All of the data created in 2018 is equal to…

Published on: April 16, 2019 / Update from: April 16, 2019 - Author: Konrad Wolfenstein

As the newly released Digital Economy Compass shows, the world created a massive 33 zettabytes of data in 2018. If this number doesn't mean anything to you, you're definitely not alone. While the size guide at the end of this infographic might be helpful, a more effective way to give the number context is to compare it to something tangible.

If you burned all the information created last year onto Blu-ray discs, you would have to invest in a staggering 660 billion - each with a standard capacity of 50 gigabytes. Moving into the biological realm, 33 terabytes is equivalent to the estimated storage space of 33 million human brains. Going even deeper, and as an equally impressive testament to the power of DNA, it takes 73 grams of our genetic material to create a backup of 2018 global data.

As revealed in the newly released Statista Digital Economy Compass, the world created an enormous 33 zettabytes of data in 2018. If that number means nothing to you, you're surely not alone. While the size guide at the bottom of this infographic might be of help, a more effective way to provide some context to the number is to compare it to something more tangible.

If you were to burn all of the information created last year onto Blu-ray discs, you would need to invest in an astounding 660 billion – each with a standard capacity of 50 gigabytes. Moving into the biological realm, 33 terrabytes is equivalent to the estimated storage space of 33 million human brains. Delving even deeper, and as an equally impressive testament to the power of DNA, you would need 73 grams of our genetic material to create a backup of 2018's global data.

You will find more infographics at Statista