Internet Users by Country — 2024 World Rankings

Internet penetration measures the percentage of a country's population using the internet, based on surveys and telecommunications data compiled by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) via the World Bank. "Using the internet" includes access through any device — desktop, mobile, tablet — from any location, whether at home, work, or public facilities.

Global internet penetration crossed 60% in the early 2020s and continues to climb, though deep divides remain. Advanced economies have near-universal access: over 95% in Scandinavia, South Korea, Japan, and the United States. But in much of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, penetration remains below 40%, and in the least connected countries (Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan), fewer than 10% of the population is online.

The digital divide has enormous economic consequences. Countries with high internet penetration benefit from e-commerce, digital financial services, remote work capability, and access to global information — all of which accelerate productivity growth. The pandemic dramatically accelerated digital adoption even in lower-income countries, particularly through mobile internet and mobile money (M-Pesa in Kenya being the canonical example). Mobile broadband has leapfrogged fixed-line infrastructure in most developing countries, making smartphone penetration a better predictor of digital access than traditional internet metrics.