As of February 2025, Southern Africa was the region with the highest internet penetration rate in Africa, at around ** percent. Furthermore, Northern Africa had a penetration rate of ** percent. The share of people using the internet in these regions of Africa was even above the world average (**** percent). In contrast, Middle and Eastern Africa recorded the lowest rates: **** percent and **** percent, respectively.

As of February 2025, Morocco had an internet penetration of over 92 percent, making it the country with the highest internet penetration in Africa. Libya ranked second, with 88.5 percent, followed by Seychelles with over 87 percent. On the other hand, The Central African Republic, Chad, and Burundi had the lowest prevalence of internet among their population. Varying but growing levels of internet adoption Although internet usage varies significantly across African countries, the overall number of internet users on the continent jumped to around 646 million from close to 181 million in 2014. Of those, almost a third lived in Nigeria and Egypt only, two of the three most populous countries on the continent. Furthermore, internet users are expected to surge, reaching over 1.1 billion users by 2029. Mobile devices dominate web traffic Most internet adoptions on the continent occurred recently. This is among the reasons mobile phones increasingly play a significant role in connecting African populations. As of early January 2024, around 74 percent of the web traffic in Africa was via mobile phones, over 14 percentage points higher than the world average. Furthermore, almost all African countries have a higher web usage on mobile devices compared to other devices, with rates as high as 92 percent in Sudan. This is partly due to mobile connections being cheaper and not requiring the infrastructure needed for traditional desktop PCs with fixed-line internet connections.

As of October 2025, Nigeria had 107 million internet users—the highest number reported all over Africa. Meanwhile, Egypt ranked second with over 96 million users. The majority of web traffic in leading digital markets in Africa originated from mobile devices. This is due in part to the fact that mobile connections are much cheaper and do not require the infrastructure that is needed for traditional desktop PCs with fixed-line internet connections. Anticipating notable growth: Africa's internet user rise and projected milestones The projected trend for Africa indicates a consistent rise in internet users from 2024 to 2029. It will have a collective addition of 337.3 million users (equivalent to a growth of 51.79 percent). Following fifteen successive years of growth, the user count is anticipated to reach a record high of 1.1 billion by 2029. Furthermore, the online penetration rate on the continent was 43 percent, which was below the global average, measured at around 68 percent. Unveiling internet trends The region has witnessed a steady increase in internet users over the years. In January 2024, Southern Africa stood out as the African region with the most sizable internet penetration rate, reaching approximately 73.1 percent. The proportion of individuals accessing the internet in this part of Africa and Northern Africa surpassed the global average (66.2 percent). Moreover, Morocco boasted an impressive internet penetration of about 91 percent, securing its position as Africa's foremost country. Libya held the second position with a penetration rate of approximately 88 percent, followed closely by Seychelles at around 86.7 percent.

The number of internet users in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 327.8 million users (+51.52 percent). After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the number of users is estimated to reach 964.1 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of internet users of was continuously increasing over the past years.Depicted is the estimated number of individuals in the country or region at hand, that use the internet. As the datasource clarifies, connection quality and usage frequency are distinct aspects, not taken into account here.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of internet users in countries like Europe and the Americas.

The number of smartphone users in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 353.1 million users (+109.45 percent). After the eighteenth consecutive increasing year, the smartphone user base is estimated to reach 675.71 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Smartphone users here are limited to internet users of any age using a smartphone. The shown figures have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of smartphone users in countries like Caribbean and Europe.

The population share with mobile internet access in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 21.7 percentage points. After the eighteenth consecutive increasing year, the mobile internet penetration is estimated to reach 46.22 percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population having access to the internet via a mobile broadband connection.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the population share with mobile internet access in countries like Caribbean and Europe.

The number of Instagram users in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2028 by in total 39.1 million users (+57.16 percent). After the sixth consecutive increasing year, the Instagram user base is estimated to reach 107.54 million users and therefore a new peak in 2028. User figures, shown here with regards to the platform instagram, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period and count multiple accounts by persons only once.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of Instagram users in countries like Europe and Caribbean.

The number of Twitter users in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2028 by in total 28.1 million users (+100.75 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the Twitter user base is estimated to reach 55.96 million users and therefore a new peak in 2028. Notably, the number of Twitter users of was continuously increasing over the past years.User figures, shown here regarding the platform twitter, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of Twitter users in countries like Australia & Oceania and North America.

The number of Youtube users in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 0.03 million users (+3.95 percent). The Youtube user base is estimated to amount to 0.79 million users in 2029. User figures, shown here regarding the platform youtube, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of Youtube users in countries like Worldwide and the Americas.

The number of Facebook users in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2028 by in total 141.6 million users (+56.79 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the Facebook user base is estimated to reach 390.94 million users and therefore a new peak in 2028. Notably, the number of Facebook users of was continuously increasing over the past years.User figures, shown here regarding the platform facebook, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period and count multiple accounts by persons only once.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of Facebook users in countries like Europe and Asia.

This statistic shows a ranking of the estimated number of mobile internet users in 2020 in Africa, differentiated by country.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in more than 150 countries and regions worldwide. All input data are sourced from international institutions, national statistical offices, and trade associations. All data has been are processed to generate comparable datasets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

In 2025, nearly ** percent of South Africa's population were internet users. Ten years prior, only around ** percent of the population had access to the internet.Compared to other African countries, Morocco had the highest internet penetration rate in 2025.

The online banking penetration rate in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 5.2 percentage points. After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the online banking penetration is estimated to reach 13.25 percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the online banking penetration rate of was continuously increasing over the past years.Shown is the estimated percentage of the total population in a given region or country, which makes use of online banking.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the online banking penetration rate in countries like North America and Europe.

This statistic shows a ranking of the estimated number of mobile broadband connections per 100 inhabitants in 2020 in Africa, differentiated by country. Mobile broadband connections include cellular connections with a download speed of at least 256 kbit/s (without satellite or fixed-wireless connections). Cellular Internet-of-Things (IoT) or machine-to-machine (M2M) connections are excluded.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in more than 150 countries and regions worldwide. All input data are sourced from international institutions, national statistical offices, and trade associations. All data has been are processed to generate comparable datasets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

This statistic shows a ranking of the estimated number of households with internet access at home in 2020 in Africa, differentiated by country.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in more than 150 countries and regions worldwide. All input data are sourced from international institutions, national statistical offices, and trade associations. All data has been are processed to generate comparable datasets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

As of February 2025, the countries in Northern and Southern Africa had the largest share of social media users in Africa. In Northern Africa, around **** percent of the population used social media, while this figure stood at **** percent in Southern Africa. In Central Africa, only close to **percent of the people used social media, the lowest rate across Africa. Internet penetration is growing, but varies across African regions On the African continent, two regions recorded a higher internet penetration than the global average. As of January 2023, Southern and Northern Africa registered a penetration share of ** percent and ** percent among their populations, respectively. Central and Eastern Africa had, in contrast, significantly lower rates, marking ** percent and ** percent, respectively . In absolute numbers, Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa topped the list. Connected through mobile phones Mobile phones dominated web traffic in Africa. Compared to the world average, Africa, Asia, and South America had a higher share of web page visits conducted through mobile internet. As of January 2023, around ** percent of the continent's traffic generated on web pages was through mobile devices. Although mobile phones were responsible for most of the online presence in Africa, the continent was behind all other regions in mobile coverage. Around ** percent of the total population lived out of reach from a mobile connection as of 2021.

As of October 2025, Northern Europe recorded the highest internet penetration rate worldwide, with 97.7 percent of its population using the internet. Western Europe followed with a rate of 95.1 percent. Globally, the average internet adoption rate stood at approximately 73.2 percent. Global internet use The ongoing development of telecommunication networks and infrastructure has directly impacted internet penetration on a global scale. Thanks to advancing mobile technology and the continuous modernization of previously less-developed regions, the number of internet users worldwide has been on the rise in recent years, reaching 5.45 billion as of July 2024. In the world-wide-web, Google's Chrome still holds the largest market share for internet browsers, roughly 65.2 percent of the total market as of August 2024, followed by Apple's Safari at nearly 19 percent. Majority of global internet users are in Asia Asia has the most extensive internet user base – more than an estimated 2.9 billion internet users in this region alone – with East Asia accounting for most of this share. Despite this region's large volume of internet users, Asia is far from being a leader regarding online penetration. Eastern Asia, for instance, had an online penetration rate of 75.3 percent as of April 2023.

In recent years, the number of internet users has increased in Morocco. As of 2025, the internet penetration rate was **** percent, up from **** percent in 2022. This indicator expresses the percentage of the total population that uses the internet, ranking Morocco first in Africa. Africa’s Internet users surge With almost *** million internet users in Africa, forecast to rise by more than **** percent in the next four years, internet penetration in the continent has seen an increase, placing Morocco, Libya, and Seychelles at the top. Morocco’s leading position highlights its progress towards adopting digitalization and offers new opportunities for businesses looking to tap into this market.  Internet facilitates payments Morocco’s large internet user base of over **** million creates many development opportunities for e-commerce and digital service businesses. Despite being a cash-based society, Morocco ranked sixth in internet users using mobile payment methods in Africa. Moreover, according to a survey, approximately *** percent of the country’s population aged 15 years and older used a mobile phone or the internet to pay bills. For Morocco, this emphasizes the potential for increased digital engagement and the need for services to accommodate the diverse internet user base. 

As of 2025, the global internet usage rate was ** percent. In the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), ** percent of the population reported using the internet. Europe was the second-most connected region, with ** percent of the population being internet users. The internet usage rate in Africa was the lowest, at ** percent.

As of the second quarter of 2025, South Africa was the leading country in Africa in the adoption of mobile payment methods. In this country, around **** percent of internet users made mobile payments on a monthly basis. Kenya, Egypt, and Nigeria followed, with **** percent, **** percent, and **** percent of internet users, respectively. In that year, the global average stood at **** percent.