ProtonVPN downloads spiked in 62 countries in 2025 — but with VPNs ‘more important than ever’ the countries responsible weren’t all those you’d expect

VPN usage spiked massively worldwide in 2025 — according to Proton VPN’s 2025 year end report. The report found that in the past year, 62 countries have seen spikes in usage from one of the best VPNs. These spikes reached as high as 35,000% above the previous benchmark. Surprisingly, peaks were not limited to repressive countries, where VPN downloads showed how quickly populations adapted to censorship. Article continues below The threat to digital privacy has also expanded elsewhere. Democratic countries have seen several spikes in line with new legislation such as age verification measures, amid growing concerns around surveillance and…