• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, March 12, 2026

Email volume is surging—perhaps too much. Inboxes are crowded, consumers are overwhelmed, and there are serious trust and compliance issues, judging by a recent report by Clean Email. 

Email had 4.59 billion global users, 56% of the world population, by the end of 2025. There were  376.4 billion messages sent each day -- a total that was expected to grow to 392.5 billion by 2026 and 408.2 billion the following year. 

The U.S. leads the way with 9.7 billion emails being sent per day. Germany follows with  8.5 billion, France with 8.4 billion and the United Kingdom with 6.3 billion.

But there are serious downside to this growth. For one, legitimate brands now account for more than 50% of all spam complaints. The cause: notification fatigue.  

The data may be slightly outdated---most of it is from 2025, and the report was written at the start of this year. But it outlines four serious challenges that will confront email marketers in 2026:  

The trust crisis—Fifty-three percent of consumers suspect legitimate brand emails are fraudulent, so marketers must earn trust and prove their identity with every message. DMARC/BIMI are key: Use of these tools, consistent sender identity and transparent data practices now are as important as technical deliverability. In addition, basic deliverability is insufficient—brands must prove identity and earn trust with every send. 

Privacy vs. personalization paradox—In an apparent paradox, consumers are demanding both privacy and relevant personalization. The result: Brands that balance these issues will earn trust and engagement, but those that under-collet and/or under-disclose will face a backlash. 

The subscription economy shakeout—With the average monthly spend now hitting $273, every subscription now faces ruthless evaluation by consumers. That includes email, which largely doesn’t come with a cost. Email subscribers will be asking, “Does this provide enough value for the attention it demands?" Expect brands that don’t to be “aggressively pruned.”  

Competitive content saturation—Differentiation is harder to achieve when 97% of marketers use interactive elements and 85% AI tools. Technical sophistication (i.e., AMP, AI and personalization) is now table stakes for brands. To differentiate themselves, they need authentic voice, genuine value, and respectful communication practices.