Internet Explorer Increases Market Share for Second Consecutive Month

Something strange is happening the world of browsers. It wasn't all that long ago when it was conceivable to think that Internet Explorer would no longer be the most used browser on the planet in 2012, and certainly not by the second quarter. But lo and behold, not only is IE in command of the browser wars with a majority share of the market, but it's been increasing its usage numbers in recent months.

According to Net Applications, Internet Explorer inched above 54 percent by the end of April 2012 (54.09 percent, to be exact), up from 53.83 percent in March and 52.84 percent in Europe. Over the long haul, IE's market share numbers are down, but it's anything but a free fall. In April of last year, IE was at 57.82 percent, and two years ago it was hovering around the 61 percent mark.


Firefox, meanwhile, no longer poses the same threat it once did, even though it's in second place with a 20.20 percent share of the browser market. That number is a bit misleading, however, as Firefox's numbers are trending downwards, and have been for quite some time.

That leaves Google's Chrome browser as the biggest threat, and it sits in third place with an 18.85 percent of the market, up from 18.57 percent one month prior. Chrome is still on the rise and is up from around 7 percent two years ago.

Which browser are you using to surf the Web these days?