The Microsoft AI Economy Institute released its AI Diffusion Report 2025 on January 8, 2026, tracking the use of generative AI tools worldwide. The study measures AI adoption as the share of consumers who used a generative AI product during the reported period. This metric is based on aggregated and anonymized Microsoft telemetry data, adjusted for differences in operating system and device-market share, internet penetration, and country populations.
According to the report, 16.3% of the global population used generative AI tools in the second half of 2025, up from 15.1% in the first half, representing an increase of 1.2 percentage points. This means roughly one in six people globally are now using these technologies.
The report highlights a growing disparity between regions. In the Global North, 24.7% of the working-age population used AI tools in H2 2025, compared to 14.1% in the Global South. The gap between the two regions widened from 9.8 percentage points in H1 to 10.6 percentage points in H2 2025. AI adoption in the Global North grew nearly twice as fast as in the Global South during this period.
At the country level, the United Arab Emirates leads, with 64.0% of the working-age population using AI, up from 59.4% in the first half of the year. Singapore follows at 60.9%, with Norway (46.4%), Ireland (44.6%), France (44.0%), and Spain (41.8%) completing the top six.
South Korea posted the largest ranking jump, moving from 25th to 18th place globally. Its adoption increased from 25.9% to 30.7%, representing the largest national gain in the reporting period. The United States has an adoption rate of 28.3%, falling from 23rd to 24th position, while in H2 2025 China reached 16.3%, India 15.7%, and Japan 19.1%. At the lower end, Cambodia recorded the smallest adoption at 5.1%.
| Economy | H1 2025 AI Diffusion | H2 2025 AI Diffusion |
|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | 59.40% | 64.00% |
| Singapore | 58.60% | 60.90% |
| Norway | 45.30% | 46.40% |
| Ireland | 41.70% | 44.60% |
| France | 40.90% | 44.00% |
| Spain | 39.70% | 41.80% |
| New Zealand | 37.60% | 40.50% |
| Netherlands | 36.30% | 38.90% |
| United Kingdom | 36.40% | 38.90% |
| Qatar | 35.70% | 38.30% |
| Laos | 6.00% | 6.70% |
| Armenia | 6.20% | 6.60% |
| Sri Lanka | 6.20% | 6.60% |
| Uzbekistan | 5.70% | 6.30% |
| Rwanda | 6.00% | 6.30% |
| Cuba | 5.70% | 6.10% |
| Afghanistan | 5.10% | 5.60% |
| Tajikistan | 5.10% | 5.60% |
| Turkmenist-an | 5.10% | 5.60% |
| Cambodia | 4.60% | 5.10% |
The report notes that of the ten countries with the largest adoption gains, all are classified as high-income economies, underscoring that recent adoption growth remains concentrated in nations with established digital infrastructure.
Microsoft emphasizes that no single metric is perfect. The AI Economy Institute continues refining its measurement of AI diffusion globally and expects to complement its current metric with additional indicators as they become available.
All in all, the findings show that while global AI adoption is rising, the benefits are unevenly distributed, with high-income countries and digitally advanced regions leading the growth. Bridging this divide remains a key challenge as AI usage expands worldwide.
Notes: This post was drafted with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed, edited, and published by humans.
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by Asim BN via Digital Information World
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