The world’s network of connected devices is growing faster than many thought, and 2025 is shaping up to be a big year. New numbers show the global Internet of Things (IoT) device base will grow 14% to 21.1 billion by year's end. If you’ve noticed more homes, offices, and vehicles going digital 24/7, you’re seeing this in action.
The number is slightly below previous forecasts due to delayed infrastructure spending and softer demand in China, but the trend is strong. Analysts now expect 39 billion connected devices by 2030 and over 50 billion by 2035. Experts say artificial intelligence is driving much of this growth. AI systems need real-time data, and IoT is becoming the engine that supplies it.
Growing momentum across the IoT landscape
This year’s growth follows last year’s growth when IoT devices hit 18.5 billion globally. Researchers call 2025 a renewed acceleration phase driven by Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular IoT. What’s behind the surge? Organizations everywhere are pushing into digital transformation. Sensors, gateways, and automated systems are becoming table stakes in factories, hospitals, energy grids, and retail operations.
Three technologies now power nearly 80% of connections
Three communication technologies have a stranglehold on the IoT market right now. Wi-Fi is out front with 32% of global connections. After a quiet year in 2024, Wi-Fi chipset sales are poised to take off in the coming year. Low-power Wi-Fi features, especially those around Wi-Fi 6, are making it possible for battery-operated sensors and smart home devices to last longer.
Bluetooth is second with 24% of global IoT connections. Bluetooth Low Energy is moving fast with new chip designs that pack in more processing power, radio, and security for less cost. Industrial Bluetooth is growing with technologies like IO-Link Wireless that let factory sensors and machinery talk to each other more reliably. Retailers are getting on board with Bluetooth 5.4 for those big electronic shelf labels, and hospitals and logistics companies are using Bluetooth for indoor positioning and secure access systems.
Cellular IoT is the third major player at 22% and growing faster than the overall market. Analysts say the cellular IoT chipset market hit $4 billion last year and should be above $14 billion by 2030. High-performance 5G chipsets are the ones driving the growth, especially in areas like video telematics, fixed wireless access, and industrial networking. Meanwhile, LTE Cat-1 bis is coming on strong as a replacement for old 2G and 3G systems in point-of-sale terminals and asset trackers.
Foundation for adaptive edge intelligence
As billions of devices come online, they're shaping the future of adaptive edge intelligence in some pretty interesting ways. Instead of sending every data point to the cloud, organisations are now processing information as it gets created.
Industry leaders are saying that IoT-driven intelligence is going to play an even bigger role in decision-making in manufacturing, utilities, transport, and healthcare. And with growth expected to keep on going well past 2035, we're really just at the beginning of what connected devices are going to unlock.
