As of February 2025, 5.56 billion individuals worldwide were internet users, which amounted to 67.9 percent of the global population. Of this total, 5.24 billion, or 63.9 percent of the world's population, were social media users. Global internet usage Connecting billions of people worldwide, the internet is a core pillar of the modern information society. Northern Europe ranked first among worldwide regions by the share of the population using the internet in 20254. In The Netherlands, Norway and Saudi Arabia, 99 percent of the population used the internet as of February 2025. North Korea was at the opposite end of the spectrum, with virtually no internet usage penetration among the general population, ranking last worldwide. Eastern Asia was home to the largest number of online users worldwide – over 1.34 billion at the latest count. Southern Asia ranked second, with around 1.2 billion internet users. China, India, and the United States rank ahead of other countries worldwide by the number of internet users. Worldwide internet user demographics As of 2024, the share of female internet users worldwide was 65 percent, five percent less than that of men. Gender disparity in internet usage was bigger in African countries, with around a ten percent difference. Worldwide regions, like the Commonwealth of Independent States and Europe, showed a smaller usage gap between these two genders. As of 2024, global internet usage was higher among individuals between 15 and 24 years old across all regions, with young people in Europe representing the most significant usage penetration, 98 percent. In comparison, the worldwide average for the age group 15–24 years was 79 percent. The income level of the countries was also an essential factor for internet access, as 93 percent of the population of the countries with high income reportedly used the internet, as opposed to only 27 percent of the low-income markets.

The number of internet users in Saudi Arabia peaked in 2025, growing by more than ************** new users over the previous year. Apart from 2018, when there was a slight dip in the internet user base in the country, since 2016, the number of users has increased consistently each subsequent year. The biggest increase in internet users was recorded in 2017, when it jumped by roughly *************. The country is expected to continue this overall trend, with the number of internet users expected to reach another milestone by the end of the decade. Internet in Saudi Arabia Internet in Saudi Arabia is characterized by strong infrastructure, broad coverage, and fast speeds. The number of internet users in the country has continued to grow in line with the rising mobile internet user penetration rate . This is also indicative of the preferred device type for accessing the internet among users. Social media comprises a sizable portion of internet usage in Saudi Arabia, as in many countries, and more than **** of users subscribe to multiple platforms. Topping the list of most-used social media platforms were META-owned companies. Vision 2030 Saudi Arabia is undergoing an ambitious project known as Vision 2030 to diversify its economy and wean itself off oil dependency. One of the cornerstones of this initiative is to revamp its technological infrastructure to support the transition of many public and private sector services into the digital age. Some recently published public sector achievements reveal the tangible steps the government has taken to expand connectivity and digitize many public services. Additionally, the country has invested billions into tech start-ups, fintech, e-commerce, and other sectors that rely on a robust network infrastructure.