The global internet population is growing, but not evenly

As of 2024, roughly 5.3 billion people use the internet worldwide. That sounds like almost everyone, but it represents about 65 percent of the global population. The remaining 2.7 billion people — mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and parts of Southeast Asia — still have no regular internet access. The number keeps rising, but slowly, because the people left without access often live in places where infrastructure costs are highest and income is lowest.

The gap matters because it shapes what the internet actually is for different people. In wealthy countries, the internet is assumed. In developing regions, it remains a luxury or a tool accessed only for specific purposes like work or school. Understanding who uses the internet and who doesn't explains why some websites load slowly in certain countries, why some services don't work everywhere, and why the internet you experience may be completely different from someone else's.

Key Takeaways

  • About 5.3 billion people use the internet globally, but this represents only 65 percent of the world's population.
  • Internet use varies dramatically by region — over 90 percent in Europe and North America, under 40 percent in sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Mobile phones are now the primary way most people access the internet, especially in developing countries where computers are less common.
  • The digital divide — the gap between those with internet access and those without — is driven by infrastructure cost, electricity availability, and income level.
  • Growth in internet users is slowing in wealthy countries but accelerating in parts of Africa and Asia where mobile networks are expanding.

Where internet use is highest and lowest

Internet penetration varies wildly by region. Northern Europe, North America, and East Asia have the highest rates — over 90 percent of people in countries like Iceland, Denmark, and South Korea use the internet regularly. Australia, Japan, and most Western European nations sit in the same range. These regions have decades of infrastructure investment, reliable electricity, and high average incomes.

The lowest rates are in sub-Saharan Africa, where only about 37 percent of people use the internet, and in parts of South Asia. Afghanistan, Chad, and Niger have internet penetration below 20 percent. Even within countries, the divide is sharp: urban areas in developing nations often have reasonable access, while rural areas may have none. A person in Lagos, Nigeria might have fast mobile internet; someone 50 miles away in a village may have no connection at all.

Mobile phones changed who can access the internet

Ten years ago, most internet users accessed it through computers or tablets. Today, mobile phones account for about 70 percent of all internet traffic globally. In developing countries, the figure is even higher — often 85 to 95 percent. This shift happened because smartphones are cheaper than computers, require less electricity, and work on networks that are faster and cheaper to build than wired broadband.

Mobile-first internet access has real consequences for how people use the web. Websites designed for desktop screens load slowly or don't work on phones. Apps designed for high-speed connections fail on 3G networks. Video streaming — which dominates internet use in wealthy countries — is often too expensive for people on limited mobile data plans. Someone in Kenya might use the internet for messaging and banking but never watch YouTube, straightforward because the data cost is prohibitive.

Why 2.7 billion people still have no internet

The reasons people lack internet access are not random. The primary barriers are infrastructure cost, unreliable electricity, and low income. Building the physical networks that deliver internet — fiber optic cables, cell towers, power lines — costs billions of dollars. Companies invest in these networks where they can make money back quickly, which means wealthy urban areas first. Rural areas and poor countries wait years or decades.

Electricity is a hidden requirement. Internet infrastructure needs constant power. In countries where the electrical grid is unreliable or absent, even if someone can afford a connection, they cannot use it consistently. A person in a region with rolling blackouts cannot maintain an online job or run a business that depends on the internet. The cost of backup power — generators, batteries — is beyond reach for most people in these areas.

Income matters most. In sub-Saharan Africa, the average monthly cost of a basic mobile internet plan is about 5 to 10 percent of average income. In wealthy countries, it is typically 1 to 2 percent. For someone earning $2 a day, a $5 monthly data plan is not a minor expense — it competes with food and medicine. As incomes rise and infrastructure spreads, internet use follows.

How internet users are distributed by age and gender

Young people use the internet far more than older people everywhere. In wealthy countries, over 95 percent of people aged 15 to 24 use the internet; among people over 65, the rate drops to 60 to 70 percent. In developing countries, the gap is even wider. A teenager in India is far more likely to have internet access than their parent, straightforward because mobile networks expanded during their lifetime.

Gender gaps exist but vary by region. In wealthy countries, internet use is nearly equal between men and women. In developing countries, men are more likely to have access — sometimes significantly so. In parts of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, cultural factors, lower female income, and less access to education mean women lag behind men in internet use. These gaps narrow as countries develop and as more women enter the workforce.

Internet growth is slowing in wealthy countries but accelerating elsewhere

In North America and Europe, internet penetration has plateaued. Over 90 percent of people already use the internet, so growth is now measured in single-digit percentage points per year. The remaining people without access are often older, rural, or deliberately offline. Adding them requires different strategies — subsidized connections for low-income households, infrastructure investment in remote areas, or straightforward accepting that some people will not use the internet.

Growth is fastest in Africa and South Asia, where mobile networks are expanding rapidly and smartphone prices are falling. Countries like Nigeria, Kenya, and Bangladesh are adding millions of new internet users each year. This growth is not evenly distributed — it concentrates in cities and along major roads where infrastructure exists. But the trajectory is clear: the global internet population will continue to rise, driven almost entirely by people in developing countries gaining mobile access for the first time.

What the digital divide means for how the internet works

The uneven distribution of internet users shapes the internet itself. Websites and services are built for the fastest, most reliable connections because that is what most users in wealthy countries have. A video streaming service optimized for 100 Mbps broadband will not work for someone on a 3G connection. A website that requires constant background data syncing drains the battery of someone on a limited data plan.

Companies have begun building for low-bandwidth and offline-first scenarios, but it is still the exception. Someone in a developing country often experiences a slower, more limited internet than someone in a wealthy country using the same website. This is not accidental — it reflects where the money and the users are. As the internet population in developing countries grows, this may change, but for now, the digital divide shapes the digital experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is internet use still growing worldwide?

Yes, but the rate of growth is slowing. In 2023, about 200 million new people gained internet access globally. Growth is fastest in Africa and South Asia, where mobile networks are still expanding. In wealthy countries, growth has nearly stopped because most people already use the internet.

What percentage of the world uses the internet on mobile phones only?

Roughly 60 percent of all internet users access it primarily or exclusively through mobile phones. In developing countries, this figure is often 80 to 90 percent. In wealthy countries, most people use both computers and phones, but mobile is increasingly the primary device.

Why is internet access so much lower in Africa than in other continents?

Infrastructure is expensive to build and maintain, electricity is unreliable in many areas, and average incomes are lower, making internet plans unaffordable. Additionally, many African countries have fewer competing internet providers, which keeps prices high. Mobile networks are expanding this, but coverage remains patchy outside major cities.

Do people in developing countries use the internet differently than people in wealthy countries?

Yes. People in wealthy countries use the internet for entertainment, social media, and streaming video. People in developing countries more often use it for messaging, banking, job searching, and education. This reflects both cost — data is expensive — and what services are available locally.

Will everyone eventually have internet access?

Probably not in the near term. Even in wealthy countries, some people choose not to use the internet or cannot afford it. In developing countries, infrastructure gaps and cost barriers will persist for decades. However, as mobile networks expand and smartphone prices fall, the percentage of people with at least some internet access will continue to rise.