IDN Market Report: Slow Growth Despite Strong Foundations

The latest IDN Market Report reveals that global adoption of Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs) remains slow, despite two decades of infrastructure development and policy support. IDN registrations continue to be heavily concentrated, with just ten top-level domains accounting for approximately 75% of all IDNs worldwide.

Key Findings

• Stagnating Growth: In 2024, median IDN growth was negative across both country-code TLDs (-0.9%) and gTLDs (-5.5%). Europe’s ccTLDs were particularly affected, with 19 out of 28 recording declines.
• Low Awareness: Survey results show that public awareness of IDNs remains limited across all regions. Asia and the Americas reported predominantly low awareness, with only pockets of higher familiarity in parts of Europe.
• Persistent Barriers: Adoption continues to be constrained by technical compatibility issues, low public awareness, user habits favouring Latin-script domains, and a general perception of low value.
• Technical Support: While most registries now support IDN registrations, gaps remain in backend systems, email support, and dual-format IDN displays. Notably, no ccTLD guarantees support for email addresses using international scripts (EAI).
• Industry Efforts: About one-third of surveyed registries have not actively promoted IDNs in recent years. Where efforts have been made, they primarily involve marketing, education, and discounts.
• Regional Momentum: The Americas show promising engagement through Universal Acceptance initiatives and the formation of new community groups such as the Latin Diacritics working group.

Looking ahead, the next application round for new TLDs in 2026 is seen as a key opportunity to revive growth and boost public exposure. With the recent transition from ICANN’s Universal Acceptance Steering Group to the Coalition for Digital Impact, the industry may see new leadership and strategies to tackle long-standing adoption barriers.

Despite the current stagnation, nearly half of surveyed stakeholders remain cautiously optimistic about moderate growth in IDN adoption over the next five years.

For the full report and detailed data, visit the official IDN Market Report.