ChatGPT search has 41 million average monthly users in EU

OpenAI’s ChatGPT search had 41.3 million average monthly users across the EU between October and March. That’s nearly 4x growth from the prior six-month stretch, when it reported having 11.2 million users.

Why we care. Brands and businesses need to understand how (or whether) their content is being surfaced in AI-generated responses. ChatGPT search is nowhere near replacing Google Search, but it is an emerging channel for visibility and discoverability.

What ChatGPT reported. According to OpenAI’s EU Digital Services Act (DSA) page:

• “For the six-month period ending 31 March 2025, ChatGPT search had in combination approximately 41.3 million average monthly active recipients in the European Union.”

What is a recipient. The EU counts a “monthly active recipient” as the number of unique users who engage with an online platform at least once.

Yes, but. Google still dominates search. According to Google’s DSA Disclosure report, Google Search had:

• 355.7 million average monthly signed-in recipients.
• 424.4 million average monthly signed-out recipients.

That means, in the EU, Google Search (signed in and out) is nearly 20x bigger than ChatGPT search.

Dig deeper. Google Search is 373x bigger than ChatGPT search

What’s next for OpenAI. ChatGPT search is approaching the EU’s threshold for a “very large online platform” under the Digital Services Act (DSA). That milestone — 45 million monthly active users — would put ChatGPT search under increased scrutiny in the EU.

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