How Much Data is Out There?

IDC says that in 2011 we created 1.8 zettabytes (or 1.8 trillion GBs) of information. In 2012 it reached 2.8 zettabytes and IDC now forecasts that we will generate 40 zettabytes (ZB) by 2020.

We all know that data is exploding, but just how much data is out there? As noted on Datamation, Gartner predicts that enterprise data will grow 650 percent in the next five years, while IDC argues that the world’s information now doubles about every year and a half.

See related Webopedia.com definitions: big data and big data analytics.

According to IDC, in 2011 we created 1.8 zettabytes (or 1.8 trillion GBs) of information, which is enough data to fill 57.5 billion 32GB Apple iPads. That’s enough iPads to build a Great iPad Wall of China twice as tall as the original. In 2012 it reached 2.8 zettabytes and IDC now forecasts that we will generate 40 zettabytes (ZB) by 2020.

To put the data explosion in context, consider this. Every minute of every day we create:

– More than 204 million email messages
– Over 2 million Google search queries
– 48 hours of new YouTube videos
– 684,000 bits of content shared on Facebook
– More than 100,000 tweets
– $272,000 spent on e-commerce

Learn more about the Big Data explosion in this Datamation.com article.

This article was last updated on March 03, 2014

Webopedia Staff
Webopedia Staff
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