eSIM User Survey 2024/2025
Background and Aim of the Study
Between December 2024 and September 2025, BuddySIM conducted an extensive
representative survey of 23,796 travelers who voluntarily and anonymously took part in
a purchase-post survey (PPS) after completing an eSIM purchase.
The aim of the survey was to analyze the purchasing behavior, travel habits, and
plan preferences of eSIM users. For the first time, the results provide detailed empirical
insights into the usage behavior of a growing eSIM customer group.
eSIMs in the 2024 Market Environment
The findings can also be viewed in the broader market context: by the end of 2024,
around 13 percent of German mobile users were actively using an eSIM, while another
7 percent had already tried one. This shows that eSIMs are becoming an increasingly
relevant segment of international mobile connectivity.
Last-Minute Purchase Decisions Dominate
The analysis shows that the vast majority of respondents decide to buy an eSIM very
shortly before traveling. Around 78 percent make their purchase within the final
three days before departure, with almost 58 percent buying on the day of travel itself.
Only a small share purchases their eSIM more than two weeks in advance. This behavior
highlights how important instant availability, smooth activation, and clear user guidance
are for eSIM service providers.
Trip Length and Usage Profiles
The data on trip length also reveals clear patterns. More than half of respondents
take trips lasting seven to fourteen days: periods that typically match vacation travel.
About six percent reported stays of 30 days or longer, pointing to a growing group of
long-term travelers and digital nomads. This segmentation suggests that providers should
offer both standard packages that can be booked at short notice and extendable or
top-up-friendly long-term plans.
Plan Preferences and Expectations
When it comes to plan preferences, there is a clear tendency toward fixed data packages:
around two thirds of participants (65 percent) prefer a clearly defined data allowance,
while roughly one third opt for time-limited “Unlimited” options. This distribution suggests
that customers have different needs when it comes to predictability and flexibility.
Transparent plan structures and flexible pricing strategies are therefore essential for
serving both groups.
Conclusion – eSIMs Are Changing the Mobile Market
Overall, the survey paints a picture of a digitally savvy, internationally mobile user group
that makes decisions at short notice and values flexibility, ease of use, and instant network
availability. The findings demonstrate the structural shift in the mobile market toward
on-demand, digitally activated communication solutions and underline the growing
economic and technological importance of eSIM technology in a global context.
