Reference · updated October 2026
QR Code Statistics for 2026
The numbers people ask us about most, each with its original source and a link to where it was published. No rounded-up guesses: where a figure is a forecast or a survey, it says so.
How many people scan QR codes
QR scanning is mainstream in the US, and still growing.
99.5 million
US smartphone users scanned a QR code in 2025, up from 83.4 million in 2022; 102.6 million forecast for 2026.
68%
of US adults scanned a QR code in the past year, including 83% of Gen Z and 81% of Millennials.
75%
of US scanners use QR codes to get information; 52% for discounts, 48% for restaurant menus, 47% for app downloads, 43% for product information and 35% for payments.
+8%
growth in QR scans in North America from 2024 to 2025, against +42% in Europe, +40% in Latin America and +21% in Asia-Pacific.
Market size and dynamic codes
Most of the money is in dynamic codes: the editable, trackable kind.
$15.2 billion
QR code market in 2026, projected to reach $33.1 billion by 2031 (16.8% a year).
64.9%
of QR format revenue came from dynamic QR codes in 2025, growing 17.3% a year to 2031.
45.2%
of revenue comes from payments and transactions, the largest application; marketing and advertising is the fastest-growing (18.2% a year).
QR payments
Payments are the biggest QR use worldwide, led by India and Brazil.
$8 trillion+
global QR payment value projected by 2029, up from $5.4 trillion.
731 million
UPI QR codes in India at the end of 2025, up 15% year on year.
41%
of Brazil's PIX transactions in March 2025 started from a QR code.
QR code security (quishing)
As QR use grows, so do QR phishing attacks: a reason to show customers your brand next to every code.
+146%
QR phishing emails in Q1 2026, from 7.6 million to 18.7 million.
12%
of phishing attacks contained a QR code in 2025.
Retail barcodes: GS1 Sunrise 2027
Retail checkout is moving to 2D codes.
End of 2027
the industry target for retail point-of-sale systems to read a product's GTIN from a 2D code (a QR code with GS1 Digital Link, or GS1 DataMatrix). Brands are advised to add 2D codes alongside UPC/EAN barcodes.
What this means if you print QR codes
- Most adults will scan, so the question is whether your code is worth scanning: say what it does next to it.
- Dynamic codes earn most of the market for a reason: you can change the destination and see what's working. Choose one that doesn't expire.
- For menus, readability matters more than novelty: large text, photos for the dishes people ask about, and paper for those who want it.
- With QR phishing rising, put your brand name and logo next to every code so people know it's really yours.
Frequently asked questions
How many people use QR codes in the US?
eMarketer estimated that 99.5 million US smartphone users scanned a QR code in 2025, forecasting 102.6 million in 2026. In a 2024 TEAM LEWIS survey, 68% of US adults said they'd scanned a QR code in the past year.
Are QR codes still growing?
Yes. Bitly's 2026 data shows scans growing in every region from 2024 to 2025 (8% in North America, 42% in Europe), and Mordor Intelligence projects the QR code market to roughly double by 2031.
Do people like QR code menus?
Opinions are mixed. 65% of Americans have used one (Ipsos, 2025), but many prefer paper, and the most common complaint is small text (Toast, 2024). A readable, phone-first menu with paper as an option works best.
Can I use these statistics?
Yes. Please cite the original source shown next to each figure, and link to this page if it helped.