According to Microsoft's analysis, in the first quarter of 2026, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore became the world's leading countries in the use of artificial intelligence.
The study considered the share of the working-age population that uses AI tools for at least 90 minutes per month. Currently, 17.8% of the adult population worldwide regularly uses artificial intelligence.
In the ranking, the UAE took first place with a significant lead, with a rate above 70%. Singapore came second with 63%. At the same time, the United States, which is the home of the largest companies in the field of artificial intelligence, did not even make it into the top 20 in terms of usage rate.
According to analysts, one of the main reasons for this is the difference in the economies and labor force sizes of the countries. In small and centralized systems, the implementation of AI technologies occurs much faster. In large economies, this process is considered more complex.
European countries are also showing high rates of artificial intelligence usage. In particular, in Norway, Ireland, France, Spain, and the Netherlands, the rate of AI usage has exceeded 40%.
In Asia, the fastest growth was observed in South Korea — AI usage in the country increased by 43.2%. High growth rates were also recorded in Thailand, Japan, and Mongolia.
In China, the rate of artificial intelligence usage is currently around 16%, but due to the large population, even a small increase could mean hundreds of millions of new users.
