Which search engines do people use in each country in 2026?

Google is the most used search engine in every one of the 13 countries we checked, with between 85.19% and 96.63% of the market in September 2026. Bing is second in all 13, ranging from 1.92% in India to 10.06% in Canada. If you're selling into more than one country, Google comes first everywhere, but Bing has a bigger share in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and South Africa than it has in the UK.

Which search engines do people use in each country?

We took every figure below from StatCounter Global Stats search engine market share for September 2026, the latest full month, across all platforms (desktop, mobile, tablet and console combined). We opened each country page separately and recorded Google and Bing exactly as shown, plus the third-placed engine.

• United Kingdom: Google 91.39%, Bing 6.08%, Yahoo 1.32%.
• Ireland: Google 93.47%, Bing 4.21%, Yahoo 0.88%.
• United States: Google 85.19%, Bing 9.89%, Yahoo 2.64%.
• Canada: Google 85.3%, Bing 10.06%, Yahoo 2.54%.
• Australia: Google 87.9%, Bing 9.17%, Yahoo 1.54%.
• New Zealand: Google 89.02%, Bing 7.71%, Yahoo 1.24%.
• Netherlands: Google 89.14%, Bing 4.57%, Yandex 2.57%.
• France: Google 88.16%, Bing 5.47%, Yahoo 2.75%, Qwant 0.86%.
• Sweden: Google 85.86%, Bing 8.44%, DuckDuckGo 2.11%.
• Singapore: Google 92.16%, Bing 4.53%, DuckDuckGo 1.08%.
• India: Google 96.63%, Bing 1.92%, DuckDuckGo 0.64%.
• United Arab Emirates: Google 93.47%, Bing 3.96%, Yandex 1.80%.
• South Africa: Google 91.75%, Bing 7.36%, Petal Search 0.31%.

Ireland and the UAE share the same Google figure, 93.47%. We checked both pages twice to confirm it.

Where does Bing matter most?

Bing matters most in Canada and the US. Canada is the only country on our list where Bing passed 10% in September 2026, at 10.06%, and the US sits just behind on 9.89%. Australia follows on 9.17%, then Sweden on 8.44% and New Zealand on 7.71%.

Compare that with the UK, where Bing had 6.08%. If you've built your search plan on UK numbers and you're now selling into Toronto, Chicago or Sydney, Bing is a bigger slice of the audience there than you're used to. The gap between Google and Bing is narrowest in Canada, at 75.24 percentage points (85.3% minus 10.06%), and widest in India, at 94.71 points (96.63% minus 1.92%).

At the other end, India, the UAE, Ireland, Singapore and the Netherlands all had Bing below 5%. In those markets nearly all of your search effort belongs on Google.

Which smaller search engines show up in these countries?

No engine other than Google and Bing reached 3% in any of the 13 countries in September 2026. The third-placed engines are small, but they show what else people in each market use.

Yandex is third in the Netherlands at 2.57% and in the UAE at 1.80%. In France, Yahoo is third at 2.75%, and Qwant appears in the list at 0.86%. DuckDuckGo is third in Sweden at 2.11%, its highest share on our list, and South Africa is the only country where Petal Search shows up in the top three, at 0.31%. None of these changes where your budget goes first, but if you're writing content for France or Sweden it's sensible to check how your pages look on those engines as well.

How do AI assistants fit into this?

The figures above measure search engines. AI answers now sit inside those engines and alongside them, so it helps to know where each one gets its information.

Google's AI Overviews sit inside Google search itself. When Google announced its expansion on 20 May 2025, it said AI Overviews were "available in more than 200 countries and territories and in more than 40 languages". That means your Google visibility abroad is about more than a list of links.

Bing has its own AI answers, and you can now measure them. In February 2026, Microsoft launched AI Performance in Bing Webmaster Tools as a public preview, covering "Microsoft Copilot, AI-generated summaries in Bing, and select partner integrations". It reports how many times your pages are cited as sources in AI-generated answers. You only get that report if you've set up Bing Webmaster Tools.

ChatGPT works differently. OpenAI's ChatGPT search help article, which we checked in October 2026, says ChatGPT search "sometimes partners with other search providers" and that to make a website eligible for inclusion you should "allow OAI-Searchbot to crawl the site", adding that "Placement is not guaranteed."

What does this mean for your business?

If you're taking a UK business into new markets, the data points to a clear order of work.

Start with Google in every market. Google had at least 85.19% in all 13 countries. Get your pages indexed and ranking in each country first, and use Google Search Console to see impressions country by country. This is the foundation of good SEO wherever you sell.

Set up Bing Webmaster Tools now, not later. Bing had 10.06% in Canada and 9.89% in the US, and Bing Webmaster Tools is where Microsoft's AI Performance report shows how many times Copilot and Bing's AI summaries cite your pages.

Claim Bing Places if you have a physical location abroad. Microsoft's October 2025 announcement of the new Bing Places for Business says listings appear "in Bing search results and Bing Maps", and that it has improved how owners import listings from Google. If you already have a Google Business Profile, that import saves you rebuilding it from scratch.

Build proper country pages. A visitor in Melbourne wants to see Australian contact details, delivery times and examples that make sense to them. A page for each market, written for that market, gives Google and Bing a clear signal of who the page is for. If Australia is on your list, our Australia page explains how we work with businesses there.

Show prices in local currency. A US buyer comparing quotes wants dollars, not pounds. Showing local currency and local delivery costs on each country page removes a reason to leave before they enquire.

Make your content easy for AI assistants to quote. Clear answers near the top of each page, accurate facts and up-to-date contact details help across Google, Bing and ChatGPT. This is the core of GEO, and it's the same work in every country.

Frequently asked questions

Is Google the most used search engine in every country in this list?

Yes. Google led all 13 countries in September 2026, from 85.19% in the US to 96.63% in India, according to StatCounter Global Stats.

Which country uses Bing the most?

Canada, with Bing at 10.06% in September 2026. The US was next at 9.89%, then Australia at 9.17%.

Do I need a separate SEO plan for Bing?

No. The same fundamentals work on both, but you do need to verify your site in Bing Webmaster Tools and submit your sitemap there. Without that step, you can't see how Bing indexes your pages or how many times Copilot cites them.

Does ChatGPT search use other search engines?

Yes. OpenAI's help article says ChatGPT search sometimes partners with other search providers. It also says your site must allow OAI-SearchBot to crawl it to be eligible for inclusion.

If you're planning to sell into new countries and want your search and AI visibility set up properly from day one, call us on +44 1382 699595 or read how we approach SEO for UK businesses selling at home and abroad.