Screen Reader Users Statistics, Market Share and Survey Data

Screen readers are among the most critical tools in digital accessibility. They convert on-screen text, images, and interface elements into synthesized speech, enabling people who are blind, have low vision, or have other print-related disabilities to navigate the web independently.

This page compiles the most current screen reader usage statistics. Data covers market share, device and browser preferences, navigation behavior, and the most common barriers screen reader users encounter online.

Screen Reader Market Share

Screen reader market share has shifted considerably over the past 15 years. The primary source for screen reader market share data is the WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey, which has collected responses from screen reader users globally since 2009. The most recent edition was conducted in December 2023 and January 2024 with 1,539 valid responses.

JAWS Market Share

• JAWS is the primary desktop screen reader for 40.5% of respondents, making it the most-used primary screen reader as of 2024. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• JAWS peaked at 68% primary market share in 2009 and declined to near-parity with NVDA by 2019, before rebounding to 54% in 2021 and falling again to 40.5% in 2024. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• In North America, JAWS commands 55.5% of primary screen reader usage compared to 24.0% for NVDA, reflecting strong enterprise and government adoption of the paid tool. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• Respondents with disabilities are more likely to use JAWS and NVDA than respondents without disabilities, who tend toward VoiceOver. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)

NVDA Market Share

• NVDA is the most commonly used screen reader overall, reported as frequently used by 65.6% of respondents, surpassing JAWS at 60.5% in common usage. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• As a primary screen reader, NVDA is used by 37.7% of respondents, a near-tie with JAWS at 40.5%. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• NVDA leads in Europe (37.2% vs. 29.7% for JAWS), Asia (70.8% vs. 22.9%), and Africa/Middle East (69.9% vs. 23.3%), reflecting its dominance in regions with strong free-software adoption. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• 71.6% of respondents use more than one desktop screen reader; 43% use three or more and 17.4% use four or more different screen readers. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)

VoiceOver Market Share

• VoiceOver accounts for 9.7% of primary desktop screen reader usage, a figure that has remained relatively stable over the past several surveys. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• On mobile, VoiceOver dominates at 70.6% of mobile screen reader users, far ahead of TalkBack at approximately 34.9%. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• 8.2% of respondents with disabilities primarily use VoiceOver on desktop, compared to 23.7% of respondents without disabilities, reflecting Mac and iOS usage patterns. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)

TalkBack and Mobile Screen Readers

• 91.3% of screen reader survey respondents reported using a screen reader on a mobile device, up from 90% in 2021 and 72% in 2017. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• VoiceOver is the primary mobile screen reader at 70.6%, with TalkBack (Android) used by approximately 34.9% of mobile screen reader users. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• Approximately 71% of mobile screen reader users use Apple iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, while Android accounts for approximately 28%. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• 58% of respondents prefer mobile apps over mobile websites for common online tasks, up from 51.8% in 2021 and 46% in 2017. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)

Windows Narrator and Other Screen Readers

• Windows Narrator is used as a primary screen reader by only 0.7% of respondents, but is commonly used by 37.3%, which is the third-highest common usage rate of any screen reader. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• Dolphin SuperNova is the primary screen reader for 3.7% of respondents and commonly used by 5.4%. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• Orca (Linux) accounts for 2.4% primary usage and 8.3% common usage; ZoomText/Fusion is primary for 2.7% and commonly used by 7.5%. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• Beyond JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver, all other screen readers together account for 12.2% of primary usage. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)

How Many People Use Screen Readers

Precise global counts of screen reader users are not systematically tracked. The best available estimates combine visual impairment prevalence data with screen reader adoption rates from survey research.

Global Screen Reader Users

• Approximately 43.3 million people globally were blind in 2020, an increase from 33.4 million in 2000 driven by population growth and aging. (Lancet Global Health / Global Burden of Disease Study, 2020)
• 295 million people globally had moderate to severe vision impairment in 2020, with an additional 258 million having mild vision impairment. (Lancet Global Health / Global Burden of Disease Study, 2020)
• Globally, approximately 1.1 billion people have some form of vision loss, including near vision impairment from uncorrected presbyopia. (WHO)
• 89.9% of screen reader survey respondents use a screen reader due to a disability, while 10.1% use one for other purposes such as accessibility evaluation or cognitive support. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• Among respondents with disabilities, 76.6% reported blindness and 19.9% reported low vision or visual impairment as the reason for their screen reader use. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)

While no global count of screen reader users exists, the combination of tens of millions of blind individuals, hundreds of millions with moderate to severe vision impairment, and growing adoption among people with other disabilities suggests that the worldwide screen reader user population likely numbers in the tens of millions.

Screen Reader Users in the United States

• Approximately 3.4 million Americans aged 40 and older are blind or visually impaired, according to U.S. vision health data. (CDC Vision Health Initiative, 2024)
• 4.9% of U.S. adults have a vision disability involving blindness or serious difficulty seeing even with corrective lenses. (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024)
• 47.2% of WebAIM Screen Reader Survey #10 respondents were from North America, making it the most represented region in the survey. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• In North America, JAWS leads as the primary screen reader at 55.5%, compared to 24.0% for NVDA. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)

Screen Reader Use Among Blind and Low Vision Users

• Screen readers are not used exclusively by blind users. Among survey respondents with disabilities: 76.6% reported blindness, 19.9% low vision, 6.8% deafness or hard-of-hearing, 5.2% cognitive or learning disabilities, and 2.2% motor disabilities. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• 16.7% of survey respondents reported multiple disabilities; 5.3% reported being both deaf/hard-of-hearing and blind. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• 63% of screen reader users with disabilities rated their proficiency as Advanced, compared to only 18.2% of screen reader users without disabilities. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)

Screen Reader Usage by Device and Browser

Which browser and device a screen reader user chooses has a direct impact on how web content is rendered and interpreted. These combinations should drive any manual accessibility testing protocol.

Desktop vs. Mobile Usage

• 91.3% of screen reader users use a screen reader on mobile, a sharp rise from 72% in 2017. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• 58% of respondents prefer mobile apps over mobile websites for common online tasks, up from 46% in 2017, a trend with direct implications for mobile web investment. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• Windows is the dominant OS for desktop screen reader users at approximately 86%, with Mac OS at approximately 10% and Linux at approximately 3%. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• Respondents without disabilities are nearly three times more likely to use Mac OS than respondents with disabilities. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)

Most Common Browser and Screen Reader Combinations

• Chrome is the most used browser among desktop screen reader users at 52.3%, followed by Microsoft Edge at 19.3% and Firefox at 16.0%. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• JAWS with Chrome is the single most common screen reader/browser combination at approximately 25%, followed by NVDA with Chrome at approximately 21%. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• JAWS with Edge and NVDA with Firefox round out the four most common combinations and should form the baseline for any manual accessibility testing protocol. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• Safari is used by 8.0% of desktop screen reader users, primarily by VoiceOver users on Mac. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)

Operating System Preferences

• Approximately 86% of desktop screen reader users operate on Windows, with Mac OS at approximately 10% and Linux at approximately 3%. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• For mobile, iOS leads at approximately 71% of mobile screen reader users, with Android at approximately 28%, the reverse of the general smartphone market distribution. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)

Screen Reader Usage Trends Over Time

Screen reader usage patterns have shifted significantly since WebAIM began its surveys in 2009. The dominant trends are JAWS/NVDA convergence, explosive mobile growth, and widespread multi-reader usage.

Platform Shifts From 2014 to Present

• In 2009, JAWS held 68% primary market share. By 2019 it had declined to approximately 40%, near-level with NVDA for the first time. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• The 2021 survey recorded JAWS at 54% and NVDA at 31%; the 2024 survey shows convergence again at 40.5% for JAWS and 37.7% for NVDA. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• VoiceOver’s desktop share has remained between 7% and 13% since 2009, while its mobile share now exceeds 70%. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• The number of users using more than one screen reader rose from 53% in 2015 to 71.6% in 2024, indicating users routinely switch tools by context. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)

Growth of Mobile Screen Reader Use

• Mobile screen reader usage was 72% in 2017, 90% in 2021, and 91.3% in 2024, reflecting the broader population shift to mobile-first browsing. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• Preference for mobile apps over mobile websites grew from 46% in 2017 to 58% in 2024. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• iOS device usage among screen reader users with disabilities is approximately 72.4%, with Android at approximately 27%; iOS usage has been largely flat at around 75% since 2017. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)

Emerging Tools and Future Trends

• 85.9% of screen reader survey respondents believe more accessible websites would have a greater impact on their experience than improvements to assistive technology itself, up from 68.6% in 2009. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• Only 34.6% of respondents indicated that web accessibility has improved over the last year, down from 39.3% in 2021, suggesting users perceive stagnation despite industry investment. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)

Emerging accessibility technologies may influence future screen reader usage patterns. Recent updates from major platform providers have introduced AI-powered features such as image descriptions, contextual content interpretation, and natural language assistance. While the long-term impact of these tools is still unclear, they have the potential to improve access to visual content and reduce some of the usability challenges screen reader users continue to face.

How Screen Reader Users Navigate the Web

Screen reader users move through a web page in fundamentally different ways than sighted users. Understanding navigation behavior directly informs which structural and coding decisions have the highest accessibility impact.

Navigation by Headings and Landmarks

• 71.6% of screen reader users navigate long pages primarily by headings, making heading structure the single most important structural element on any web page. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• 88.8% of respondents find heading levels very or somewhat useful for navigation. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• 78% of advanced screen reader users navigate by headings, compared to 47% of users with beginner proficiency. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• The Find feature is used by 13.6% of screen reader users to navigate long pages, followed by sequential reading (6.4%) and link navigation (4.8%). (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• Frequent use of landmarks rose to 31.8% in 2024, recovering from a low of 25.6% in 2021, after a peak of 43.8% in 2014. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• 31.7% of respondents always or often use landmarks when present, but only 3.7% cite them as a primary method for finding page content. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)

Common Barriers Screen Reader Users Face

• 67% of screen reader users never or rarely contact website owners when they encounter accessibility barriers, meaning inaccessible content goes unreported and the business loses the visitor without knowing why. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• Only 34.6% of respondents feel web accessibility has improved over the past year, down from 39.3% in 2021. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• 33.4% of respondents with disabilities felt accessibility had improved in the past year, compared to 45.9% of respondents without disabilities. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)

Most Problematic WCAG Failures for Screen Reader Users

Survey respondents were asked to identify the most problematic items they encounter on websites. The ranking has remained largely consistent across all 10 WebAIM surveys conducted since 2009:

• CAPTCHA — the top complaint by a wide margin across every survey since 2009. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• Interactive elements such as menus, tabs, and dialogs that do not behave as expected — the second most cited barrier. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• Ambiguous or non-descriptive links and buttons — a persistent top-five issue. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• Unexpected screen changes and dynamic content — increasingly problematic as sites rely on JavaScript-driven interfaces. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• Complex or inaccessible forms — cited consistently across all surveys. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• Lack of keyboard accessibility — a foundational WCAG 2.2 requirement (Success Criterion 2.1.1). (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• Missing or improperly structured headings — easily detected by automated tools and commonly cited in ADA demand letters. (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)
• Images without adequate alternative text — a WCAG 2.2 Level A failure (Success Criterion 1.1.1). (WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10, 2024)

If your website has not been tested with actual screen readers, a professional website accessibility audit is the most reliable way to identify and fix these barriers before they result in complaints or legal exposure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most widely used screen reader?

As of the WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10 (2024), JAWS is the most widely used primary desktop screen reader at 40.5% of respondents, followed closely by NVDA at 37.7%. When measured by overall common usage rather than primary designation, NVDA leads at 65.6% versus 60.5% for JAWS. NVDA is free and open-source, which drives adoption in regions with lower purchasing power. JAWS maintains its lead in North America, particularly in enterprise and government settings, where it accounts for 55.5% of primary screen reader usage. On mobile, VoiceOver (iOS) is dominant at 70.6% of mobile screen reader users, while TalkBack (Android) accounts for approximately 35%.

How many people use screen readers globally?

There is no single authoritative count of global screen reader users because usage is not centrally tracked. The closest data comes from combining visual impairment prevalence with screen reader adoption rates. According to the Lancet Global Health Global Burden of Disease Study, approximately 43.3 million people were blind and 295 million had moderate to severe vision impairment in 2020, with total vision loss affecting over 1.1 billion people globally. Screen readers are used not only by blind users but also by people with low vision, learning disabilities, motor impairments, and those performing accessibility evaluation. The WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10 found that 10.1% of screen reader users do not have a disability. Combining these figures, the active screen reader user population numbers in the tens of millions globally, with significant growth projected as mobile internet access expands in lower-income regions.

What percentage of screen reader users are on mobile devices?

According to the WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10 (2024), 91.3% of screen reader users reported using a screen reader on a mobile device. This has risen sharply from 72% in 2017 and 90% in 2021. Among mobile screen reader users, approximately 71% use an Apple device (iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch) and 28% use Android. VoiceOver is the leading mobile screen reader at 70.6%, followed by TalkBack at approximately 35%. Mobile usage does not replace desktop usage; the majority of screen reader users operate across both platforms depending on context and task.

What browser do most screen reader users prefer?

Chrome is the most commonly used browser among desktop screen reader users at 52.3%, followed by Microsoft Edge at 19.3% and Firefox at 16.0%, according to the WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10. The most common screen reader and browser combinations are JAWS with Chrome (approximately 25%), NVDA with Chrome (approximately 21%), JAWS with Edge, and NVDA with Firefox. These four combinations represent the highest-priority targets for manual accessibility testing. Safari is used by 8.0% of desktop screen reader users, primarily VoiceOver users on Mac.

Why does screen reader compatibility matter for ADA compliance?

Screen reader compatibility is essential for web accessibility because screen readers are one of the primary tools used by people who are blind or have significant vision loss to navigate websites. When content is not properly structured, labeled, or keyboard accessible, users may be unable to access information, complete forms, or use online services. Many of the barriers most commonly reported by screen reader users, including missing alternative text, inaccessible forms, and poor heading structure, also correspond to key WCAG accessibility requirements, making screen reader testing an important part of ADA compliance efforts.

What is the difference between a screen reader and a screen magnifier?

A screen reader converts on-screen content into synthesized speech or Braille output, enabling users to navigate by keyboard rather than mouse. It is the primary tool for people who are blind. A screen magnifier, such as ZoomText or Windows Magnifier, enlarges the visual display for users with low vision who retain functional sight. Some products, including ZoomText/Fusion, combine both functions. Screen reader compatibility requires correct semantic HTML, meaningful link text, proper ARIA implementation, and logical heading structure, none of which are tested by automated scanners alone.

References

• WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10 (2024) — https://webaim.org/projects/screenreadersurvey10/
• Lancet Global Health — Global Burden of Disease Study: Vision Loss 2020 — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7820390/
• World Health Organization — Blindness and Vision Impairment Fact Sheet — https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment
• CDC Vision Health Initiative — Fast Facts — https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/basics/ced/fastfacts.htm
• U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey, Disability Data — https://www.census.gov/topics/health/disability.html