What percentage of the Internet is considered the deep web?

The deep web is a vast portion of the internet that is not indexed by traditional search engines, which means it is not accessible through standard web searches. Estimates suggest that the deep web comprises a significantly larger percentage of the internet compared to the surface web, which consists of publicly indexed sites. The figure often cited is that the deep web constitutes approximately 90% of the total internet content. This deep web includes a wide variety of databases, private corporate sites, academic resources, and anything that requires authentication or is otherwise restricted from public view.

This immense size is due to the sheer volume of databases and web pages that serve specific functions or information not intended for public access. In contrast, the surface web—what most users commonly access—remains a small fraction of the total internet content, reinforcing the notion of the deep web being the much larger segment. Thus, indicating that 90% is a reasonable approximation that aligns with prevailing estimates concerning the deep web's size relative to the entirety of the internet.