DE-CIX revealed a surge in global data traffic for 2025. This year witnessed a milestone as 79 exabytes (EB) of data were exchanged across its international platforms, representing a 16% increase compared to 2024 and more than doubling the figures from 2020.
To put this into perspective, the amount of data handled in 2025 equates to streaming a full HD football match continuously for an astounding 2.2 million years. At Europe's largest Internet Exchange located in Frankfurt, Germany, data traffic rose by 6% to 48 EB, marking a 65% jump compared to numbers recorded in 2021.
The peak traffic day of 2025 coincided with an eventful UEFA Champions League match on December 9th, featuring teams such as Barcelona and Liverpool. Global data throughput hit a staggering 26.99 terabits per second, highlighting an enhanced reliance on digital infrastructure during sporting events. DE-CIX Frankfurt also reached levels of 18.73 Tbit/s.
"The growth in global data traffic is being driven by streaming, AI workloads, billions of connected devices, and the rise of remote and hybrid work around the world," explains CEO of DE-CIX, Ivo Ivanov.
The reach of DE-CIX is not limited to European soil; digital hubs are also emerging across other continents. In North America, data traffic reached 11 Exabytes, a 46% increase from the previous year. Notable growth was recorded in cities such as New York, Dallas, and Chicago, reflecting the broader trend of growing connectivity across regions.
The numbers tell a tale of widespread expansion. In Madrid and Dubai, data traffic surged to 2.7 EB in 2025, while Lisbon reached 115 PB. In Türkiye’s Istanbul, 927 PB of data was exchanged, a rise of 28% from 2024. Furthermore, the DE-CIX platform in Southeast Asia experienced growth of 140%, reaching 1.2 Exabytes. New operations in Mexico City/Queretaro and Sao Paulo also contributed, with notable data traffic milestones reached within the first months of operation
With these burgeoning statistics, DE-CIX underscores the escalating demand for resilient digital infrastructure worldwide. This growth highlights the increasing need for high-capacity systems to support global data traffic.
