QR Code Statistics 2026
Key data on QR code adoption, scan volume, industry usage, and market growth — updated for 2026.
Key statistics at a glance
US smartphone users who scanned a QR code in 2024
Source: Statista
Growth in US QR code usage from 2019 to 2024
Source: Statista
Modern smartphones with native QR scanning capability
Source: iOS 11+ / Android 8+
Restaurants: industry with highest QR code adoption globally
Source: Multiple sources
Year GS1 targets 2D barcode (QR/DataMatrix) support at global retail POS
Source: GS1
Active UPI QR code payment users in India (2024)
Source: NPCI
QR code adoption by industry
| Industry | Primary use | Adoption level |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants & Food | Digital menus, ordering | Very High |
| Retail | Product info, promotions | High |
| Hospitality & Hotels | Check-in, room service | High |
| Healthcare | Patient forms, prescription info | Growing |
| Events & Entertainment | Tickets, check-in, schedules | High |
| Real Estate | Property listings, virtual tours | Growing |
| Financial Services | Payments (especially Asia) | Very High (Asia) |
| Education | Course materials, attendance | Growing |
QR code adoption by country
QR codes were invented in Japan (1994). Near-universal business adoption. Heavily used for payments and transit.
World's largest QR payment market. WeChat Pay and Alipay use QR codes for billions of daily transactions.
UPI QR codes: 678M+ active users. India processes more QR-based payments than any other country by volume.
Explosive growth post-2020. Restaurant menus drove mainstream adoption. Now widely used in marketing, retail, and events.
60%+ of UK smartphone users scanned a QR code in the past year. Strong growth in hospitality and retail.
Common questions
How many QR codes are scanned per day worldwide?
Estimates vary by source and year, but QR code scans globally are measured in the hundreds of millions per day. In the US alone, QR code usage grew over 200% between 2019 and 2024 following widespread restaurant menu adoption during COVID-19.
What percentage of smartphone users scan QR codes?
In 2024, approximately 89 million US smartphone users scanned a QR code at least once — up from 52 million in 2019. Globally, QR code scanning capability is nearly universal on modern smartphones (iOS 11+, Android 8+).
Which industry uses QR codes the most?
Restaurants and food service lead QR code adoption, driven by contactless menu usage. Retail, hospitality, healthcare, and event management are also top adopters. Japan and China have the highest per-capita QR code usage globally.
Are QR codes still growing in 2025?
Yes. QR code usage continues to grow globally, with particularly strong growth in payments (India's UPI QR system, Southeast Asia), marketing, and GS1's 2027 retail POS transition to 2D barcodes. The QR code market is projected to continue expanding through 2030.
What is the QR code scan-through rate?
QR code scan-through rates vary significantly by context. Restaurant table QR codes average 60-80% scan rates (high intent). Marketing material QR codes (flyers, posters) average 2-8%. QR codes with a clear CTA and purpose consistently outperform unlabeled codes.