The scarcity of available IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) addresses is primarily limited due to several factors:
Fixed address length
Address exhaustion
Inefficient allocation
How to explain
Fixed address length: IPv4 uses a 32-bit address format, allowing only approximately 4.3 billion unique addresses, which is insufficient to accommodate the rapidly growing number of devices connected to the internet.
Address exhaustion: The continuous expansion of internet-connected devices, including smartphones, IoT devices, and computers, quickly depletes the available IPv4 address pool.
Inefficient allocation: Historical allocation practices led to inefficiencies in address distribution, leaving substantial address blocks underutilized.
These limitations prompted the development of IPv6, offering a vastly larger address space to accommodate the escalating demand for internet-connected devices.