Email in the Age of AI: Inside the Current Habits of 4.6 Billion Global Users

The biggest surprise in recent data challenges everything we believed about age and email preferences. Email is considered the most personal way for brands to communicate by 74% of Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), 72% of Gen X (1965 to 1980), 64% of Millennials (1981 to 1996), and 60% of Gen Z users (1997 to 2012). Although older generations show slightly higher preference rates, the difference is much smaller than expected (source).

Even more revealing: 79% of millennials and 57% of Gen Z members enjoy being contacted by brands via email (source). This challenges the myth that younger consumers have abandoned email for social media. The reality is that email remains the preferred communication method across all generations, just with different expectations for content and design.

One of the biggest changes in email usage involves platform dominance. Apple holds more than half of the total email client market share (55.64%, source), with around 2.49 billion email users (source). This concentration has significant effects on email design and deliverability.

Apple's dominance means your emails are increasingly viewed through their Mail app, which has unique rendering features and privacy protections. Recognizing this shift is important because Apple's Mail Privacy Protection affects open rate tracking (source) and requires new ways to measure engagement.

A staggering 41.6% of emails are opened on mobile devices (source), and with Apple's iPhone accounting for a large share of mobile email reading, your campaigns must focus on iOS-optimized design to effectively reach the widest audience.

Email's staying power becomes obvious when looking at daily usage patterns. Around 93% of users say they check their inbox at least once a day (source), making email one of the most consistent digital habits across all demographics and platforms.

The volume of daily email traffic continues to grow exponentially. In 2021, there were 319.6 billion emails sent worldwide each day, and this is expected to rise to 376.4 billion emails per day by 2025 (source). This represents a 17% increase in just four years, showing that despite competition from messaging apps and social media, email usage is actually accelerating.

People spend just over two and a half hours daily managing their email, making it one of the most time-consuming digital activities (source). This sustained focus creates opportunities for marketers who know how to attract and retain audience interest in crowded inboxes.

The tolerance for generic, one-size-fits-all email content has nearly vanished. 74% of people dislike receiving irrelevant content, making personalization not just helpful but essential for engagement (source).

Personalized emails achieve six times higher transaction rates, and emails with personalized subject lines see a 26% increase in open rates. These performance gains justify investing in advanced personalization technology and strategies (source).

The integration of artificial intelligence in email marketing has accelerated dramatically. 28% of marketers use generative AI to write emails, and 34% of marketers use generative AI specifically for writing copy for emails, making content creation the most common AI application in email marketing (source).

The results speak for themselves: 41% of marketers say that AI helps them generate more revenue from email campaigns, and AI has been shown to boost CTR by 13.44%. This performance boost comes from AI's ability to analyze audience behavior patterns and create content that connects with specific segments, while human oversight ensures brand consistency and strategic alignment (source).

Mobile optimization has shifted from a recommendation to a necessity. 49.5% of internet users aged 16–64 use email apps regularly, with mobile devices becoming the main way for many to access email (source).

Email client preferences show the mobile-first shift: 56% of emails are opened on Apple's Mail app (29%) and Gmail (27%). This focus means that mobile optimization isn't just about responsive design—it's about understanding the specific rendering features and user interface limits of these dominant platforms (source).

The implications go beyond design to content strategy. Mobile email readers have different attention spans, scrolling behaviors, and interaction patterns compared to desktop users. Successful campaigns now prioritize the mobile experience as the primary design focus, with desktop as secondary.

The most successful email marketers are those who combine the vast reach of email with advanced audience insights. They understand that having access to 4.6 billion email users is pointless without the ability to send relevant, personalized content that respects generational trends, mobile-first habits, and changing privacy concerns (source).

The data is clear: email marketing's future belongs to those who truly understand their audience and adjust their strategies accordingly. Generic campaigns are failing, while personalized, mobile-friendly, AI-enhanced emails are driving unprecedented engagement and revenue growth.