In this article, we list and discuss the 25 Countries With The Highest Number of Internet Users in 2024. If you would like to skip our detailed discussion of the topic, you can go directly to the top 10 Countries With The Highest Number of Internet Users in 2024.
According to the Internet World Stats’s 2023 data, 67.9% of the world’s population, which amounts to nearly 5.4 billion people, actively use the Internet. Moreover, trends indicate that the numbers of Internet users increase at an annual rate of 4%, meaning that an estimated 196 million new people gain access to the Internet every year.
When we take a deeper look into the users’ demographics, we find that internet use has a close-knit connection to the country’s development. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)’s findings, in 2020, nine out of ten people used the Internet in high-income countries. In comparison, in low-income countries, only 27% of the population uses the Internet as of 2023, which in itself was an increase from 24% in 2022. In an era where the world is so tightly bound together by the Internet, this gap in Internet users reflects the digital disparity between high and low-income countries and regions.
The Internet provides access to a vast amount of information and knowledge on a daily basis to its users, which bridges the gap in education and learning between urban and rural populations. It also creates ample job opportunities and contributes to economic growth. Furthermore, the Internet fills the communication gap by connecting people globally, and, most importantly, it allows individuals from developing countries to stay informed on global news and participate in online conversations. This connectivity and involvement on a global scale spreads awareness amongst less privileged individuals, which, in the long term, reduces inequality.
The people who have no access to the Internet remain deprived of all these benefits, and their knowledge of day-to-day world events is also strictly limited and heavily influenced by the local media and literature. Although the development of a country does affect the provision of the Internet to its population, there are other reasons why people may be denied access to the Internet.
For example, in North Korea, citizens cannot use the Internet due to censorship. In fact, the use of the Internet is illegal for the general public, and only a few thousand elites have access to it. The rest of the 25 million citizens have very limited access to information, online education, and growth opportunities. While they do have access to a domestic intranet that allows access to very limited and highly surveilled websites, residents of North Korea can only guess how the actual internet looks.
Overall, even though billions of people do not have access to the Internet today, the use of this technology is vital for individuals to grow and for countries to prosper. If you look at how countries with the highest Internet penetration rate (See: 25 Countries with the Highest Internet Penetration Rates in 2023) are the ones with prosperous economies, it will drive you to the same conclusion.
Some key players in the telecommunications and digital industry who have invested in new projects and initiatives to make the Internet more accessible for all include Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA), Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), and AT&T Inc (NYSE:T).
Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) is an American multinational telecommunications and media conglomerate. The company has recently committed a $1 billion investment in its comprehensive initiative, Project UP. Through this project, Comcast aims to advance digital equity and build a future where the Internet is more accessible to millions of more people. According to Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA), this commitment, alongside the company’s other new projects, will impact as many as 50 million Americans over the next ten years.
Similarly, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) has invested in several projects to advance the telecommunication industry. The company is going through a massive, multi-year network transformation, introducing 5G service to more than 230 million people, expanding Internet availability to cover more than 40 million households, and redesigning the network to function in a cloud-native environment.
AT&T Inc (NYSE:T), the largest wireless network carrier in the United States, has also been actively involved in various telecommunications projects. With over 550 projects in 2021, AT&T Inc (NYSE:T) continues to progress and enhance its network infrastructure across various states. In January 2024, the company completed a $4.4 million public-private project in Boonville, Missouri, which expanded broadband access in the city and made fiber-powered broadband accessible to more than 4,000 new customer locations.
In the list below, we discuss the 25 countries with the highest number of Internet users in 2024.
25 Countries With The Highest Number of Internet Users in 2024
Our Methodology
For our list of 25 countries with the highest number of internet users in 2024, we have sourced the most recent available data from the CIA’s World Factbook. The list is in ascending order of the top countries with the most internet users, going from the 25th to the 1st.
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25 Countries With Highest Number of Internet Users in 2024
25. Argentina
Number of Internet Users (2021 estimates): 39,150,000
According to the CIA, Argentina has about 39,150,000 Internet users. The country’s current fiber optic network covers more than 33,000 km with 85% of the fiber “lit” (active). However, many citizens still don’t have access to proper internet, and the overall Internet speed is 15% lower than regional peers. The Argentinian government is currently aiming to invest further into the country’s Internet infrastructure and improve the country’s long-delayed implementation of fiber to the home (FTTH).
24. South Africa
Number of Internet Users (2021 estimates): 42,480,000
South Africa is one of the most technologically advanced countries in Africa and has about 42,480,000 Internet users as per 2021 estimates. South Africa’s Internet is affordable, and the Internet quality comes close to the global average with the fixed internet in the country averaging 70 Mbps.
23. Spain
Number of Internet Users (2021 estimates): 44,180,000
With 44,180,000 Internet users, Spain has the 23rd highest number of Internet users in the world today. It is considered one of the leading countries for fiber broadband and is one of the top 25 countries with the highest Internet penetration rates as of 2024.
22. Italy
Number of Internet Users (2021 estimates): 44,250,000
Ranked 22nd, Italy’s Internet infrastructure comprises broadband, wireless, and fiber optic connections. As of 2021 data, it has 44,250,000 Internet users, which means that about 74.86% of Italy’s entire population uses the Internet.
21. Pakistan
Number of Internet Users (2021 estimates): 48,300,000
With 48,300,000 Internet users, Pakistan has a developing Internet infrastructure that has been growing impressively in recent years. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority reported that since 2020, after COVID-19, the use of the Internet has increased significantly as online operations were adopted more by institutions and businesses.
20. South Korea
Number of Internet Users (2021 estimates): 50,960,000
South Korea is one of the most advanced countries in the world today. In terms of the Internet, the country has 50,960,000 Internet users, and the entire country is well-connected via the Internet. According to the SpeedTest Global Index, South Korea has an average mobile internet speed of 150.22 Mbps, and an average fixed internet broadband speed of 162.95 Mbps as of writing this article.
19. France
Number of Internet Users (2021 estimates): 55,900,000
With around 55,900,000 Internet users, France has the 19th highest number of Internet users today. In 2013, the French government launched the French high-speed internet plan to ensure fast connection times for everyone in the French urban and rural areas by 2025. So far, the government has made significant progress on the plan.
18. Philippines
Number of Internet Users (2021 estimates): 58,300,000
The Philippines has a population of 118.3 million, according to the US Census Bureau. However, out of these, only 58,300,000 Filipinos are Internet users. Although this means the country has the 18th highest number of internet users in the world, it also means that approximately 50% of the population does not have the means to use the internet. In October 2022, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) claimed that they are working on internet connectivity across the country but it may “take a while” before most of the country’s population has it.
17. Thailand
Number of Internet Users (2021 estimates): 61,200,000
With 61,200,000 Internet users as of 2021 data, Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) aims to make the country a digital hub for ASEAN through the adoption of 5G and the Thailand Industry 4.0 scheme.
16. United Kingdom
Number of Internet Users (2021 estimates): 64,990,000
Ranked 16th, the United Kingdom has a well-developed Internet infrastructure with 64,990,000 Internet users and several Internet providers, including the world-renowned Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone. The country’s telecommunications infrastructure provides access to the UK’s population via fiber, cable, mobile, and fixed wireless networks. The UK also has one of the highest internet penetration in the world.
15. Bangladesh
Number of Internet Users (2021 estimates): 66,300,000
Bangladesh has over 66,300,000 Internet users, and ranked 82nd among 121 countries, in Surfshark’s Digital Quality of Life index for 2023. In 2022, China’s network infrastructure project, which aimed to improve Bangladesh’s ICT sector, came to a conclusion after six years and three different phases. With the completion of the third and final phase, the country is expected to see significant growth in its fixed broadband connectivity. In February 2024, Bangladesh’s Internet regulator allowed telecom operators in Bangladesh to provide fixed wireless access (FWA). Earlier in the same month, a licensing guideline allowing carriers to roll out 5G technology within a year was also issued.
14. Turkiye
Number of Internet Users (2021 estimates): 68,850,000
Turkiye, more commonly known as Turkey, has the 14th highest number of Internet users according to the CIA’s data. As per the SpeedTest Global Index, Turkiye has an average mobile Internet speed of 36.75 Mbps, and an average fixed Internet broadband speed of 40.98 Mbps, which means the country still has a long way to go in terms of Internet speed.
13. Iran
Number of Internet Users (2021 estimates): 69,520,000
Next on the list, the Islamic Republic of Iran has about 69,520,000 internet users, but a total population of 87.59 million. Meaning, that a good amount of the Iranian population does not have the means to use the Internet. Iran’s government also has a reputation for resorting to internet censorship and walling off the internet entirely in the wake of protests.
12. Vietnam
Number of Internet Users (2021 estimates): 71,780,000
Vietnam, a country known to be one of the leading IT outsourcing destinations, has about 71,780,000 Internet users. Vietnam also has a strong reputation for internet censorship for users who delve into illegal or anti-state content. Child safety is also one of the reasons presented by the Vietnamese government for its censorship of the Internet. At the same time, the government is also working towards further improvising the overall internet infrastructure in the country, aiming to position it as a highly networked and secure cyber hub by 2030.
11. Germany
Number of Internet Users (2021 estimates): 75,530,000
Ranked 11th, Germany is known for its thriving technology sector and growing ICT ecosystem. With 75,530,000 Internet users, Germany has an overall well-developed internet infrastructure. However, the Internet can also be costly in the country due to the market monopoly of the leading Internet provider company, Deutsche Telekom. Also, according to a 2022 DE-CIX survey, 38% of German internet users struggle with noticeable internet problems on a daily basis.
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Disclosure: None. 25 Countries With The Highest Number of Internet Users in 2024 is originally published on Insider Monkey.
