Wikipedia:Time Between Edits

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English language Wikipedia measured by time between every 10,000,000th edit

This table and chart measures editing on the English Wikipedia in terms of the time it takes for every ten million edits. This page was originally started by Katalaveno at User:Katalaveno/TBE, and notes in the first person are by them.

There are two ways of measuring edits on Wikipedia, one from the magic word {{REVISIONID}} and the other from {{NUMBEROFEDITS}}. This chart uses the former because it is easy to find the date of any edit by revision ID. The current number of edits is 1,377,173,908

Graph 2005–2020

This graph shows the time taken for every ten millionth edit between July 31, 2005, and May 31, 2020. It shows the exponential growth of Wikipedia to 2007 when the gap between 10 million edits dropped to less than 40 days, the slow decline until 2014 when the gap rose again to 73 days, the 2015/16 rally and subsequent steady state at just over 60 days!


Time between edits (incrementing by 10,000,000)

Edit Number (id) Link to Edit Date Days since last milestone
(approx.)		 Weeks
(approx.)		 Note
291430 20:08, 16 January 2001 — —
1 10:25, 26 January 2002 — —
10,000,000 10:26, 6 February 2005 1483 days 211 weeks
20,000,000 16:03, 31 July 2005 175 days 25 weeks
30,000,000 04:23, 3 December 2005 125 days 17 weeks
40,000,000 07:42, 17 February 2006 76 days 10 weeks
50,000,000 19:54, 24 April 2006 66 days 9 weeks
60,000,000 10:22, 22 June 2006 59 days 8 weeks
70,000,000 08:10, 16 August 2006 55 days 7 weeks
80,000,000 05:19, 7 October 2006 52 days 7 weeks
90,000,000 06:17, 25 November 2006 49 days 7 weeks
100,000,000 11:12, 11 January 2007 47 days 6 weeks
110,000,000 00:57, 22 February 2007 42 days 6 weeks
120,000,000 12:11, 3 April 2007 40 days 5 weeks
130,000,000 22:26, 10 May 2007 37 days 5 weeks
140,000,000 18:30, 22 June 2007 43 days 6 weeks
150,000,000 12:37, 8 August 2007 47 days 6 weeks
160,000,000 08:34, 24 September 2007 47 days 6 weeks
170,000,000 20:55, 7 November 2007 44 days 6 weeks
180,000,000 15:32, 24 December 2007 47 days 6 weeks
190,000,000 14:04, 8 February 2008 46 days 6 weeks
200,000,000 00:24, 22 March 2008 43 days 6 weeks
210,000,000 00:42, 4 May 2008 43 days 6 weeks
220,000,000 21:40, 17 June 2008 44 days 6 weeks
230,000,000 16:23, 5 August 2008 49 days 7 weeks
240,000,000 16:04, 21 September 2008 47 days 7 weeks
250,000,000 09:33, 6 November 2008 46 days 6 weeks
260,000,000 23:06, 24 December 2008 48 days 7 weeks
270,000,000 10:07, 11 February 2009 49 days 7 weeks
280,000,000 08:59, 27 March 2009 44 days 6 weeks
290,000,000 20:49, 14 May 2009 48 days 7 weeks
300,000,000 01:14, 3 July 2009 50 days 7 weeks
310,000,000 12:53, 25 August 2009 53 days 8 weeks
320,000,000 08:05, 15 October 2009 51 days 7 weeks
330,000,000 00:00, 6 December 2009 52 days 7 weeks
340,000,000 17:22, 25 January 2010 50 days 7 weeks
350,000,000 09:37, 15 March 2010 49 days 7 weeks
360,000,000 01:05, 4 May 2010 50 days 7 weeks
370,000,000 19:26, 24 June 2010 51 days 7 weeks
380,000,000 14:21, 20 August 2010 57 days 8 weeks
390,000,000 23:43, 10 October 2010 51 days 7 weeks
400,000,000 17:48, 1 December 2010 52 days 7 weeks
410,000,000 13:23, 25 January 2011 55 days 8 weeks
420,000,000 13:26, 21 March 2011 55 days 8 weeks
430,000,000 02:02, 20 May 2011 60 days 8 weeks
440,000,000 16:04, 17 July 2011 58 days 8 weeks
450,000,000 03:49, 12 September 2011 57 days 8 weeks
460,000,000 13:57, 10 November 2011 59 days 8 weeks
470,000,000 19:50, 6 January 2012 57 days 8 weeks
480,000,000 11:43, 3 March 2012 57 days 8 weeks
490,000,000 15:36, 30 April 2012 58 days 8 weeks
500,000,000 23:35, 29 June 2012 60 days 9 weeks
510,000,000 16:50, 30 August 2012 62 days 9 weeks
520,000,000 15:02, 26 October 2012 57 days 8 weeks
530,000,000 11:38, 27 December 2012 62 days 9 weeks
540,000,000 22:21, 23 February 2013 58 days 8 weeks
550,000,000 09:40, 12 April 2013 48 days 7 weeks
560,000,000 06:07, 15 June 2013 64 days 9 weeks
570,000,000 10:41, 24 August 2013 70 days 10 weeks
580,000,000 08:01, 3 November 2013 71 days 10 weeks
590,000,000 19:01, 9 January 2014 67 days 10 weeks
600,000,000 07:24, 17 March 2014 67 days 10 weeks
610,000,000 18:44, 24 May 2014 68 days 10 weeks
620,000,000 19:47, 5 August 2014 73 days 10 weeks
630,000,000 16:36, 17 October 2014 73 days 10 weeks
640,000,000 22:12, 28 December 2014 72 days 10 weeks
650,000,000 15:14, 5 March 2015 67 days 10 weeks
660,000,000 04:47, 30 April 2015 56 days 8 weeks
670,000,000 03:09, 5 July 2015 66 days 9 weeks
680,000,000 03:35, 8 September 2015 65 days 9 weeks
690,000,000 16:59, 10 November 2015 63 days 9 weeks
700,000,000 18:26, 15 January 2016 66 days 9 weeks
710,000,000 10:43, 14 March 2016 59 days 8 weeks
720,000,000 18:26, 13 May 2016 60 days 9 weeks
730,000,000 2:31, 16 July 2016 64 days 9 weeks
740,000,000 13:44, 18 September 2016 64 days 9 weeks
750,000,000 08:13, 17 November 2016 60 days 9 weeks
760,000,000 10:17, 14 January 2017 58 days 8 weeks
770,000,000 21:12, 12 March 2017 57 days 8 weeks
780,000,000 10:30, 12 May 2017 61 days 9 weeks
790,000,000 00:26, 11 July 2017 60 days 9 weeks
800,000,000 02:58, 11 September 2017 62 days 9 weeks
810,000,000 20:51, 12 November 2017 63 days 9 weeks
820,000,000 14:12, 12 January 2018 61 days 9 weeks
830,000,000 02:57, 12 March 2018 59 days 8 weeks
840,000,000 03:37, 7 May 2018 56 days 8 weeks
850,000,000 22:47, 12 July 2018 66 days 10 weeks
860,000,000 18:57, 17 September 2018 66 days 10 weeks
870,000,000 19:26, 21 November 2018 65 days 9 weeks
880,000,000 18:38, 24 January 2019 64 days 9 weeks
890,000,000 10:40, 29 March 2019 64 days 9 weeks
900,000,000 20:51, 2 June 2019 64 days 9 weeks
910,000,000 01:41, 9 August 2019 67 days 10 weeks
920,000,000 04:34, 7 October 2019 59 days 8 weeks
930,000,000 11:01, 9 December 2019 63 days 9 weeks
940,000,000 23:52, 9 February 2020 62 days 9 weeks
950,000,000 19:38, 9 April 2020 59 days 8 weeks
960,000,000 17:53, 31 May 2020 52 days 7 weeks
970,000,000 18:03, 28 July 2020 58 days 8 weeks
980,000,000 2:07, 24 September 2020 58 days 8 weeks
990,000,000 6:04, 22 November 2020 59 days 8 weeks
1,000,000,000 01:03, 13 January 2021 52 days 7 weeks
1,010,000,000 09:29, 3 March 2021 49 days 7 weeks
1,020,000,000 17:29, 26 April 2021 54 days 8 weeks
1,030,000,000 09:08, 23 June 2021 58 days 8 weeks
1,040,000,000 03:39, 22 August 2021 60 days 9 weeks
1,050,000,000 06:09, 15 October 2021 54 days 8 weeks
1,060,000,000 22:33, 12 December 2021 58 days 8 weeks
1,070,000,000 04:21, 5 February 2022 55 days 8 weeks
1,080,000,000 20:52, 29 March 2022 52 days 7 weeks
1,090,000,000 16:04, 26 May 2022 58 days 8 weeks
1,100,000,000 19:26, 23 July 2022 58 days 8 weeks
1,110,000,000 02:02, 13 September 2022 52 days 7 weeks
1,120,000,000 15:13, 4 November 2022 52 days 7 weeks
1,130,000,000 04:25, 28 December 2022 54 days 8 weeks
1,140,000,000 23:12, 17 February 2023 52 days 7 weeks
1,150,000,000 19:54, 15 April 2023 57 days 8 weeks
1,160,000,000 21:51, 13 June 2023 59 days 8 weeks
1,170,000,000 17:47 12 August 2023 60 days 9 weeks
1,180,000,000 21:57, 13 October 2023 62 days 9 weeks
1,190,000,000 09:04, 15 December 2023 63 days 9 weeks
1,200,000,000 13:24, 28 January 2024 44 days 6 weeks
1,210,000,000 4:29, 24 February 2024 27 days 4 weeks
1,220,000,000 06:55, 21 April 2024 57 days 8 weeks
1,230,000,000 00:54, 20 June 2024 60 days 9 weeks
1,240,000,000 23:58, 12 August 2024 53 days 8 weeks
1,250,000,000 00:09, 8 October 2024 56 days 8 weeks
1,260,000,000 07:23, 28 November 2024 51 days 7 weeks
1,270,000,000 12:30, 17 January 2025 50 days 7 weeks
1,280,000,000 21:10, 11 March 2025 53 days 8 weeks
1,290,000,000 06:07, 12 May 2025 61 days 9 weeks
1,300,000,000 19:06, 11 July 2025 61 days 9 weeks
1,310,000,000 04:57, 7 September 2025 58 days 8 weeks
1,320,000,000 03:48, 2 November 2025 56 days 8 weeks
1,330,000,000 00:34, 29 December 2025 57 days 8 weeks
1,340,000,000 10:49, 23 February 2026 56 days 8 weeks
1,350,000,000 22:00, 19 April 2026 55 days 8 weeks
1,360,000,000 17:18, 18 June 2026 60 days 9 weeks
1,370,000,000 15:27, 18 August 2026 61 days 9 weeks
1,380,000,000 05:39, 13 October 2026 56 days 8 weeks



Projections

Around January 2007, the time between every 10,000,000th edit was about six weeks. It hovered around that mark for about two years, and then began to increase; by August/October 2014 it had nearly reached 10 and a half weeks. Subsequently editing has picked up again with eight and a half to nine weeks being the norm for 2015 and 2016 - the second fastest in over a decade.

The current value for {{NUMBEROFEDITS}} is 1,377,173,908. The most recent oldid can be found by checking the most recent edits in the change log. As of January 13, 2021, the most recent oldid was around 1,000,000,000. There have been roughly 200,000 per day recently, so we seem likely to reach edit number 2,000,000,000 in late 2034.

FAQ

  1. How did this start? I was interested in getting an idea of the overall edit growth on Wikipedia in the last few years. One way I thought to do it was to take a look the time between every 10,000,000th edit. On March 22, 2008, I noticed in the URL of the diffs I was seeing that the oldid value had just passed 200,000,000. So, that gave me 20 data points to start with.
  2. I have had queries as to why time is not 'on the x-axis' in this graph. The reason is that I am using, as regular intervals, blocks of 10,000,000 Wikipedia edits, not time. I am specifically examining the number of days (which will vary) between each block of ten million edits. Therefore, in this case, time is dependent upon the number of edits made, so time (measured in days) is the dependent variable and edits (measured in blocks of 10,000,000 edits) is the independent variable.
  3. Why is there a Table 1 but no other tables? There used to be a Table 2 but I removed it.
  4. Why is {{REVISIONID}} over a hundred million less than whilst {{NUMBEROFEDITS}} is 1,377,173,908? I would prefer to use {{NUMBEROFEDITS}} Keep in mind that the oldid value I am using is the same as the value contained in the magic word {{REVISIONID}} and not the magic word {{NUMBEROFEDITS}}. I would prefer to use {{NUMBEROFEDITS}} as that includes all edits, both existing and deleted. However, there seems to be no way to backtrack that value in time. If I am wrong about that, I would appreciate knowing a method.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The earliest known edit to Wikipedia is dated January 16, 2001. This is almost a year before the edit with oldid=1 which is January 26, 2002. Since the oldids of these older edits are included within the block of the first 10,000,000 edits, the earliest date on record is used for the calculation of the number of days between the first edit and the 10,000,000th edit logged in the database.
  2. ↑ This appears to be the "first" edit in the database; it may have an oldid=1 but the earliest edit date found in the database is this edit dated January 16, 2001 at 4:08pm. Curious wiki historians can read WP:Wikipedia's oldest articles which contains some interesting information about the earliest "surviving" edits.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 This edit is missing, presumably deleted, the next was used
  4. ↑ Due to the Sopa blackout of 18/19 January 2012 there were only 142 edits in 24 hours. 471995871 and 471996013 were the edits immediately before and after the blackout.
  5. ↑ In 2012/13 Wikipedia migrated its intrawiki links from a many to many system to a hub and spoke system centred on Wikidata. Removing the old Wikilinks involved a significant editing spike in early 2013. Subsequently the change will have lost tens of millions of edits, mostly minor bot edits.
  6. ↑ Removing {{Persondata}} in 2016 involved significant activity, since up to 1.5 million biographies were affected.
  7. ↑ This unusually high level of editing coincides with the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown in much of the world, most relevantly, much of the English speaking world. Aside from the spike involved in the move of interwiki links to Wikidata, this was the highest editing level since late 2010.