Verisign, the administrator of the .com and .net top level domains (TLDs), has released their latest quarterly Domain Name Industry Brief (.pdf file) covering the 3rd quarter of 2018. The company reported that the quarter closed with approximately 342.4 million domains registered across all top-level domains worldwide. That is an increase of approximately 11.7 million domains year over year, a 3.5% jump.

Versign's flagship .com TLD (the world's most  popular extension by far) finished 3Q-2018 with approximately 137.6 million registrations in effect. That is approximately 6.8 million more than the 130.8 million active registrations at the same point a year ago - representing a healthy increase of 5.2%.

The .net TLD did not fare as well, slipping from approximately 15.0 million registrations at the end of 3Q-2017 to 14.1 million at the end of 3Q-2018, a 6% drop.

Verisign also reported that total ccTLD registrations around the world increased 3.2% year over year, rising from approximately 144.7 million to 149.3 million at the end of 3Q-2018. That is exactly the same percentage growth rate the ccTLDs had posted the previous year (from 3Q-2016 to 3Q-2017).

After seeing a significant fall off in 2017, new gTLDs got back on the growth track, closing 3Q-2018 with approximately 23.4 million registrations, 10.9% more than the 21.1 million they had at the same point a year ago.

Verisign publishes the Domain Name Industry Brief to provide internet users throughout the world with statistical and analytical research and data on the domain name industry. The 3Q- 2018 Domain Name Industry Brief, as well as previous reports, can be obtained at Verisign.com/DNIB.