Password reuse is common, but no single percentage describes everyone. In Auth0’s 2025 consumer survey, 68% of respondents said they either use one password for every account or reuse a small set. Other surveys found different rates in particular populations, reflecting differences in who was asked and how reuse was defined.
How many people reuse passwords?
These surveys show that reuse is a widespread habit, while also illustrating why the results should not be treated as one universal rate.
| Survey and population | Finding | What was measured |
|---|---|---|
| Auth0, 2025; consumer survey respondents | 68% | 17% said they use the same password for every account; 51% said they reuse a small set. Self-reported answers. |
| USENIX/SOUPS, 2024; census-representative online survey of 300 U.S. users | Almost one-third | Reported reusing an exact or variant personal-account password on a shared account. |
| Bitwarden, 2025; global survey of more than 2,000 internet users in six countries | 72% of Gen Z respondents | Reported password reuse. This is a cohort-specific result from a vendor survey. |
| Communications Security Establishment Canada, 2026; online Canadians | 26% | Reported using the same password across multiple accounts. |
The numbers are not directly interchangeable: the studies surveyed different populations and asked about different forms of reuse. The Auth0 result combines using one password everywhere with reusing a small set; the SOUPS result concerns personal passwords used on shared accounts. Read each as an estimate for its stated sample, not a count of all internet users.
Why do people keep reusing passwords?
Remembering many distinct passwords is a major obstacle. In Auth0’s 2025 survey, 53% of respondents said unique passwords were “too hard to remember.” In Canada’s 2026 survey, 62% of people who rarely use unique passwords said remembering different passwords is difficult.
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Convenience follows from that memory burden: a familiar password is easier to recall and enter across services. But putting a personal password on a shared account also exposes it to other people who use that account, extending the potential reach of a compromise.
What to use instead of reusing passwords
Give each important account its own password
Create a different, hard-to-guess password for every account, especially email, financial services, and accounts that can reset other passwords. Unique credentials limit the damage if one service is compromised: a password exposed there cannot simply be tried on your other accounts.
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Use a password manager to handle the memory problem
A reputable password manager can generate and store distinct passwords, so you need not memorize each one. Canada’s 2026 survey found that 35% of online Canadians use a password manager, while difficulty remembering passwords remains a reported barrier to uniqueness. A manager addresses that specific friction; protect its account with a strong, unique password and enable an available additional sign-in factor.
Before relying on a manager, check how it supports your devices and browsers, how you can recover access, and whether you can keep an appropriate recovery method available. Losing access to the manager can make its recovery process important to your ability to reach stored accounts.
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- Dedicated Manager App: Use the Thetis Manager App for the initial hardware PIN setup. Setting the PIN on the device first ensures a smooth registration process. Once the PIN is configured, you can begin registering the key across your favorite FIDO2-compatible online services.
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- Check FIDO2 compatibility before purchase - Known limitations: ID Austria is not supported (requires FIDO2 Level 2). Windows Hello login only works with Windows Enterprise editions that support Entra ID. NFC is supported only through mobile authentication, Not MacOS/windows.
Add a hardware security key where it is supported
A hardware security key is a physical possession factor that can add another layer to compatible accounts. Auth0 includes hardware security keys among possession factors. A key does not make a reused password unique, so use it as an additional protection rather than a replacement for distinct passwords. Check that the account and your devices support the key before choosing one.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do password managers solve password reuse?
They are the most direct tool-supported response to the main reason people give for reusing passwords: remembering many different ones. They can help generate and keep unique credentials, but they do not remove the need to secure access to the manager or plan for recovery. A hardware key can add a separate possession factor on supported services, but it does not correct reused passwords on its own.
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