Key Takeaways
- The UAE has an AI adoption rate of 64.0%, the highest globally in 2025.
- Even though the U.S. is a global leader in AI infrastructure and frontier model development, it ranks 24th in AI adoption based on analysis from Microsoft.
In the second half of 2025, 16.1% of the global working-age population used AI, indicating substantial room for further adoption.
At the same time, usage varies widely across countries. Adoption rates average 24.7% in the Global North, while they are 14.1% in the Global South. Key countries stand as clear regional outliers including the UAE and Singapore.
This graphic shows AI adoption by country, based on data from the Global AI Adoption in 2025 report from Microsoft.
How AI Adoption Rates Compare Worldwide
For the analysis, Microsoft estimated AI usage across 147 countries worldwide.
Below, we show the share of each country’s working-age population that used AI at least once over H2 2025. Additionally, we show the percentage point (p.p.) change compared to H1 2025, representing the absolute difference between the two periods.
|
Rank
|
Country
|
Share of Working-Age Population Using AI
H2 2025 (%) |
Change vs
H1 2025 (p.p.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇦🇪 UAE | 64.0 | 4.6 |
| 2 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 60.9 | 2.3 |
| 3 | 🇳🇴 Norway | 46.4 | 1.1 |
| 4 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 44.6 | 2.9 |
| 5 | 🇫🇷 France | 44.0 | 3.1 |
| 6 | 🇪🇸 Spain | 41.8 | 2.1 |
| 7 | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 40.5 | 2.9 |
| 8 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 38.9 | 2.6 |
| 9 | 🇬🇧 UK | 38.9 | 2.5 |
| 10 | 🇶🇦 Qatar | 38.3 | 2.6 |
With 64.0% of the population using generative AI tools, the UAE not only ranks first globally, but stands as one of the fastest-growing countries in adoption.
Even before ChatGPT launched, AI technology was being used across public services in the UAE. This was supported by early governance frameworks that were established in 2017, as part of its national AI strategy targeting nine key sectors.
Ranking in second is Singapore, where 60.9% of the population uses AI. Like the UAE, Singapore invested early in AI infrastructure and research and development.
In Europe, Norway ranks first along with taking third place globally with a 46.4% adoption rate. It is followed by Ireland (44.6%), and France (44.0%), two countries with robust tech ecosystems.
Meanwhile, adoption rates in the U.S. stood at 28.3%, or 24th overall. Interestingly, although the U.S. develops world-class AI research and is home to some of the world’s largest AI-related firms, trust in AI technology is fairly low.
According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, just 32.0% of the U.S. population trusts AI. In comparison, the figure jumps to 67.0% in the UAE.
At the tail end of the adoption spectrum is Cambodia, where it stands at just 5.1%. While progress is underway, limited investment and infrastructure remain key barriers to wider adoption.
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ai-adoption-rates-by-country/
