 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report (May 2026). https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/dbir/
• IAPP, New year, new rules: US state privacy requirements coming online as 2026 begins. https://iapp.org/news/a/new-year-new-rules-us-state-privacy-requirements-coming-online-as-2026-begins
• IAPP, US State Privacy Legislation Tracker. https://iapp.org/resources/article/us-state-privacy-legislation-tracker
• IAPP, Data protection and privacy laws now in effect in 144 countries. https://iapp.org/news/a/data-protection-and-privacy-laws-now-in-effect-in-144-countries
• FIDO Alliance, State of Passkeys 2026. https://fidoalliance.org/

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