As we navigate through 2025, the domain industry remains a critical focal point amid persistent geopolitical instabilities, inflation, and an ongoing energy crisis. These pressures have reshaped the landscape of domain registrations and the domain aftermarket. Despite these challenges, digitalization continues to drive innovation and efficiency across sectors. What is the current demand for domains in 2025? Which TLDs have the highest registration number? Are businesses increasingly seeking premium domains in the aftermarket to gain a competitive edge?

The Global Domain Report 2025 by InterNetX and Sedo emerges as an insightful resource, offering a comprehensive analysis of the domain industry’s evolving dynamics. This year, the report delves into significant market trends, regulatory shifts, and technological advancements, providing stakeholders with valuable insights. By framing the current state of the domain industry through meticulous research and data, the report equips businesses and domain experts with the knowledge to navigate the complexities of the digital namespace.

Domain registrations in 2024

In 2024, the global domain registration landscape saw a modest growth of 1.2% YoY, with the total number of registered domains reaching 364.3 million—an increase of 4.4 million domains. A detailed analysis reveals varying trends across different types of domain extensions. Notably, legacy gTLDs experienced a significant decline, losing 3.1 million registrations. Conversely, ccTLDs showed a positive trend, adding 2.5 million new domains. However, the most striking development was the surge in new gTLDs, which grew by 5 million registrations, emerging as the primary driver of domain growth in 2024.

The decline of domain registrations under .com and .net, with a drop of 2.1% in registrations, indicates a shift probably due to gTLD saturation. Businesses and individuals are increasingly opting for innovative and niche domain extensions, reflecting their desire for unique and representative online identities in a saturated digital landscape.

ccTLDs trends in 2024

ccTLDs continued to gain traction, reaching a total of 140.8 million registrations—a slight increase of 2.5 million domains or 1.8% YoY. This growth reflects the preference of local and regional businesses targeting specific geographic markets. Most ccTLDs showed positive growth rates, with .cn (China) growing by 14% and .de (Germany) by 12.5%, maintaining their strong presence. At InterNetX, we observed notable growth in European ccTLD registrations, such as .nl, .eu, .es, .at, .be, .se and .ch. Furthermore, European ccTLDs are in high demand for our trademark services, coming in just after .com in popularity.

The .ai extension also saw a significant uptick, driven by the burgeoning artificial intelligence industry and is projected to reach 6 million registered domains by Q1 2025. The popularity of .ai is evident in the aftermarket as well, with Sedo reporting record-breaking sales, including twin.ai for $95 K, advice.ai for $80 K and mba.ai for $50 K.

Looking ahead, the outlook for ccTLDs remains positive, with sustained growth expected as businesses continue to prioritize local branding and regional market reach.

New gTLD Market Dynamics

The rising popularity of new gTLDs is evident with a 15.9% YoY growth, slightly exceeding the growth rate of the previous year. Since their introduction in 2014, new gTLDs have consistently gained traction, reflecting increased acceptance and adoption in the domain market. Initially, early registrations in 2014 numbered around 3 million. By 2016, this figure surged to approximately 26 million. Although the market faced some fluctuations, by 2024, new gTLD registrations reached nearly 37 million—a 922% growth over a decade.

Projecting into the future, we can estimate that by 2026, registrations will surpass 50 million. Even though new gTLDs represent a relatively small portion of total domain registrations (10% in 2024), their consistent growth illustrates their potential.

However, the success of a TLD cannot solely be measured by the number of registrations. Various technical and non-technical factors, such as the presence of functioning websites hosted on these TLDs, must be considered. The popularity of certain new gTLDs often stems from effective registry promotions, pricing strategies, partnerships, and even rebranding efforts. For example, the .xyz extension, which lacks a specific, concrete meaning, has become the most registered new gTLD with 4.5 million domains due to strategic positioning and branding. This unpredictability underscores the dynamic nature of the Internet, where TLD popularity can shift based on user perception, trends and adaptable branding.

Looking ahead to 2026, the next new gTLD program will introduce a large number of new extensions into the namespace, further diversifying the market. This evolving landscape is thoroughly explored in the Global Domain Report 2025, providing valuable insights for navigating the future of domain registrations.

The evolving domain industry: Key trends and future outlook

The domain industry has seen substantial shifts, particularly with the enforcement of the EU’s NIS2 Directive (Network and Information Security Directive 2), heightened domain security measures and increased attention on DNS abuse. These initiatives underscore a growing commitment to enhance the security and integrity of digital spaces.

Reflecting on primary changes, the rise of new gTLDs, evolving domain registration patterns, and advancements in domain protection have been pivotal. As we move beyond 2025, the domain industry is expected to experience further transformations, driven by ongoing technological innovations. Emerging trends may include greater integration of advanced AI for domain management, adoption of more robust cybersecurity protocols and the continuous evolution of domain marketing strategies.

Innovations such as Web3 domains and enhanced user privacy measures could also become mainstream, continuously reshaping the domain ecosystem. The domain industry’s future promises dynamic growth and adaptation to meet emerging challenges and opportunities.

Stay ahead of the curve in the domain industry by keeping yourself updated with the Global Domain Report 2025. Download it today!