The Ultimate List of Internet Statistics 2024

From communication to education, economy to commerce — the internet touches every aspect of how we live, work, socialize, shop, and play. In just the past few decades, the internet has changed our lives for the better. But how many internet users are there, which regions have the highest penetration, how businesses are transforming using the internet, and how many websites are there?

Scroll down to find the latest internet statistics and discover the number of internet users worldwide, top use cases for individuals and businesses, online purchases and ecommerce market, and more.

Internet Statistics: Worldwide Digital Population

1. There are over 5 billion active internet users, 63% of the global population.

(Statista, Datareportal)

The audience is forecast to reach 5.6 billion users by 2025, owing to the continuous development and modernization of previously-backward regions. Plus, Datareportal’s internet usage statistics report that two-thirds of the world population will be online by 2030.

Compared to 2020 figures (4.5 billion internet users), the 2021 — 5 billion figure — marks a 316 million year-over-year increase. Back in 2010, only 1.8 billion people were active online.

The average rate of internet users is growing at 900,000 users per day. This suggests that every second, the internet sees ten new users.

The average growth rate of internet users is 8.27% (since 1995), which is 8x faster than the total population growth, which stands at 1%.

The growth is best explained by comparing the internet growth with other technologies. For instance, it took the radio about 38 years to reach 50 million users. The telephone hit the 50 million count in 75 years, but the internet achieved the 50 million mark in just four years.

2. Europe has the highest internet penetration rate, with 87% of the population having internet access, and the global average stood at 62.5%.

(Statista)

Statista’s internet usage statistics indicate that Europe has the second-largest internet user base, with over 750 million users.

However, the Northern Europe region has the most significant internet penetration rate, with 98% of the population having internet access. The Western Europe region has a 94% internet penetration rate, whereas the African region has the lowest internet penetration rate, with only 33% of the people having online access.

Be that as it may, the Asia & Pacific region (East Asia in particular) has the largest internet user base, with over 2.7 billion active internet users. Nevertheless, Statista's internet usage statistics highlight that the Asia & Pacific region has an internet penetration rate of just 61% (a percentage lower than the global average).

Also important to note is that the global internet penetration rate is 62.5% (as of April 2022).

3. 99% of the people living in Denmark, the UAE, and Ireland have internet access, whereas 0.0% of North Korea’s general population has internet access.

(Statista, Internet World Stats)

However, the Internet World Stats suggests Kuwait (99.6%) and Qatar (99.6%) have the highest penetration rate.

The UK, South Korea, and Switzerland reported an internet traffic rate of 98%.

At the same time, China (1 billion), India (658 million), and the US (307 million) are the leading countries with the highest number of internet users.

Statista’s internet traffic statistics highlight that the US has an internet penetration rate of 94% (a 5% increase since 2019). The Americas region (North America and South America) reported an internet penetration rate of only 81%. Additionally, 8 out of 10 Americans go online daily.

The least developed countries like Eritrea (8%), South Sudan (8.3%), and North Korea (0% among the general population) have the lowest internet penetration rate. North Korean citizens have access to their own national intranet.

4. An average person spends 6 hours and 56 minutes on the internet each day.

(Datareportal)

The average time spent online by internet users aged 16-64 years has remained relatively constant since 2013 (6 hours 03 minutes). Be that as it may, this suggests that internet users spend 40% of their day online on average.

Still, the amount of time people spend on the internet daily is climbing year-on-year (0.4% increase from the last year).

92.8% of the world's internet users use the internet via mobile devices. Plus, the average internet usage via mobile device time is 3 hours 36 minutes. Moreover, only 91.8% of smartphone users are online.

54.2% of the world's total population (4.65 billion) are present on at least one social media platform. The average daily social media usage is 2 hours 27 minutes.

In fact, only 4.1% of internet users in the world do not use any social media site.

5. Women are 20% less likely to use mobile internet than men (down from the 27% in 2017).

(GSMA Intelligence)

More than half (54%) of women use mobile internet (around the world). Still, there is a persistent gender gap, especially in low-income countries. While affordability is the reason for fewer women using a mobile phone, the primary reason for less mobile internet use by women is illiteracy.

As of 2021, there were 300 million fewer women mobile internet users than men internet users in the world.

GSMA Intelligence internet usage statistics highlight that the South Asia region has the widest mobile internet gender gap at 51% (down from 66% in 2017). Moreover, women are 8x less likely to own a mobile device and have internet access than men.

6. Jersey (274.3 Mb/s), Singapore (245Mb/s), Hong Kong (241Mb/s), and South Korea (240Mb/s) have the fastest fixed internet connection speeds (measured in Mb/s).

(Wikipedia)

Wikipedia’s internet stats report that the global average for fixed broadband is 81.74 Mb/s for downloads (131% faster than 2020) and 11.2 Mb/s for uploads.

And the global average mobile download speed is 55.5 Mb/s for downloads and 12.65 for uploads. Moreover, the latency in mobile internet came down from 42 ms to 37 ms.

Jersey takes the lead with a stunning 274.3 Mb/s average download speed for fixed broadband. Jersey is also the first country to upgrade its telecom infrastructure to pure fiber (Fiber to the Premises) optic communication delivery.

The United Arab Emirates ranks 1st in the fastest mobile internet connection speed list, with a fantastic 110 Mb/s average download speed throughout the country.

7. There is a 30,000% difference between the cheapest cost for data (US$ 0.09 for 1GB) and the most expensive data plans (US$ 27.41 for 1GB) globally.

(VisualCapitalist)

Malawi (US$ 27.41), Benin (US$ 27.22), and Chad (US$ 23.33) have the most expensive mobile data per 1GB (and all are in Africa). Yemen (US$ 15.98) and Botswana (US$ 13.87) rank fourth and fifth in the most expensive mobile data cost.

The high cost for data in these countries results from poor fixed-line infrastructure. Whereas in some countries like Canada (US$ 12.55), the high price for data is because of a lack of competition. Bell Rogers and Tellas own 82% of all wireless services in Canada.

At the same time, India (US$ 0.09) has the cheapest mobile data rates, owing to the high competition in the Indian market.

Israel (US$ 0.11), Kyrgyzstan (US$ 0.21), Italy (US$ 0.43), and Ukraine (US$ 0.46) all charge less than a dollar for 1GB of internet data.

Only 31 countries have affordable mobile broadband costs. The affordability threshold is calculated based on the average income and internet data costs. (Affordable if an individual has to spend only 2% of the income for meeting personal data needs).

Internet Usage Statistics

8. 61.1% of internet users use the internet to find information. More than 4 in 10 use it for education and study-related purposes.

(Oberlo)

According to Oberlo's internet use statistics, more than 6 of 10 internet users access the internet to find new information, making it the most widespread internet use.

The second most popular reason users go online is to connect with their friends and family (55.2%), while 52.5% of users access the internet to keep in touch with the latest news and events.

Moreover, more than half (51.5%) use the internet to access video streaming platforms (watching TV shows, movies, and videos), ranking as the fourth most popular reason in the top use case list. Equally important to note is that 45.8% of users go online to research a product or service.

42.5% use it for education and study-related purposes. More and more internet users of all age groups are enrolling on online course platforms and learning new things. In fact, eLearning statistics report that the eLearning industry was valued at over US$ 250 billion in 2021.

9. Small businesses that use the internet grow 2x faster than those that do not.

(Tandfonline, Pew Research Center)

Tandfonline’s internet usage statistics highlight that 46% of small businesses do not have a web presence. Some 65% of small businesses do not have a website, of which 35% think their business is too small for a website.

Small businesses must realize that retail ecommerce sales are forecast to account for 95% of global sales by 2040. So, it’s high time that small businesses without a website bring their business online with the help of free website builder tools or ecommerce website builders.

Additionally, the same report from Tandfonline on Marketing Technology highlights that the internet has the potential to transform small businesses by bringing in new technologies like email marketing software for customization. And CRM tools for customer relationship marketing and leading to better business-to-business collaboration.

For context, CRM statistics report the average ROI for CRM is expected to be US$ 30.41 for every dollar spent. At the same time, email marketing statistics highlight that email marketing yields an ROI of US$ 44 for every dollar invested.

The ecommerce market and new technologies will allow small businesses to grow twice as fast as those that do not have a web presence.

Internet Statistics: Domains, Websites, and Web Hosts

10. There are over 1.88 billion websites on the internet; however, only 200 million websites are responsible for all the internet penetration.

(Statista, Internet Live Stats)

The very first website, the WorldWideWeb, was created by Tim Berners-Lee (the creator of the World Wide Web) in 1991. The website described the World Wide Web project and how to use it.

Thirty years later, there are over 1.88 billion websites (unique hostnames), and the count is increasing quickly.

Yahoo! (originally referred to as ‘Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide Web) was among the first 3000 domain names registered on the internet. By the time Google came into the picture (1997), about 2 million domain names were registered on the internet.

Here are some other interesting statistics from Statista on how many websites (since the dawn of the internet):

11. GoDaddy (15.5% global market share), Google Cloud Web Serving (10.01%), and AWS Web Hosting (8.74%) are the leading web hosting solutions around the world.

(Datanyze)

Building a website requires the use of a dependent web hosting platform. Web hosting services make the website accessible to users around the world.

Equally important to note, shared hosting (revenue share of 37.64%), VPS hosting, and dedicated hosting are the most popular web hosting types on the internet. Still, future projections favor cloud hosting service providers dominating the web hosting market. Additionally, WordPress and Wix dominate the website builder realm, with a market share of 43% and 35%, respectively. Shopify (20% global market share) and SquareSpace (14%) are popular in the ecommerce platforms realm.

Internet Statistics: What’s Popular on the Internet?

12. Google Chrome is the leading desktop browser, with a 66.64% market share.

(Statista)

Edge (10.07%), Safari (9.61%), Firefox (7.86%), Opera (2.43%), and Internet Explorer (0.97%) are the other leading desktop browsers among internet users worldwide. The first web browser, WorldWideWeb (later renamed Nexus), was discontinued in 1994.

Google Chrome is also the leading browser among mobile internet users, with a 61.93% market share. Apple's Safari is the runner-up, with a 25.56% market share.

Even looking at the combined market share, Google's Chrome for Android and Chrome 91.0 account for 57% of the overall web browser market, ahead of its competitors.

13. Google is the most popular search engine, maintaining a 92.07% market share as of 2021.

(Statcounter, Internet Live Stats)

There are about 3.8 billion Google searches made by internet users daily. Additionally, every year, 15% of Google searches are new (never been searched before).

About 60% of all Google searches are made via smartphones. Moreover, the “near me” searches and searches for local businesses on Google grew by 250% between 2017 and 2019.

Plus, the Google Search Index contains about 100,000,000 GB large.

Furthermore, Google has remained the most popular search engine (market share > 85%) since it was created in 2008. Its parent company, the Alphabet, is one of the biggest internet companies responsible for services like mail, productivity tools, enterprise products, mobile phones, and other ventures.

Statista's internet stats reveal that Bing (3.04%), Yahoo! (1.39%), Baidu (1.27%) and Yandex (0.87%) are the other popular search engines among internet users.

Internet Statistics: The Mobile Web

14. Internet users spent half of their online time on mobile devices in 2021.

(Statista, HubSpot)

Around 4.32 billion people, most internet users, use their mobile devices to go online. Plus, internet usage via mobile phones has experienced constant growth since 2013. Moreover, smartphones account for 80% of all mobile phones.

According to Statista's report, mobile internet traffic has experienced a 5% increase since 2020. Still, 91% of small business owners do not optimize their websites for mobile devices.

HubSpot's global internet traffic statistics highlight mobile devices generated 53.4% of global website traffic in 2021. PC (45.03%) and Tablets (2.63%) account for another 47% of internet traffic.

15. More than half (55.5%) of all online shoppers are mobile users.

(Shopify, DataReportal, 2022)

However, Shopify's ecommerce statistics reveal that at least half of the mobile users access online shopping websites instead of downloading the app.

Still, 50% of online shoppers prefer downloading the app. This indicates that online retailers have to focus on both fronts — optimize the website for mobile devices as well as build a quality shopping mobile app.

Nevertheless, where 91% of small businesses haven't optimized their website for mobile devices, only 32% have a mobile app. The good news is a vast majority (42%) of the small business owners plan to build a quality app by the end of 2022.

Additionally, 58% of online shoppers like to purchase using the mobile app or website again if the companies remember their past behaviors and interests. So, small companies should start adopting reliable marketing automation tools to automate monotonous marketing work, nurture leads, and drive revenue.

Statista's report on the global ecommerce market of 2021 highlights that the pandemic drove mobile retail ecommerce sales. The purchases made via mobile websites increased by 48% globally, while purchases made via mobile apps increased by 45%.

16. 74.27% of mobile internet traffic comes from Android devices.

(Statcounter)

Most mobile internet users use an Android OS. Next in line is iOS users, accounting for 25% of global internet usage. Samsung (0.23%), Unknown (0.13%), KaiOS (0.08%), and Windows (0.03%) are the other popular mobile operating systems in the list of global mobile internet usage market.

17. Japan (100%), South Korea (99.03%), and the United States (97.71%) have the best 4G LTE coverage (mobile internet).

(OpenSignal)

OpenSignal’s internet statistics show that South Korea is the only country to score over 50 Mb/s in Mobile Internet Download Speed Experience; the global average is 20 Mb/s. (Wikipedia's stats set the bar high — 55.5 Mb/s).

However, it is essential to note that the world's biggest cities have higher mobile download speeds; the average is 60 Mb/s. (Based on OpenSignal's report).

Still, the global 4G population coverage is only 80% as of 2020 and is forecast to reach 95% by 2027.

The 5G, the fastest-deployed mobile internet connection technology, is forecast to cover 75% of the global population by 2027. In terms of 5G coverage, North America and some Asian countries take the lead.

18. Internet users spend 143 minutes online via their mobile phones and 38 minutes via their desktops.

(Statista)

Statista's report on internet usage highlights that 46% of Americans spend 5-6 hours daily on their mobile phones (smartphones and tablets). Another 22% spend 2-3 hours daily on their mobile phones.

Internet access via desktop is constantly declining, owing to the smartphone's affordability in low-income countries. Moreover, the increased internet speed on mobile devices worldwide leads to increased mobile traffic.

19. Web-based activity accounts for only 1 of every 13 minutes of mobile traffic.

(Data.ai)

The average time that the users spend on their smartphones is 4 hours and 48 minutes. However, the majority (89.01%) of mobile internet traffic comes from app activity.

Internet Statistics: The Social Media

20. There are over 4.65 billion active social media users worldwide, equating to 58.7% of the population.

(Kepios, Statista)

However, Kepios points out that the numbers may not be accurate, given duplicate accounts and the presence of individuals on multiple platforms. Also important to note that most social media platforms restrict individuals less than 13 years.

Three hundred twenty-six million new users have joined social media between April 2021 to April 2022. This amounts to a 10.1% year-on-year increase. Since 2012, social media users have grown at a CAGR of 12%. (4.65 billion from 1.48 billion in 2012).

Needless to say, 80% of social media users access the platforms via respective mobile applications only.

Equally important, on average, internet users worldwide use 7.5 social media platforms each month.

Moreover, female users account for 46.1% of all social media users. The male users account for 53.9%.

Statista's social media statistics suggest that Facebook (2.9 billion users), YouTube (2.5 billion), and WhatsApp (2 billion) are the most popular social media sites, ranked by several monthly active users.

Social media ads accounted for 35.5% of all digital advertisements in 2021. Ad spending on social media is forecast to reach US$ 173 million in 2022.

21. WhatsApp (15.7%), Instagram (14.8%), and Facebook (14.5%) are the most popular social media platforms among internet users worldwide aged 16 to 64.

(Datareportal, January 2022)

Datareportal's social media statistics rank WeChat as the fourth most popular social media opt for internet users worldwide aged 16 to 64. (900 million of 1.27 billion WeChat users are from Mainland China).

TikTok, the most downloaded app in 2021, was chosen by only 4.7% of the internet users worldwide. Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp are the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th most downloaded apps of 2022.

Along with the increase in total time online, social media use is also increasing year on year. In 2021, 35.2% (0.2% up from 2020) of the total time spent online was time spent using social media applications.

The Future of the Internet Will Be Bigger, Faster, Safer, and More Private

Nineteen million people in the US do not have internet access, and 47% of the world population hasn’t seen its magic. Experts estimate that it will take 20 more years before the entire world has internet access. Nevertheless, every second, more and more people gain access to the internet.

Moreover, with the FTTB and 5G, the global average for fixed broadband and mobile connections is improving. Retain that speed is a major factor among marketers; as the global internet speed increases, websites and developers can add more content to the website and improve customer experience.

Source

1. Statista
2. Datareportal
3. Statista
4. Statista
5. Internet World Stats
6. Datareportal
7. Wikipedia
8. GSMA Intelligence
9. VisualCapitalist
10. Oberlo
11. Tandfonline
12. Statista
13. Internet Live Stats
14. Datanyze
15. Statista
16. Statcounter
17. Internet Live Stats
18. Statista
19. HubSpot
20. DataReportal
21. Statcounter
22. OpenSignal
23. Statista
24. Data.ai
25. Kepios
26. Statista
27. Datareportal, January 2022

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