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.

The percentage of households with internet access in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 14.5 percentage points. After the twenty-eighth consecutive increasing year, the internet penetration is estimated to reach 68.81 percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the percentage of households with internet access of was continuously increasing over the past years.Depicted is the share of housholds with internet access in the country or region at hand.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 percentage of households with internet access in countries like Caribbean and Asia.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Internet users for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (ITNETUSERP2SSA) from 1990 to 2022 about Sub-Saharan Africa and internet.

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 average for 2023 based on 1 countries was 18 percent. The highest value was in Malawi: 18 percent and the lowest value was in Malawi: 18 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Graph and download economic data for Internet users: All Income Levels for Middle East and North Africa (ITNETUSERP2MEA) from 1990 to 2023 about North Africa, Middle East, internet, and income.

Graph and download economic data for Internet users for South Africa (ITNETUSERP2ZAF) from 1990 to 2023 about internet, South Africa, and persons.

Context

Africa - Population and Internet users statistics

Content

What's inside is more than just rows and columns. Make it easy for others to get started by describing how you acquired the data and what time period it represents, too.

Acknowledgements

Source: https://data.humdata.org/dataset/africa-population-and-internet-users-statistics Last updated at https://data.humdata.org/organization/openafrica : 2019-09-11

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 average for 2016 based on 32 countries was 13.34 kilobits per second. The highest value was in South Africa: 149.54 kilobits per second and the lowest value was in Madagascar: 0.27 kilobits per second. The indicator is available from 2012 to 2016. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Individuals using the Internet (% of population) in South Africa was reported at 75.7 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Africa - Individuals using the Internet (% of population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

Central African Republic CF: Internet Users: Individuals: % of Population data was reported at 10.583 % in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 8.566 % for 2020. Central African Republic CF: Internet Users: Individuals: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 0.290 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2021, with 32 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.583 % in 2021 and a record low of 0.000 % in 1995. Central African Republic CF: Internet Users: Individuals: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Central African Republic – Table CF.World Bank.WDI: Telecommunication. Internet users are individuals who have used the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months. The Internet can be used via a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, games machine, digital TV etc.;International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database;Weighted average;Please cite the International Telecommunication Union for third-party use of these data.

Graph and download economic data for Internet users for the Central African Republic (ITNETUSERP2CAF) from 1990 to 2021 about Central African Republic, internet, and persons.

As of February 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 - in Nigeria, one of the countries with the largest number of internet users worldwide, 86.2 percent of web traffic was generated via smartphones and roughly 13.3 percent via PC 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 remarkable growth: Africa's internet user surge 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 substantial 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 average for 2022 based on 52 countries was 570 thousand subscribers. The highest value was in Egypt: 12000 thousand subscribers and the lowest value was in Chad: 0 thousand subscribers. The indicator is available from 1998 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The proportion of individuals using the Internet from the total population of the country

United States - Internet users: All Income Levels for Sub-Saharan Africa was 36.70000 Per 100 People in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Internet users: All Income Levels for Sub-Saharan Africa reached a record high of 36.70000 in January of 2023 and a record low of 0.00000 in January of 1990. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Internet users: All Income Levels for Sub-Saharan Africa - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on September of 2025.

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