For some, it might seem unbelievable that not every single household on the planet is connected to the internet. Although the number of internet users is growing faster than the growth rate of the world’s population, there still remains countries and regions where millions lack online access.
The latest information indicates that around 5.5 billion people (or 68% of the over 8 billion global population) have access to the internet. Experts forecast that this figure will continue to increase and reach 7.9 billion by the end of the decade, when around 8.5 billion people will inhabit planet Earth.
Which countries enjoy the fastest data access speed? Which nations have built high-performance networks to allow the highest internet adoption and penetration levels? And how cheap and affordable is access to the internet around the world? Here is our latest article on this subject.
Internet penetration statistics
According to Statista, there are over 10 countries that boast an internet penetration rate that exceeds 99% which means that virtually every human being in these countries can go online whenever they want to, particularly in view of mobile internet connection.
- Countries from the Middle East boast the most impressive results:The United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia all boast over 99% internet penetration rates
- Not far behind is the European Union with a figure of 93%, according to Eurostat. The most impressive results in the Union are registered in the Nordic countries: Norway (99%), Denmark (99%), Sweden (98%), and Finland (97.8%).
Which countries boast the largest number of internet users?
While the annual population growth rate stands at around 0.8%, the number of internet users over the past year increased by 2.8% which means that the digital divide is narrowing.
See also: Internet access and digital divide: global statistics
It might seem obvious that Asia, where over half of the world’s population is concentrated, would have the largest share of internet users, namely 57.9% of the global population.
The top three nations boasting the largest number of internet users are:
1️⃣ China as of December 2024 the country had 1.092 billion users, which is a 24.8 million increase over the previous 12 months, based on CNNIC figures.
2️⃣ India follows China with over 750 million internet users although some sources indicate this is over 800 million.
3️⃣ The United States is third with a figure that exceeds 330 million users.
The table below shows the top 10 countries by the number of internet users:
Source: DataReportal
Top 10 countries with the lowest internet adoption
The growing levels of internet adoption does not mean that every person on the planet is connected to the internet. There are nations that have extremely low adoption rates, such as North Korea, where internet access is a luxury for most people, and it is the only country where this indicator remains below 10%.
Source: DataReportal
Does North Korea really lack internet connection?
Not quite. The North Korean authorities supervise email and the internet which are only accessible to a limited number of authorized people. The average person lacks access to the internet although the country has a very strong intranet.
Which country has the fastest internet speed?
To accurately analyze internet speed, it is important to consider both fixed broadband and mobile connections.
Fixed broadband connection speeds
Based on global data from the Speedtest Global Index obtained in June 2024:
- The average download speed around the world was 93.93 megabits per second (Mbps).
- The average upload speed was 47.27 Mbps.
At the same time, some countries register much higher rates than the average speed. Here are the top 10 countries with the highest data download and upload speeds:
Looking at the TOP three countries and analyzing their GDP per capita, it can be seen that they are all in the TOP 20 wealthiest nations by GDP/per capita.
But how affordable is the mobile internet in these three countries?
1. Source: Broadband
2. According to Arabian Gulf Business Insight, the average monthly cost of a broadband connection in the UAE is $142.65, with this high price being due to a lack of competition. According to Time Camp, the average monthly salary in the UAE is around $3,100, so the cost of the internet constitutes around 4.6% of the average salary.
Mobile connection speeds
Based on global data from June 2024:
- The average download speed within the mobile internet network was 56.43 Mbps.
- The average upload speed was 11.53 Mbps.
Here are the countries with the fastest mobile internet:
Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait are in the TOP 35 countries by GDP/per capita, according to the World Bank.
How affordable is the mobile internet in these three countries?
Source: Broadband
It would appear that a fast mobile connection comes at a cost for Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, while Kuwait citizens benefit from a slightly more affordable connection, according to Broadband Genie, an independent UK comparison service.
Although Singapore and Hong Kong, which have the most affordable broadband connections, are not among the top 10 countries with the fastest mobile internet, nevertheless they provide their citizens with some of the most affordable mobile connections:
- Singapore ranks first (cost: $17.13 = 0.35% of average salary)
- Hong Kong is sixth (cost: $19.72 = 0.55% of average salary)
Top 10 countries with the slowest internet speeds
According to NordVPN – an internet security provider – the top 10 countries with the slowest broadband and mobile internet speeds are:
Why does Cuba have the slowest broadband and mobile internet connectivity?
There are two main reasons that could explain this.
1️⃣ Increasing number of users that the telecom infrastructure cannot handle – The rising number of active mobile phone connections and increasing number of internet users has had a serious impact on the international output capacity of Cuba’s telecom systems, according to local authorities.
2️⃣ Fragile electrical grid – The country’s old power plants and fragile electrical infrastructure have worsened the situation with an increasing number of power outages occurring around the country.
Final word
The global internet landscape is showing remarkable progress, with the number of internet users growing from under 40% of global population in 2015 to over 67% in 2025. China boasts the largest online population, while countries in the EU and the Middle East enjoy the highest internet penetration rates.
Internet speeds vary significantly across the globe with nations such as Singapore offering affordable and fast connections, while others face higher costs or limited infrastructure.
